Rehabilitation Counseling and the Law: Critical Considerations of Confidentiality and Privilege, Malpractice, and Forensics
In the process of providing to their clients the highest quality of rehabilitation counseling services available within their profession, rehabilitation counselors are ethically obligated to remain cognizant of, and within, the law. Utilizing references from theoretical and research literature as well as examples from judicial caselaw, three areas of law critically applicable to the practice of rehabilitation counseling are presented and discussed: (a) confidentiality and privilege; (b) malpractice; and (c) forensics. Conclusions and relevant recommendations are offered to practicing rehabilitation counselors, professional rehabilitation counseling associations and rehabilitation counselor education.