Using Nonlicensed Workers
Although it is surrounded in controversy, the use of nonlicensed workers in counseling may
have an important place for the older population for at least three reasons.
1. The culture of the older white population seems to suggest that needing professional therapy is admitting
to moral weakness.
2. The older population is under represented in seeking out therapy.
3. Payment for therapy may be a major hurdle for many retirees.
Corey, et al., (2003) also suggest that there are simply not enough licensed workers to deal with the current demand of all age
groups. “Faced with these realities, many in the mental health field have concluded that nonlicensed people could be
given the training and supervision they need to provide some psychological services (Corey, et al., 2003, p.459).
It is not unreasonable to consider the staff members at the Davis County, Utah,
Senior Citizen Centers potential helpers for the older population whom they serve in adjusting to greater cultural diversity.
Of course, training and supervision will be needed if these staff members are to become effective ad hoc counselors to the
elderly. As part of that initial training, it is vital that Codes of Ethics are understood and implemented. The following
Codes of Ethics for Human Services Professionals are provided as a beginning step towards ethical practices.
Codes
of Ethics
Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals found in the Codes of Ethics
for the Helping Professions, (2004, pp 68 -70) has been chosen for this paper because the helping that is likely to be done
will fall on the shoulders of the staff at each center. In most cases, they have experience, training, or background in the
Human Services field. It is reasonable to expect to provide these staff members more training and counsel in diversity and
managing multiculturalism from the onset of this project.
The responsibility these counselors will have to the client, therefore, includes
acknowledging to the client the limited scope of their counsel (Statement 1), and making sure that the older white does not
see this integration transition as making him or her less important (Statement 2). Of course, the privately expressed feelings
of the client must be kept private (Statement 3) and any real or imagined wrongs must be dealt with professionally (Statement
4). With this population, violence is not expected, but spiteful words may occur. However, the most likely negative outcome
would be for majority members to cease attending and being active in the center.
All records or notes that may be created with respect to any client must be protected
(Statement 5). These centers are required by Federal Law to keep many types of records, so keeping client notes private should
not prove to be difficult. Statement 6, which refers to the relationship between
client and counselor, may be the most interesting experience to occur in this transition. The Code considers the counselor
in a power position above that of the client. However, the staffs of the Senior Citizen Centers cater to the patrons, and
this relationship may carry over to the counseling relationship. Special consideration and pilot testing will be necessary
in measuring the possibly unique power structure that may occur in Senior Citizen Centers.
Sexual relationships as found in Statement 7 are not likely in this population.
However, the client's right to determination (Statement 8) suggests that not all of the patrons will be able to be helped
in overcoming prejudicial views. The Code suggests that the staff build on the client's strengths and that may be the most
effective way to help the integration process.
The Human Service Professional's Responsibility to the Community and Society is
one of the basic reasons for the integration project in the first place. Federal and State Funding must be used through the
Older Americans' Act (OAA, 1965) in serving senior citizens without the bias of race, ethnicity, disability, or gender. The
staffs of the Senior Citizen Centers in Davis County, Utah are aware of the applicable laws (Statement 10) but should make
a regular review of them and be even more involved in advocacy relating to diversity.
Through the media as well as the State and County Aging Services and through increased
training workshops, the staff members can keep informed of social issues (Statement 11) which may affect the counseling process.
These same venues can help the staff understand complex interactions that may effect their counseling (Statement 12). Many
of the staff members of these centers are already effective advocates and have been able to secure funding and equipment for
the clients’ needs (Statement 13). They are increasing advocacy through Aging Advisory Boards on the local Senior Center
level. It would be well to post in each Senior Center the experience and the educational credentials of staff members (Statement
14).
Through the Federal requirements, the staffs do describe the effectiveness of
their programs, but would need a measuring standard in consideration of their effectiveness in counseling as well (Statement
15). Statement 16 brings clarity to the integration project as it demands advocacy for all with particular concern for minority
members. It should be noted that aging makes all the clients at a Senior Center a minority, but that within that minority
there are people who have suffered a lifetime of discrimination and difficulty which makes them even more in need of the services
of the OAA.
The staffs, per Statement 17, are to provide services without regard to ethnicity,
culture, race, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Please note that missing from the
Code's normal list is, by Federal Law, discrimination by age. The OAA mandates what age groups are eligible for which services
starting at age 55.
The staffs of the centers are reasonably knowledgeable of the cultures of the
local area, but should have regular training from the County Aging Services regarding multicultural issues in Davis County,
Utah (Statement 18). This training should include white ethnicity training to help every staff member become more aware of
their own viewpoints and understandings (Statement 19). This training must also include the sociopolitical issues and how
they affect different members of the older population (Statement 20). Staff members must actively request more training in
these areas as mandated by Statement 21.
Since the staff members are not licensed counselors, the responsibility to colleagues
section of the Code will need to be strongly considered in their training. Under Statement 22, the staffs members must not
make the client feel that they, the staff, are licensed counselors or that they have all the answers to the client's problems.
Since the staff is experienced in giving out referrals, this should not be problematic.
Conflict with a colleague, especially with another staff member, could occur as there remains a likelihood that older clients
will talk to more than one person about their concerns. It will be necessary to increase staff training in learning to handle
such problems professionally (Statement 23 and 24). The staff will need to recognize confidentiality is very important unless
to do so would place people in harm (Statement 25). Harm to the client could be a possibility in the project to integrate
if a patron feels that they are being ignored in their feelings or lost in the transition.
The staff has a responsibility to the Human Services profession and to the Code
of Conduct. Recognizing their limitations (Statement 26) and seeking assistance (Statement 27) will need to be regularly brought
up in training sessions. These staff members are already under obligation (Statement 28) to be honest and objective with the
patrons of the center. Through issuing referrals, they do promote cooperation between various professionals (Statement 29).
The staff members are encouraged to promote the development of their profession (Statement 20) and they do engage in advocacy
for appropriate legislative action. They must continually seek out more effective ways to serve the patrons, especially in
a lay counselor position.
The responsibilities the Human Services professionals have to their employers
include their commitments of the proper performance of their duties to the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) as shown in Statement
32. They must continue to keep a high quality of service to the older members of Davis County, even if many do not participate
in the Centers (Statement 33). Should a conflict arise between their responsibilities towards the client and their responsibilities
to their employer (AAA), they must deal with the situation in a professional manner (Statement 34).
The responsibilities Human Services professional's have to themselves include
the striving to become the ideal in themselves that personify the profession (Statement 35), and the conducting of regular
self awareness exercises for personal and professional growth (Statement 36). They must continue to learn and to increase
in their skills to serve the Senior Center clients more efficiently and professionally (Statement 36).
Of course, the possibility of staff members becoming nonlicensed therapists at
the centers remains to be seen as the aging population becomes more culturally diverse and if the integration of the centers
becomes problematic for some of the older white population.
