Counseling Paper

[Unit and Assignment Title]

[Learner Name]

[COURSE NUMBER – NAME]

[Date]

[Professor Name]

Unit and Assignment Title (same title as title page)

Start writing your introduction here (1-2 paragraphs). An effective introduction prepares the reader by identifying the purpose of the paper and providing the organization of the paper. Please double-space and remember to indent all paragraphs throughout your paper. Aim to keep your writing objective by using third person. Unless required for the specific assignment, please do not include a Table of Contents. Review assignment instructions carefully and note requirements including any minimum number of scholarly sources. Unless citing a classic work, aim to cite research articles and texts published within the past five years. Please use headings throughout your paper that are consistent with the paper’s scoring guide. As a Capella learner, you have FREE access through Campus to personal tutoring services with Smarthinking.com. This will help you address the final scoring criterion at the Distinguished level, “Communicates clearly and effectively through the consistent and correct use of APA guidelines for grammar, punctuation, and mechanics expected of a counseling professional.”

When you finish writing your paper, re-read it to check for errors and make sure your ideas flow well. A helpful tip is to read your paper aloud to yourself. Please submit your papers to the draft area of Turnitin (link in the Resources). Reviewing the report will help you check that you included quotation marks around direct quotations by reviewing the highlighted content in the body of your paper. You can improve the originality in your writing by integrating source material effectively to support your own analysis using accurate citations, paraphrases, and summaries. After you have made needed edits, resubmit your paper to the specific assignment area for u09a1 to provide your instructor with a final match rate that you will include with your submission to the assignment area.

Analysis of Ethical Decision-Making Models

Review the evaluation categories in the scoring guide to ensure you are addressing the ‘Distinguished’ category for all sections of your paper. This section should address the first criteria, “Analyzes the effectiveness of current decision-making models to determine the appropriate methods necessary to resolve specific legal and ethical issues when working with students or clients from diverse backgrounds and provides examples to illustrate how these models are effective.” Focus upon the relative merits of a specific ethical decision model that will guide a counselor through the decision-making process. What is it about the model that makes it effective compared to others? Give examples of how it provides a better structure to help counselors slow down and consider more information before drawing a conclusion about what action to take. Devoting about two pages to this section can adequately cover this if you focus on the analysis more than simply describing the model. A description without analysis is only at the Basic level. Include citations for the models from a scholarly source to support your analysis. Keep in mind that a minimum of six sources is required for the entire paper.

Application of Ethical Decision-Making Model

This section builds upon the first. Begin by clearly identifying the core legal and ethical issues that are part of the decision for the scenario that matches your specialization (School or MHC). Apply the decision-making model that you described above. Distinguished criteria in the scoring guide include, “Integrates ethical decision-making models to resolve specific legal and ethical issues found within diverse counseling settings and provides examples to demonstrate how these models are applied.” Demonstrate how to apply the model to the legal and ethical issues identified. Follow the structure the model provides for a counselor in the scenario. Avoid lengthy quotations of laws or ethical standards, but make certain to cite the ones discussed. Maintain third person throughout this paper. This section can be covered in about two pages too.

Impact of Cultural and Developmental Factors

This third section addresses the third section of the scoring guide, “Analyzes ethical guidelines specific to demonstrating developmental and cultural sensitivity and provides examples to illustrate how these guidelines are used when working with students or clients of diverse ages and backgrounds.” Make the description specific to the scenario to address relevant examples considering the developmental level of the client/student and any important cultural issues including socioeconomic status. Cite scholarly sources to support your analysis. Avoid the common mistake of simply repeating broad ethical principles that support the general importance of considering diversity. Be specific and thorough devoting approximately two pages.

Impact of Counselor Values and Strategies to Address Them

The last section addresses the fourth and fifth section of the scoring guide, “Articulates the impact of a counselor's personal values on the ability to resolve legal and ethical dilemmas within the counseling profession with specific examples” and “Develops specific strategies to address the influence of a counselor's personal values on ethical decision making and provides specific examples of how these strategies will be implemented.” This corresponds to the last section of the instructions, “Include at least two examples of specific values and beliefs you hold that may influence your reactions to this case and the actions you may take. Present at least two specific strategies that you will develop to address the influence that your personal values and beliefs may have on ethical decision making with clients or students”. This is an example of instructions that appear to invite you to shift to first person opinion. As included in the Expectations for Learners in Counseling Programs, all academic writing is expected to be in third person. Speak of values counselors in general may hold that interfere and how these values or beliefs can be addressed. It is assumed that as a counselor-in-training that you are aware this would apply to you. Again, be specific and use the literature rather than opinion to shape the evaluation and strategies. Covering this section in 2–3 pages will bring you close to the page ranges of 8–10 pages described in the “Submission Requirements.”

Conclusion

Please provide a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas of your paper. Note that the instructions include, “Your reference list must include APA-approved links to state resources, and at least two peer-reviewed sources. You must use current APA style to list your references. Refer to Capella’s APA Style and Format for more information.

References

Remley, T. P., Jr., & Herlihy, B. P. (2016). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

List sources in alphabetical order following the formatting example of your text above. Consult your APA manual for proper examples on citing and referencing APA style. The Capella Writing Center also has helpful tutorials. Please pay particular attention to:

· Indenting.

· Use of upper and lower case.

· Italics.

· Use of double spacing.

· Comma and period placement.