Tennessee Counseling Association

Ethics Committee Report

November 21, 2010

I.                   TCA Ethics Committee received no complaints of ethical misconduct during the period from July 2010 to November 2010.

II.                TCA Ethics Committee is charged with the responsibility of informing the membership of educational opportunities regarding professional ethics.  Pursuant to this charge we offer the following three items:

a.       TCA Ethics Committee recommends two education sessions on ethics at the 2010 TCA Conference:

                                                              i.      Pre-Conference Session by TMHCA entitled “Daily Ethical Concerns for Counselors.”

                                                            ii.      Breakout Session entitled “Ethics & Professional Identity”

b.      TCA Ethics Committee recommends that the TCA website have a link to the ACA Code of Ethics.  This will enable members to have ready access to our professional Code of Ethics.

c.       TCA Ethics Committee will promote online ethics training via ACA “Free CE of the Month” service.  Each month ACA selects an article or book chapter from professional publications for reading.  Members can earn one contact clock hour (.10 ceus) or one CEU by reading it and passing a test on it.  TCA Ethics Committee will notify TCA members of this opportunity when articles pertain to ethics or law.  For example, January 2011 ACA Online Learning will be “Transcultural Integrative Model for Ethical Decision Making.”  (Note: ACA membership is required to use this service.)

III.             TCA Ethics Committee Chair was charged by TCA President Pruett to align TCA Ethics Committee activities and practice with those of the American Counseling Association Ethics Committee.

a.       Action: TCA Ethics Chair contacted ACA Ethics Chair Gary E. Goodnough and found that TCA Ethics Committee responsibilities are consistent with ACA and most other state affiliates.  For example, TCA does not publish its own Code of Ethics; rather we adhere to the ACA Code of Ethics.  If complaints of misconduct are reported, those complaints will be passed along to ACA Ethics Committee for processing. (Note: ACA membership is required to use this service.)

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Mike Bundy

TCA Ethics Committee Chair