RE: SOCW6103: Discussion (WK2)
RE: SOCW6103: Discussion (WK2)
Discussion 1: Addiction and Anti-Discrimination Law
Laws and advocacy efforts to protect individuals with addiction are in the relatively early stages of development. Only in the past thirty years have people with addictions had legal protection from discrimination (Lawinfo, 2009). What anti-discrimination laws exist to provide people struggling with addiction the opportunity to receive treatment without suffering punitive actions?
For this Discussion, research state statutes and laws related to addiction in the Walden Library and reputable Internet sources. Consider how you might respond to the scenario provided. Then select a current anti-discrimination law that applies to individuals with addiction. Note that every state and region has different laws concerning addiction treatment.
Scenario
Imagine being at work, when suddenly, a colleague walks in visibly intoxicated. She is being loud, slurring her words, and bumping into people. Realizing that she is disturbing her co-workers, the intoxicated employee walks into the human resources department and tells them she is addicted to alcohol and needs treatment. Consider the rights the employee has in this situation. Are there laws that protect the employee from violating the company’s policy on drunkenness? Why might such laws be important?
Post a description of the anti-discrimination law that you selected and how it is relevant to the scenario provided. Explain your stance on the necessity of this law. Finally, explain how the law may influence your future work as a helping professional. Support your response using the resources and the current literature.
Please be detailed in responses, use 2 peer reviewed reference, and be detailed in response
Discussion 2: Duty to Warn and Protect
Addictions professionals are in a unique position in that they must maintain confidentiality while possessing exclusive knowledge about behavior that may result in injury. How do they balance these conflicting priorities? Under special protection, addictions professionals have the duty to warn and protect if they become aware clients are acting in a way in which their addiction may harm themselves or others.
Understanding your legal and ethical obligations and the resulting social consequences is essential when working with an impaired individual whose decisions may have life or death consequences for others.
For this Discussion,
- Review this week’s resources as well as the ones that you find in the Walden Library and reputable sources on the Internet.
- Reflect on different situations in which “duty to warn and protect” laws apply.
- Select a duty to warn and protect law that applies to your role as an addiction professional in the community.
- Consider why your selected law is important.
- Post a summary of the duty to warn and protect law that you selected.
- Then explain issues or events that necessitated the creation of the law.
- Be specific and provide examples to support your response.
- Additionally, describe either an addendum that would strengthen the existing law or a new law that you would create and enact to further protect the rights of clients impaired by addictions.
- What inequity or limitation are you attempting to address?
- What outcomes would you like to see if your law passed?
- Support your response using the resources and the current literature.
