Counselor Impairment

2 Abstract In the Spring of 2003, the Governing Council of American Counseling Association established a task force regarding impaired counselors with the aim of addressing the needs of the impaired counselors and their clients.

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Abstract In the Spring of 2003, the Governing Council of American Counseling Association established a task force regarding impaired counselors with the aim of addressing the needs of the impaired counselors and their clients

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245) In the spring of 2003, “The Governing Council of the American Counseling Association established a second Task Force on Impaired Counselors

Earlier in 1991, the Task Force had estimated that at least 10 % of counselors are impaired. Counselor impairment could have a significant impact on the professional functioning compromising the client's care. 3 This impairment could be attributed to by personal crisis, physical illness and substance abuse among other things.

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This impairment could be attributed to by personal crisis, physical illness and substance abuse among other things

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Impairment may be caused by substance abuse, mental illness, personal crisis, or physical illness

4 Impairment is the inability to practice in congruence with the professionally defined and accepted standards of care.

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Impairment is the inability to practice in congruence with the professionally defined and accepted standards of care

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According to Altmaier (2008), “Impairment is the inability to practice in congruence with professionally defined and accepted standards of care” (p

It is therefore critical that counselors focus on wellness and resiliency. To do so, there are preventative measures that can help curb the issue of counselor impairment and promote self-awareness and self-care so that they can be in a position in which they are emotionally and mentally focused on the needs of the clients.

5 Definition Impairment is defined as the inability to practice in congruence with professionally defined and accepted standards of care.

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Definition Impairment is defined as the inability to practice in congruence with professionally defined and accepted standards of care

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Counselor Impairment The definition of impairment is “the inability to practice in congruence with professionally defined and accepted standards of care” (Altmaier, 2008, p

Within psychology and counseling, impairment has been a problem among the trainees and professionals, and it interferes with their ability to carry out their responsibilities with their usual level of skill and ability. 6 Lawson & Venart, (2005) define therapeutic impairment to occur when the professional functioning of the counselor is significantly impacted in a negative manner compromising client care posing potential harm to the client.

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Lawson & Venart, (2005) define therapeutic impairment to occur when the professional functioning of the counselor is significantly impacted in a negative manner compromising client care posing potential harm to the client

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Lawson & Venart (2005) define impairment as such, “Therapeutic impairment occurs when there is a significant negative impact on a counselor’s professional functioning which compromises client care or poses the potential for harm to the client

7 Ethical codes of counselors mandate that professionals’ practice with the highest levels of care and obtain supervision or intervention when their concerns and difficulties interfere with meeting this standard set by the codes.

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Ethical codes of counselors mandate that professionals’ practice with the highest levels of care and obtain supervision or intervention when their concerns and difficulties interfere with meeting this standard set by the codes

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“Ethical codes of counselors and psychologists mandate that professional practice with the highest level of care and obtain supervision or interventions when their own concerns and difficulties interfere with meeting this standard set by the codes” (Altmaier, 2008, pg

Impairment is not the same as distress as counselors may experience difficulties that are not sufficient enough to negatively impact their work. 8 Therefore, impairment typically denotes a significant level of distress which interferes with their ability to competently care for clients, complete necessary and appropriate documentation among other critical aspects.

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Therefore, impairment typically denotes a significant level of distress which interferes with their ability to competently care for clients, complete necessary and appropriate documentation among other critical aspects

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Impairment, however, typically denotes a significant level of distress that interferes with the ability to competently care for clients, complete necessary and appropriate documentation, and so on (Leong, Altmaier, & Johnson, 2008)

This review, therefore, seeks to analyze counselor impairment related aspects such as signs and symptoms, risk factors and the incidence of impairment.

2 Incidence of Impairment According to the American Counseling Association, (2018), incidences of impairment dates back in 1884 were Sigmund Freud became addicted to combinations of cocaine and opiates.

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Incidence of Impairment According to the American Counseling Association, (2018), incidences of impairment dates back in 1884 were Sigmund Freud became addicted to combinations of cocaine and opiates

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“Reports of impairment date back as early as Sigmund Freud who, in 1884, became addicted to combinations of opiates and cocaine

9 However, in 1958, the Federation of State Medical Boards identified addiction among medical doctors as a disciplinary problem and called for a model of probation and rehabilitation program to be adopted by state medical boards.

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However, in 1958, the Federation of State Medical Boards identified addiction among medical doctors as a disciplinary problem and called for a model of probation and rehabilitation program to be adopted by state medical boards

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It was not until 1958, however, that the Federation of State Medical Boards first identified addiction among medical doctors as a disciplinary problem and called for a model probation and rehabilitation program to be adopted by state medical boards (Walz & Bleuer 2004, p

10 It was in 1973 that the American Medical Association made a formal recognition on physician impairment to be a serious problem and thus issued its policy paper.

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It was in 1973 that the American Medical Association made a formal recognition on physician impairment to be a serious problem and thus issued its policy paper

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In 1973 the American Medical Association formally recognized physician impairment as a serious problem and issued its policy paper "The Sick Physician

11 In the counseling profession, the aspect of impairment is more recent.

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In the counseling profession, the aspect of impairment is more recent

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Impairment in the profession of counseling is not uncommon

In 1988, an article on the topic of counselor impairment was published in the American Counseling Association Journal of Counseling and Development. 2 ACA then began in 1991 to address this critical issue upon which at least 10% on helping professionals were found to be impaired at any selected moment in time and this meant that at that time, at least 6000 ACA members were experiencing some form of impairment which reduced their ability to provide care properly ( American Counseling Association, 2018).

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ACA then began in 1991 to address this critical issue upon which at least 10% on helping professionals were found to be impaired at any selected moment in time and this meant that at that time, at least 6000 ACA members were experiencing some form of impairment which reduced their ability to provide care properly ( American Counseling Association, 2018)

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“The 1991 ACA Task Force on Impaired Counselors conservatively estimated that at least 10% of helping professionals were impaired at any selected moment in time meaning that (at that time) at least 6,000 ACA members were experiencing some form of impairment that reduced their ability to care properly for their clients” (ACA, 1991)

12 ACA establishment of its second task force in 2003 was determined to identify and develop intervention strategies as well as resources to help impaired counselors.

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ACA establishment of its second task force in 2003 was determined to identify and develop intervention strategies as well as resources to help impaired counselors

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The purpose of the task force was “to identify and develop intervention strategies and resources to help impaired counselors” (American Counseling Association, 2004)

This was crucial due to the prevalent of counselor impairment cases and thus the need for intervention and preventive measures ( American Counseling Association, 2018).

13 Signs and Symptoms of Counselor Impairment According to Lawson & Venart, counselors impairment arises as a result of chemical dependency or substance abuse, depression, alcohol and other substances, relationship problems, mental illness, physical illness or personal crisis such as burnout and traumatic events.

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Signs and Symptoms of Counselor Impairment According to Lawson & Venart, counselors impairment arises as a result of chemical dependency or substance abuse, depression, alcohol and other substances, relationship problems, mental illness, physical illness or personal crisis such as burnout and traumatic events

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Lawson and Venart (2005) enumerate the potential causes of impairment as “substance abuse or chemical dependency, mental illness, personal crisis, such as traumatic events or vicarious trauma, burnout and life crisis, and physical illness or debilitation” (p

Impaired counselors are bound to feel physically exhausted thus developing a negative attitude towards self and their work. They are also likely to experience reduced interaction with their clients limiting effectiveness and client outcomes. Lawson & Venart, (2005) state that impaired counselors may experience withdrawal signs with both their clients and colleagues as they fear to address the issue. This results in another observable sign of loneliness causing depression for the impaired counselors.

The counselor's workload or personal life is attributive to the signs and symptoms. It is therefore essential that counselors realize the signs and symptoms to ensure that they are addressed on time before they can impact negatively on their clients. There are tools and techniques that can be used to enhance self-care, and when these practices are embraced, risk factors both at home and in the workplace that cause impairment can be reduced. For instance, A survey of ACA members resulted in three broad avenues in which the needs of impaired counselors could be dealt with. By so doing, the signs and symptoms will be handled to enhance effectiveness in practice. The first of the three included impairment prevention and resiliency education that could be designed for all the counselors ( American Counseling Association, 2018). 14 Secondly, resources, intervention, and treatment for impaired counselors.

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Secondly, resources, intervention, and treatment for impaired counselors

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Second increasing resources, intervention and treatment for impaired counselors

Finally, the task force recognized the importance of addressing the needs of impaired counselors and this means they should be open regarding their situation to obtain assistance.

Risk Factors That Make Counselors Vulnerable According to Lawson & Venart, (2005), there are some aspects that make counselors vulnerable. One of the key issues is their exposure to primary and secondary trauma and violence. 2 When the counselors either experience or witness violence first in their personal lives or at the workplace, they become more vulnerable to developing traumatic stress symptoms which would result in impairment.

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When the counselors either experience or witness violence first in their personal lives or at the workplace, they become more vulnerable to developing traumatic stress symptoms which would result in impairment

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When counselors either witness or experience violence firsthand (in the workplace or in their personal lives), they are more vulnerable to developing traumatic stress symptoms, which can lead to impairment.” (Lawson & Venart, p

Individual risk factors integrate financial, family and relational issues whose effects are not resolved. 12 Failure to address issues of secondary traumatic stress, they become systemic, and the consequences are not limited to high absenteeism and turnover levels, increased mistrust between colleagues, ethical misconduct incidents, and feelings of anger and isolation.

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Failure to address issues of secondary traumatic stress, they become systemic, and the consequences are not limited to high absenteeism and turnover levels, increased mistrust between colleagues, ethical misconduct incidents, and feelings of anger and isolation

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When issues of secondary traumatic stress are not addressed they can become systemic—resulting in high levels of absenteeism and turnover, rampant mistrust of colleagues, feelings of anger and isolation, and incidents of ethical misconduct (Lawson & Venhart, 2011)

These risk factors create barriers which prevent counselor's strong wellness routines. Also, the work environment of the counselor plays a huge role in their overall wellness.

To avoid impairment, preventive measures have been suggested, and it is advisable that the counselors discuss their situations with other colleagues. This can give the impaired counselors different perspective obtained from the evaluation of different input and support of the peers. The counselors can also avoid impairment by developing a spiritual life, spending time with friends and family and traveling which can be used as preventive measures.

Conclusion In conclusion, according to ACA, impairment among counselors is a common issue and thus its aim of raising awareness on the associated risks and resilience strategies. Counselors should have the capacity to function effectively themselves to enhance quality service. This is, therefore, the reason for the emphasis of self-care, self-awareness, and self-balance by Lawson & Venart, (2005). 15 This paper has analyzed the incidence of impairment, the signs, and factors as well as risk factors for the vulnerability of counselor impairment.

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This paper has analyzed the incidence of impairment, the signs, and factors as well as risk factors for the vulnerability of counselor impairment

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The frequency of incidence of impairment is discussed, as well as the characteristics, and risk factors for impairment

These aspects are critical to all counselors because the information can help realize these factors in advance and take the necessary preventative measures and thus support the overall wellness.