ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights essential ethical and legal issues in group work, including confidentiality, informed consent, relationships among group members, termination issues, group participation, diversity issues, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Both laws and ethical standards are based on generally accepted societal norms, beliefs, customs, and values. However, laws are more prescriptive than ethical standards, have been codified, and carry penalties for failure to comply. The American Counseling Association is the professional association for all counselors. One of the functions of professional associations is to promulgate ethical standards and thereby provide direction and information to counselors and their clients about appropriate and ethical behavior. Confidentiality is the cornerstone of counseling and helps create the atmosphere in which the member feels able to trust and share with the leader and other group members. If a group is to be productive, members must trust each other.
