Ethical Dilemmas Experienced by Australian Rehabilitation Counsellors
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Author(s)
McLennan, Vanette
Ryan, Kerry
Randall, Christine
Year published
2018
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Private sector rehabilitation counsellors operate in a dynamic and complex environment in
which their decisions are influenced by several stakeholder interests including workers’
compensation authority regulators, scheme appointed agents, employers, and injured workers.
The potentially competing interests of all parties often challenge the values and professional
responsibilities of rehabilitation counsellors. The current study aimed to address the gap
identified in the literature concerning ethical dilemmas unique to private sector rehabilitation
counselling in Australia. A qualitative methodology was adopted to examine: ...
View more >Private sector rehabilitation counsellors operate in a dynamic and complex environment in which their decisions are influenced by several stakeholder interests including workers’ compensation authority regulators, scheme appointed agents, employers, and injured workers. The potentially competing interests of all parties often challenge the values and professional responsibilities of rehabilitation counsellors. The current study aimed to address the gap identified in the literature concerning ethical dilemmas unique to private sector rehabilitation counselling in Australia. A qualitative methodology was adopted to examine: a) the types of ethical dilemmas most encountered by rehabilitation counsellors working in the context of private sector settings; and b) rehabilitation counsellors' preferred methods for resolving ethical dilemmas in this context. Findings revealed that rehabilitation counsellors interviewed had experienced an array of ethical dilemmas in their practice, reflecting some of the inherent challenges in Australia’s private rehabilitation sector. The findings have implications for the ethics education and professional development of rehabilitation counsellors, and provide a foundation for future ethics research in rehabilitation counselling.
View less >
View more >Private sector rehabilitation counsellors operate in a dynamic and complex environment in which their decisions are influenced by several stakeholder interests including workers’ compensation authority regulators, scheme appointed agents, employers, and injured workers. The potentially competing interests of all parties often challenge the values and professional responsibilities of rehabilitation counsellors. The current study aimed to address the gap identified in the literature concerning ethical dilemmas unique to private sector rehabilitation counselling in Australia. A qualitative methodology was adopted to examine: a) the types of ethical dilemmas most encountered by rehabilitation counsellors working in the context of private sector settings; and b) rehabilitation counsellors' preferred methods for resolving ethical dilemmas in this context. Findings revealed that rehabilitation counsellors interviewed had experienced an array of ethical dilemmas in their practice, reflecting some of the inherent challenges in Australia’s private rehabilitation sector. The findings have implications for the ethics education and professional development of rehabilitation counsellors, and provide a foundation for future ethics research in rehabilitation counselling.
View less >
Journal Title
Online Journal of Health Ethics
Volume
14
Issue
1
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© 2018. Online Journal of Health Ethics. This is the published version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher, OJHE, and supplied by The Aquila Digital Community 2018.
Subject
Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified
Public Health and Health Services
Rehabilitation counselling
Ethics
Insurance-based rehabilitation
Stakeholder
Ethical decision making