Hope Clinic Policy Proposal, Coursework Example

Introduction

Ethical principles must be addressed effectively in the context of any organization and its primary areas that involve decision-making across all levels. It is essential that an organization develop a significant focus on its ethical priorities so that all possible issues are addressed in a timely manner and support its long-term goals and objectives in a positive manner. Most importantly, it is necessary to develop new ideas and approaches to address ethical principles effectively and to be proactive in meeting the needs of all persons involved in the practice setting, including patients. The organization must focus its priorities on the development of an ethical framework that supports a long-term strategy to support ethical decision-making in all situations to improve outcomes for employees and for patients. Once a strategy is established, it must govern all related activities within the organization and must emphasize the importance of developing a creative approach to managing the individual circumstances of each case effectively at all times.

Case 1

In this case, the patient contradicts what the counselor believes is her most significant issue. She is pregnant and has an addiction; therefore, she must be convinced that treatment must be conducted immediately in order to protect her own health and the health of her child. This requires an organized and realistic approach to decision-making that will have a positive and lasting impact on her health. The level of decisions that are made at the clinic require all counselors to be effective in making ethically responsible decisions at all times that will have a significant impact on operations and on the wellbeing of all patients. Nonetheless, there is likely to be a risk from time to time associated with individual cases and the decisions that are made; therefore, these concerns must be addressed through a governing ethical policy that addresses breaches and other concerns that may impact patients and employees in different ways.

Case #2

In this case, the female who disclosed that she was sexually molested as a child must be provided with therapeutic support and guidance in order to address this issue effectively and to be successful in addressing the incident in a professional manner to prevent further emotional and psychological complications for the patient. The proposed intervention must address a number of key principles that have a lasting impact this patient and all other patients and must include the following primary objectives: 1) Justice, which requires all persons to be treated fairly, but to also consider the individual circumstances of the situation and to refrain from individual judgments or perspectives that could essentially cloud ethical decision-making; 2) Autonomy, which reflects the importance of individual freedom in making decisions that have an impact on patients, using informed consent and other key principles to support the objectives that are being considered within the context of the situation; 3) Beneficence, which reflects the importance of creating an environment that supports patient health and wellbeing above all else and encourages decision-making that will have a positive benefit on clients; 4) Nonmaleficence, which reflects the importance of refraining from any situation that may impose additional risk or harm to a patient through the actions that are taken, including psychological, emotional, and social harm; and 5) Fidelity, which reflects the importance of trust between the counselor and the client at all times in order to prevent further complications or unnecessary risks (CEU Source). These criteria must be established as part of a larger framework to achieve success in supporting the objectives of the organization and its patient population in an effective manner that will serve their needs well as best as possible.

Case #3

For this patient, the only means that is available to promote recovery is an inpatient rehabilitation program. Perhaps with an opportunity to discuss the severity of his condition with the patient, he may be convinced that treatment is of critical importance in order to prevent further complications. The client population within the organization must be considered as part of a larger discussion regarding the facility because there are significant efforts required to ensure that patients are protected from any possible breaches in ethics as best as possible. This process is instrumental in governing the ethical framework that is established and in determining the overall impact of the ethical decisions that are made. Patients, including the example patient, must be treated with dignity and respect at all times. These factors will encourage employees to work proactively to meet patient needs and to better understand the dimensions of ethics that govern their decisions on a daily basis. It is believed that when the ethical framework is practical and solid in its scope and direction, it will govern employee-client communication and other areas in order to provide the best possible approaches to managing patient needs effectively and in full consideration of their specific circumstances and needs. This process reflects the value of effective decision-making in support of the patient population in question and how their needs will be met using the framework that has been identified for application throughout the organization. In this capacity, the organization will be prepared to make ethically responsible decisions that will be in the best interests of all patients and that will support a long-term strategy for improvement that will have a lasting impact on outcomes and the potential of patients to experience greater health and wellbeing.

Conclusion

Establishing an ethics policy for Hope Clinic is an important step towards the discovery of new challenges to improve patient care and to be effective in communicating a shared vision for treatment and recovery. Each case study provides a basis for exploring ethical dilemmas in the context of supporting all clients to improve their wellbeing, while also refusing to compromise their privacy in the process. These efforts support a governing ethics policy that has many practical applications and other alternatives to improve upon existing ideas and to be successful in meeting patient care needs effectively and efficiently. At the same time, all communications must be confidential and represent a means of developing new ideas that will support the most effective strategy for treatment and care for the patient population. In addition, this process must represent the organization and its objectives in a consistent manner so that there is expert guidance and oversight regarding the needs of the organization and its people in a positive manner at all times.

References

CEUSource. Ethics for substance abuse counselors. Retrieved from http://ceusource.com/texts/ethics_text.html