Rehabilitation Counselor Ethical Considerations for End-Of-Life Care

Among the changes in the 2010 revised Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors of the Commission on Rehabilitation Certification (CRCC) are standards and guidelines addressing end-of-life care for clients who are terminally ill. The CRCC standards provide guidance in three key areas: (1) Counselor competency for working with end-of-life clients; (2) counselor scope of practice regarding end-of-life clients; and (3) counselor choices pertaining to confidentiality in cases where terminally ill clients are considering hastening their own deaths. In this article we discussed the Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors (Commission on Rehabilitation Certification [CRCC], 2010) that addresses end-of-life care for clients who are terminally ill. Practical ramifications of the standards are discussed and potential dilemmas presented. Practice implications for rehabilitation counselors are outlined.