The general consensus that the clinician is ultimately responsible for the appropriate use of tests is a very true statement. It is ultimately the clinician who administers tests and it is ultimately their responsibility to be competent in the test they are administering and to administer tests correctly. Whiston (2013) agrees with this and believes that counselors are personally responsible for keeping track and monitoring how they use assessment in counseling. The ACA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (2005) specifically addresses this issue and lays forth ground rules that counselors are not to use any tests or assessments that they have not been properly trained in or are competent in. This demonstrates that the clinicians own education and training, of which they are personally responsible for, play a key role being able to administer tests and assessments in the counseling setting. If a counselor does not have the appropriate training in a specific test that they administer the test results could very well be skewed or interpreted poorly, which could have drastic effects for the client. Seeming as how an improperly administered test or assessment could negatively affect clients, this writer would not be hesitant in confronting a colleague who is administering tests that they are not trained and/or competent in. This confrontation would be done quietly when the colleague does not have any clients present and it would initially just be a reminder on the rules set forth by the ACA to which they ascribe. This writer would then warn the colleague that they may be obligated to report them to their supervisor because their actions may not have been in the best interest of their clients’ and thus may be a breach in their code of ethics. By reminding the colleague and warning them of the potential jeopardy they are putting their career in, this writer would hope to effectively communicate the seriousness of the colleague’s actions with them.
References
American Counseling Association (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Whiston, S. (2013). Principles and applications of assessment in counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.