Ethical issues in

Group Work
Chapter 12

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 Ethical Issues in Group Therapy
 Professional training standards:
 Knowledge competencies
 Skill competencies

“Professional codes, legislative mandates, and institutional policies alone will

not assure competent group leadership”(Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan,
2014, pg. 434).

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 Training Program for
Group Workers
 Recommendations:
 Personal psychotherapy
 Self-exploration and experiential groups
 Participation in a training and supervisory group

 What steps can you take to acquire competence as a group facilitator?

 Does ethical practice demand that group leaders receive some personal
therapy? If so, should this be individual therapy, group therapy, or both?

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 Group Therapy
Class Activity

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 Ethical Issues in the Diversity
Training of Group Workers
 Group counselors emphasize appreciation, respect, and acceptance in
cultural and racial identity for all cultures.
 Group counselors strive to increase their awareness of their own
multicultural identity.
 Group counselors consider the impact of adverse social, environmental, and
political factors in assessing problems and designing interventions.
 Group counselors acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for effectively
working with the diverse range of members in their groups.

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 Ethical Issues in the Diversity
Training of Group Workers
 Group counselors seek consultation, supervision, and further education to fill
any gaps and remain current.
 Group counselors are aware of problems involved in stereotyping and avoid
making the erroneous assumption that there are no differences between group
members from the same ethnic, racial, or other group.
 Group counselors respect the roles of family and community hierarchies
within a client’s culture.
 Group counselors assist members in determining those instances when their
difficulties stem from others’ racism or bias, so they do not inappropriately
personalize problems.

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 Ethical Issues in the Diversity
Training of Group Workers
 Group counselors inform members about basic values that are implicit in the
group process (e.g., self-disclosure, reflecting on one’s life, and taking risks)
 Group counselors increase their awareness of how myths, stereotypes, and
assumptions they learned by living in society influence their work in facilitating
groups.
 Group counselors are committed to expanding their services to create new ways
of developing groups and identifying members to promote equity, access,
harmony, and participation.
 Group counselors promote egalitarianism by educating group members about
their rights.

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 Ethical Issues in the Diversity
Training of Group Workers
 Group counselors establish norms that accept, value, and respect cultural
differences.

 Group counselors model relationship skills that are basic to establishing and
maintaining connections between multicultural group members.

 Group counselors with a social justice orientation are aware that individual
change occurs through social change, and they advocate with clients and on
behalf of clients.

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 Ethical Issues in Co-leadership
 Co-leaders who complement and balance each other can provide useful
modeling for members, share responsibilities, and provide mutual support.

 Drawbacks to the co-leadership model include ineffective communication,

competition between leaders, and overdependence on the co-leader.

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 Ethical Issues in Co-leadership
 Unresolved conflicts between the leaders can result in splitting within the
group.

 Co-leaders need to be committed to identify and resolve issues that interfere

with them working effectively in the group.

 Supervision should include opportunities for co-leaders to explore personal

beliefs and perspectives about co-facilitation.

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 Ethical Issues in
Group Membership
 Informed consent  Psychological risks

 Screening and selection  Confidentiality in groups

 Exceptions to confidentiality
 Preparing group participants
 Confidentiality with minors
 Involuntary participation

 Freedom to leave group

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 Unethical Use of
Group Techniques
 It is unethical for group leaders to use techniques:
 That are unfamiliar
 To serve a hidden agenda or enhance power
 Solely to create an intense atmosphere
 To pressure members or deprive them of their dignity

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 Recommendations in Using
Group Techniques
 Techniques should have therapeutic  Leaders should modify techniques
purpose. for culturally diverse clients.
 Techniques should be grounded in  Techniques shouldn’t be used
a theoretical framework. haphazardly.
 Client’s self-exploration should be  Techniques should be introduced
fostered. in a timely and sensitive manner.
 Group leaders should use  Group members should be given
techniques with which they are freedom to participate or pass on
familiar experiments.
 Leaders should be aware of
potential impact of techniques.

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 Termination in Closed Groups
 In a closed group, the task of leaders is to help members review their individual
work and the evolving patterns from the first to the final session.
 Informed consent involves talking with group members from the beginning of a
group experience about the ending and how to terminate productively.
 Teach members to give adequate notice when they decide it is time to terminate.

 If the member’s intention to leave is not adequately discussed in the group, this
can undermine potentially valuable group experiences.

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 Termination in Open Groups
 An ideal termination is one that has been mutually agreed upon by the
member and the leader and for which there is sufficient time to work through
the process of loss and separation.
 Assist members who are leaving with reviewing what they have learned in the
group and what they intend to do with this learning.
 Remaining group members often have reactions about the loss of a member.
 Give them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings.

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 Community and
Social Justice
Perspectives
Chapter 13

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 Comprehensive Community
Counseling Programs
1. Direct community services:
 Preventive education

2. Indirect community service:

 Influencing policymakers

3. Direct client services:

 Focuses on outreach activities

4. Indirect client services:

 Client advocacy

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 Social Justice Perspective
 Rests on the assumption that all people have a right to equitable treatment and
a fair allocation of societal resources, including decision making
 Some of the ethics codes refer to the role of social justice advocacy as an
ethical mandate.
 The goal of counseling is to promote the empowerment of people who are
marginalized and oppressed in our society.
 Courage in dealing with fear is a cornerstone of doing multicultural social
justice work.

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 Social Justice Perspective
 Referred to as a fifth force that entails a paradigm shift
beyond the individual
 Although not all counselors will have the time or energy to
effect major institutional change, all have the capability of
working toward some kind of social change.
 It is necessary to acquire a set of social justice and
advocacy competencies.

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 Alternative Counselor Roles
 Change agent

 Consultant

 Adviser

 Advocate

 Facilitator of indigenous support systems

 Facilitator of indigenous healing systems

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 Community Counseling Practitioner
 Duties involve:  Duties involve:
 Ability to support community  Influence policymakers
needs  Consult with community
 Develop partnerships in agencies
creation and delivery of  Evaluate human services
services programs
 Promote community  Advocate and assist with
organization and development initiatives
of activities
 Develop and build community
 Outreach assets
 Develop strategies to empower
the community

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 Relationships Between
Counselor and the Agency
 Counselors who are dissatisfied with an agency or the
system may decide to:
 Subvert it any way they can
 Conform to institutional policies out of fear
 Make compromises between institutional demands and
personal requirements
 Leave the agency

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