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Advocate and Mediator

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Submitted By tazygirl
Words 810
Pages 4
Individual Paper
Joann Harris
BSHS 441
July 16, 2012
Paula Krasselt

Individual Paper
In this paper, I will discuss many things. Some of the things that will be discussed will be the ethical, morals, and legal challenges of the dual relationships of an advocate and mediator. Plus, I will discuss my personal philosophy and approach to advocating and mediating.
When it comes to an advocate or a mediator, there may be circumstances that both advocacy and mediation may face challenges of ethical, moral and legal. Dual relationships do occur when a professional takes on the two roles and/or sequentially with someone looking for assistance. (Guthmann, Heimes, & Kolvity, n.d.). Dual relationships includes seeing an client for personal reasons and /or providing services to family or friends.
Being an advocate or a mediator must always keep the relationship on a professional level. For an advocate or even a mediator to off friendship or any other things such as services or goods, is crossing the professional boundaries. (Mediation Council of Illinois, 1999). To have a duel relationship is a conflict of interest and it does cross the ethical line. Also, there is never any good that comes out of dual relationships. This is according to the Advocacy and Mediation Code of Ethics. There should also be respect when it comes to advocates and mediators and their clients. They are there to provide a service to their clients and it should always be on a professional level. There should never be dual relationships in advocacy or mediation except for a professional relationship.
Mediators are there as a third party to try and help in coming up with an agreement between two parties. If the parties with a conflict agree to see a mediator to help solve the conflict, then and only then will a mediator get involved. The mediator or any human service professional

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