Ethics and Professional Practice
The purpose of this assignment is for you to apply the standards and principles of an ethical and
professional addiction counsellor.
This assignment provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate the achievement of the following
course learning outcomes:
Define addiction through a biopsychosocial and trauma-informed lens
Compare and contrast biological, sociological, and psychological theories used to explain
addiction
Identify the range of evidence-informed interventions currently in use across the continuum of
treatment services
Investigate the role of addiction as oppression on various populations including mandated
clients
Identify counselling skills and approaches involved in working with social support systems,
including families
Define the role ethics plays in professional practice including ethical decision-making models
Explain legal issues pertaining to the addiction field
Recognize the components of a range of professional codes of ethics and standards of
practice
Key Information
Type: Individual
Weight: 25%
Delivery: Avenue to Learn – Assignment folder
Due Date: Check the Detailed Course Schedule in the About the Course module
Expectations
You are expected to complete this assignment individually.
Respect for academic integrity is crucial to your success. Make sure you understand what constitutes
acts of academic dishonesty in the page: What is Academic Dishonesty?
Assignment 3: Ethics and Professional Practice
Introduction to Addiction
For this assignment, answer the following questions:
1. Explain, in your own words, what it means to practice in an ethical manner. When doing so,
think about this from the perspective of:
a) how you view substance use disorder, prevention and treatment
b) what behavioural and technical competencies are especially important when practicing in an
ethical manner.
2. Using the case study provided below identify ONE ethical dilemma. State why you view it as an
ethical dilemma using what you have learned in this course. Write about what you would do to
resolve the dilemma.
3. Make recommendations in working with Tina using the course material as a guide. Be sure that
any recommendations you make reflect a sound understanding of the matching process and
other content discussed earlier in the course.
4. Since 2018, the use of Cannabis is no longer illegal in Canada. Based on your understanding
of addiction and substance use, create a table with pros and cons in relation to this change in
legislation. Responses that highly reflect the course content will score best.
Ethics Case Study
Background
Tina recently turned 18 years old. She is an Indigenous female who is well known to street front
service providers in your community. Tina has been street involved since the age of 15, when her
mother and father moved away. The reason for their departure remains vague, although Tina
believes it was for financial reasons. Tina remains in sporadic contact with her mother via text and
occasional video chat.
In a plan arranged by her parents prior to their departure, Tina moved in with her 24-year old Auntie
and her Auntie’s long-term partner. Despite trying hard to make it work, the conflicted relationship
failed and Tina reported that her Auntie “had no goddam idea what she was doing and she tried to be
my mother.”
For the past two years, Tina has been couch surfing. She often stays with friends or relatives, and in
the warmer months has been known to live on the streets when no better options exist. She has
developed friendships within the local homeless community, and reports having good relationships
with one or two youth workers attached to non-profit organizations.
As a younger child, Tina reported enjoying school and she has sporadically attends the local outreach
school during moments of stability. Tina had been on the radar of child and family services for the
past two years, but given her age and available family support they were reluctant to get involved.
Assignment 3: Ethics and Professional Practic
Introduction to Addiction
Presentation
– Tina arrives on time and does not seem visibly intoxicated or under the influence of any mind
altering substances.
– She arrives with a Support Worker from the local Probation / Mental Health Partnership team
targeting high-risk youth and emerging adults. Tina was referred to this service by her
Probation officer.
– Tina’s presentation suggests she is uncomfortable with the circumstances and her response to
your warm welcome suggests she is not happy to be there.
Presenting Problem
– Tina was recently arrested with a group of three other street involved youth (ages 17, 16 and
17). The four young people had been living in an abandoned house for four weeks. They had
been involved in selling drugs and car hopping to support their substance use and basic living
needs. The police became involved after local residents raised concern, and when they arrived
at the house they found the four youth (two males, two females) in the presence of two older
men who were well known to police.
– Based on the evidence at the scene, Tina was charged with a number of criminal code
offenses and spent the past two weeks in custody awaiting sentencing. Three days earlier she
was seen by a Judge for the first time. During the court appearance, correctional staff shared
that Tina was pregnant (very early stages), and that a number of substances had been found
in her system upon arrival at the facility.
– In an attempt to be supportive, and given that it was her first offence, the Judge placed the
following conditions on Tina:
o serve 12-months probation
o refrain from using any substances or engaging in crime
o attend intensive treatment services related to her substance use
o refrain from contacting any of the youth she had been living with.
– Based on the Judge’s recommendations, Tina has been referred to you to begin the referral
process to an intensive treatment program.
First Session Summary
In the presence of her Support Worker, Tina stares at the floor and offers little in response to your
questions. After the Support Worker steps out of the session, Tina becomes much more animated.
She begins by confirming that the session is confidential and nothing she shares will be passed along
to others without her consent. After being assured this was the case, she shares the following:
– She reported daily poly substance abuse for the past two months. She indicated that the
intensity of her use escalated quickly.
Assignment 3: Ethics and Professional Practice
Introduction to Addiction
– She is not motivated to attend treatment, and does not see her substance use as a concern.
Despite her probation condition, she is not motivated to alter her use of substances.
– When exploring the pros and cons of her use, she shared that she continued to experience
more positives from her use.
– She is willing to talk to a counsellor, but is seriously concerned about being “shipped out
somewhere” to attend a residential program. Because of this, she has been telling her
Probation Officer and Support Worker “what they want to hear” and has not been honest with
them about her use or her motivation.
– Since being released from custody, she has been living in a group home for young adult
offenders. She shared that she sneaks out nightly to engage in substance use (Marijuana,
MDMA). She is aware this is a violation of her probation but is willing to take the risk.
– After re-confirming the limits of confidentiality, Tina shared that she is unaware of who the
father of her un-born child might be. She indicated that her memory is blurry and there may
have been a time she was exchanging sex for drugs.
– Tina agreed to continue to see you, and indicated that she thought it would be enough to fulfill
the “intensive treatment” condition on her probation.
– Her Support Worker seems pleased that she is willing to come back and comments that Tina’s
willingness to attend and limited history of use should be a “recipe for success!”
Structure
Submissions should be written in paragraph form and in a manner consistent with APA guidelines.
The use of bullet points is acceptable in the body of the paper, but assignments should not be a
collection of point form comments.
Format
Length and space: 1500-2500 words – double-spaced.
Font type: Times New Roman
Font size: 12 points
Citation guide: APA Style File type: Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX)
Resources
You are encouraged to use the resources provided in Library, Research and Writing Assistance,
under the Getting Started module. Noteworthy tools include the Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and
Style Guide and Grammarly.
Before you begin your assignment, review the rubric to understand the assignment’s
expectations. Also, use the rubric to ensure inclusion of all marking criteria before submitting your
assignment.
