Junior Case Study

The Case Study of Junior Junior is a 14-year-old Hispanic boy who has been brought to counseling by his parents. His parents explained, Junior’s school counselor reach out to them because of his lack of focus in school. Junior’s parents took him to see a doctor and the doctor prescribed Junior dextroamphetamine at a moderate dose. It was evident, Junior had persistent patterns of inattention and hyperactivity, which was impairing his ability to function (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). His parents and teachers saw an immediate effect from the medication. After a while, Juniors dosage had to be increased to receive the desired effect. Juniors mother explained how she began to notice Juniors medication running out faster. When she

As Junior’s counselor, it is my ethical duty to take into account cultural considerations (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While I am conducting the case, I will keep in mind any culturally appropriate practices that could be considered for treatment (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The most important issue that needs to be immediately addressed is if Junior is at risk for harming himself or others. I will place Junior on a continuum or risk scale by looking at the severity, specificity of ideation, risk factors, and recent/anticipatory stressors (Merrill, 2013). After careful consideration, Junior will be placed in an adolescent inpatient setting. Junior will benefit from inpatient treatment by being in a safe environment and being monitored while a new medication is prescribed. In this case, a non-stimulant medication such as an antidepressant may be a better choice in medication at this time because of the non-addicting qualities (Mariani & Levin, 2007). Once Junior is released, he will see me for counseling

There are even more ethical implications, when working with minors. One of the ethical considerations in this case study is informed consent. According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, standard A.2.d, if a minor client is unable to give voluntary consent, the counselor must seek out parents or guardians (ACA, 2014). This was a concerning issue, since Junior was unable to give consent for inpatient treatment. It was my duty to explain the reasoning and importance behind inpatient treatment to Junior’s parents. Another ethical implication I came across, was explaining the confidentiality limitations to Junior. According to the ACA, Code of Ethics, standard B.1.d, a counselor must explain the limits to confidentiality and circumstances of breaching confidentiality are necessary (ACA, 2014). This was a particular challenge for me, for the fact, I wanted Junior to feel he could open up and talk to me about the hallucinations and the bad thoughts of hurting his mother. I did not want Junior to hide his feelings in fear of getting in