Let's assume that you're a counselor in private practice and you receive third-party reimbursements through an MCO

Question

You have been seeing a client who is working on existential issues resulting from the unexpected death of her child. The client exhibits symptoms of sadness, grief, and loss, but does not meet the criteria for an Axis I diagnosis. You have met with the client six times (the allotted amount of sessions that the MCO will reimburse), but you believe she could benefit from additional sessions. You could justify additional counseling sessions and continue to receive reimbursement from the MCO if you diagnosed the client with an Axis I diagnosis. Using Haas and Malouf's model of ethnical decision making, describe how you might handle this situation.
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary.
a. Haas & Malouf's Model of Ethical Decision Making
i. Gather information about the problem.
ii. Consult with colleagues and look at relevant literature to consider pertinent legal and ethical principles
iii. Create a list of appropriate responses
iv. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of each potential response
v. Choose the option that best resolves the dilemma
vi. Act on that option and evaluate its effectiveness