Ethical Dilemmas at Willowbrook Mental Institution

Autonomy. Hai’s mental state is altered with the manifestations of delusions and hallucinations making him incapable of deciding for himself. His ability to practice his autonomy and refusal of medical treatment is deemed invalid due to his mental illness.

Although professional standards were promoted throughout the 20th century in a wide range of settings (Centore & Milacci, 2008), it has only within the last quarter century or so that the counseling profession established a formal entity called the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in 1981 for this purpose (Adams, 2006). A year later, the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC) was established in 1982 to provide accreditation standards for counselor education as well as a method of assessing educational knowledge (Adams, 2006). In this regard, Juhnke (2009) reports that, "The NBCC was established through the American Counseling Association (ACA) in 1982. The reason for NBCC's original existence

There are at least 10 significant struggles and/or ethical violations discussed in the book. Read the book, choose three ethical issues or violations, and cover:

State institutions that house individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities have been a prominent part of history in the health professions. In 1967 in the United States, there were more than a quarter of a million state institutions that housed individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities (Waldman, 2017). One state institution that was around during that time period was Willowbrook State School which was located on Staten Island in New York City and was one of the largest run state schools for people with developmental disabilities. Willowbrook at its peak was home to over 6000 residents when its capacity was for just 4000 (Kaser, 2005). Willowbrook was a state institution that is most often described for dehumanizing its patients. Willowbrook housed both children and

The American Counseling Association has also developed a Code of Ethics that all counselors are bound to follow to uphold the integrity of the profession. The Code of Ethics has a specific area devoted solely to research and how procedures should be handled. First and foremost, researchers should follow all federal, state, and local laws pertaining to research with human subjects (ACA, 2005). The Code of Ethics also explains that researchers are responsible for the well being of their subjects and they should take special precautions to avoid harm in any way, including physical,

The Willowbrook research also contributed to the public debate over research ethics and the impetus for regulation” (NAP, 2004). This research does not downplay the egregious acts of the research or coercing family members or guardians to consent to the research study through allowing entry into the school via the experiment venue. The residents of the school suffered while being exposed to a live hepatitis virus and while living in severely unsanitary conditions with undertrained and unsupervised staff that performed acts of violence on residents of the school. “Children were sitting on the floor, some nude covered in feces, rocking back and forth making pitiful sounds. Willowbrook was a state school, yet there was very little education happening. This was simply a dumping ground for the city’s unwanted children. The staff, overwhelmed and under-supervised, resorted to prison-style control tactics: disruptive residents were confined in solitary ‘‘pits’’ and left for hours or were beaten with keys and sticks” (Starogannis & Hill, 2008, p. 89). Evidently the research setting was not the optimal setting; the research was performed during a time when guidelines were nonexistent. Protection of the residents was put aside to reach for a vaccine that would aid many more than were affected which places into question the ethical behaviors of the determining entities.

Ethical principles and virtues give mental health professions guidelines to follow to police their behaviors. Do no harm, respect autonomy, be just and pure excellences are some of the principles and virtues. Purse excellence is described in my textbook, Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions: Standards and Cases, as maintaining competence, doing your best, and taking pride in your work. (Koocher & Keith-Spiegal, 2008)

Willowbrook was designed in 1958 as an idea to build a school for the developmentally disabled. The New York legislature approved more than 5 million dollars to purchase 375 acres of land in the Northern part of Staten Island. Thirty building were erected completely surrounded by woods. When it was finished in 1941 the World War II was ending and veterans were just returning home. Veterans Administration took over the building to care for their wounded. The temporary name was Halloran General Hospital. It wasn’t until 1951 that Willowbrook opened its doors as “Willowbrook State School for people with disabilities.” Within the first 4 years Willowbrook surpassed its capacity of 2,950 by housing about 3,600 residents. Parents during that time were pressured by society, doctors, and even the court system to place their children who did not meet society’s standards of “normal.” By 1965 Willowbrook housed over 6,000 residents. This institution had the highest population in all of New Your State of disabled people along with the highest population of African Americans and Puerto Ricans. More than 200,000 people with disabilities nation wide were dumped into different institutions. The first legislative social reform gave families no other choices. The Federal Government did not provide any assistance to help keep their children stay home. Willowbrook became a dumping ground for the developmentally disabled where they were subjected to deplorable conditions, abuse and even

The Importance of Ethics Across Spectrums Ethical standards are put in place for several reasons in the field of psychology. One reason is to ensure no physical or emotional harm comes to either party involved in the counseling process. In this case study, there are many red flags when it comes to James’ approach to his future career as a counselor. First thing, I want to point out his complete lack of ethical understanding for someone going through his internship and about to graduate. He believes that his road is paved and that his success is a given, all he needs to do is graduate and then he can open his own practice.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ethics as the rules of behavior based on ideas of what is morally good and bad. According to Webster ethics is also defined as the principles of conduct governing an individual or group. Almost every profession abides by certain rules and regulations that protects not only the professional but the client or patient that the profession serves. These rules and regulations guide the professional and try and prevent decisions that might be detrimental to both parties. These rules and regulations are designed to protect the interests of the clients and avoid malpractice lawsuits of certain degrees. This research paper will concentrate on ethical issues in the field of the counseling profession. Even though Licensed Professional Counselors go through rigorous training courses and ethics training occurs at almost every counseling subject’s introduction, there are still counseling malpractice incidents. Most of the literature explains that most challenges professional counselors face occur when their professional code of ethics conflict with their own personal values. Most recently, legal cases such as Keeton vs. Anderson-Wiley, 2010 and Ward vs. Willbanks, 2010 have brought the counseling profession into the limelight. Most LPC do not view the ACA code of ethics as simple

James L. Brooks’ film, Broadcast News, follows a team of broadcast journalists working at the Washington station of a broadcasting company. Brooks’ broad characters are distinct in their roles within the broadcast system, portraying the diverse social climate of the broadcast news arena. Brooks’ two main characters, Jane and Tom, represent the mixture of personalities needed to run a news program. Jane and Tom have vastly different positions in the the news corporation, but each are essential to ensuring the program’s success.

The American Counseling Association and the American Mental Health Counselors Association Codes of Ethics both provide guidance and direction in making ethical decisions for their members (ACA, 2005) (AMHCA, 2010). Both the ACA and the AMHCA Codes of Ethics cover a wide range of moral and ethical situations that could present themselves to mental health professionals. Both of these codes of ethics have significant impacts on the counseling profession. The tools provided by these codes of ethics ensure that mental health professionals are able to conform to the regulations set forth. They address common concerns from varying points of view. Understanding these codes of ethics is essential to all mental

Broadcast News depicts a clear picture of why Television and Journalism should have never mixed. Throughout the Film, the characters must juggle their personal lives, while at the same time, keep up their public image on everyday broadcasts. Jane mirrors this point, “It’s style over substance”. Television has ruined Journalistic integrity,

According to the article from Disability Justice on Willowbrook State School the conditions for the residents were terrifying (DisabilityJustice.org, 2016). From 1947 to 1987 it was the largest institution for children with mental disabilities in America. Instead of allowed capacity of 4000, there were around 6200 residents in 1969. It was overcrowded and often referred to as “human warehouse” which resulted in abuse and inhumane attitude towards the residents. As noted in the documentary “Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook” relatives visiting their institutionalized family members would

Ethical issues in a counseling practice lay the foundation of a therapist in practice. Ethics are at the center of how the counseling process functions and operates in a successful manner for the clients who seek help in such a setting. In order for the counseling profession to be ethical and hold professional recognition, there are many facets that need to be examined and outlined to make sure all counselors and practitioners are functioning at the highest level and withholding their duties required by the counseling profession. The first introduction so to speak of the area of ethics also happens to be one of the first steps in counseling, which is the informed consent. The informed consent provides the basis of what happens or will be