Communication Barriers, Techniques And Ethical Dilemmas In A Case Study

Identifying Communication Barriers in the Case Study

(a)From the case study, identify three barriers to communication that occurred and describe how each barrier could have been avoided or minimised.

Communication barrier Solution (to avoid or minimise the barrier)

Lack of mutual understanding The receptionist and the older Chinese woman should have held the patience in order to understand each other.

Lack of mutual intelligibility The receptionist at the Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) and the Chinese woman who had come to the club remain mutually unintelligible to each other. In order to avoid the problem, they should have taken help from an interpreter who is well versed in both the languages.

Clarity of the programs of PCYC The communication would have been smoother if the programs of the PCYC would have been clearly described from the beginning of the issue.

(b)The young girl’s aunt could speak both English and Chinese. Name 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of having a person who is directly involved in a situation act as an interpreter.

1.There was a miscommunication that had been taking place in between the Chinese lady and Irene. 1.The interpreter might lose his patience while explaining the words of Irene to the aunt of the young girl.

2.The presence of the interpreter may have helped the aunt of the young girl to understand the actual problem that the young girl is facing due to which she is thinking of death to be better than her life. 2.The interpreter may have to explain the same conditions as relayed by Irene in a number of various ways so that the Chinese lady properly understands the conditions and the remedies that are suggested by Irene.

c)List 3 questions Irene could have asked the woman (if properly trained) in her attempts to arrange a suitable interpreter for the young girl.

Question 1)

What is her name? How old is she? What are the languages that she is comfortable in?

Question 2)

What is according to you is her real problem? Why do you think that she is bunking school and going for drinks? Can you provide certain evidence that supports your claims?

Question 3)

Is she actually suicidal in her attitude or is just speaking of ending her life in order to escape the disciplinary actions that you are imposing on her? What makes you believe that her threats on the issue of committing suicide are real and not just her words of anger?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using an Interpreter

d)List one communication need of the following people, and identify a way in which Susan can support each of them.

Person / People Communication need How Samira can support this need

The aunt and her niece The understanding of the words of Irene and the other members at the PCYC regarding the issue that they are facing. Susan may try to form a better understanding of the issues of the Chinese ladies by arranging for a proper interpreter for them.

Irene

The understanding of the actual problem of the young Chinese girl and her aunt. Susan may help Irene in the understanding of the actual problems of the young girl and providing her and her aunt with the proper solution to their problem.

a)Name and briefly describe 3 communication techniques Susan could use to de-escalate the situation. These techniques could be aimed at either Irene, Joyce and her niece, or both.

Name of technique Who is the technique aimed at? Provide a short description of technique.

Listening This technique of communication must be aimed at the young Chinese girl and her aunt, Joyce. This technique helps in the understanding of the messages that are conveyed by the speaker. Susan should listen to the issues that are raised by Joyce and her niece.

Feedback This technique should be aimed at Susan. In this technique, it is important to provide the partner of a conversation with a response to the question that had been posed. The speaker must allow the partner in conversation to respond with criticism or feedback to the information provided.

Stress Management This technique should be aimed at Joyce. The communication on the part of Irene had created a lot of stress in Joyce. The effective communication technique would be the one that would provide her with some relief concerning her stress. The speaker should be able to approach the stressful situation with a clearer mindset thereby making the communication easier.

b)Briefly describe 2 ways in which Irene could improve her communication style in order to address the clients with respect, uphold their rights, and accept individual differences.

1)Irene should treat her clients in a more compassionate manner. She should try to communicate with them with more compassion in her attitude. She should treat them with enough respect while attending to their issues.

2)Irene should try to understand the problems that are faced by her clients. Irene should try to resolve the issue that her clients at the PCYC come up. Irene is appointed at the front desk of the PCYC so she should try to uphold the rights of the clients who arrive at the centre. She should also respect the individual differences that are associated with the client who has arrived at the centre.

Questions to Ask for Arranging a Suitable Interpreter

c)Do you think Irene and Susan are representing the PCYC’ policies and procedures? Are Irene and Susan communicating in a way that would be in line with the PCYC’s policies and protocols?

Name of person Are they representing the PCYC’s policies and procedures? Explain your answer. Are they communicating in a way that would be in the PCYC’s policies and protocols?  Explain your answer.

Irene Yes, she is representing the policies and the procedures that are abided by in the PCYC. Irene fails to communicate the policies and the protocols of the PCYC in a proper manner. She fails to communicate the drawbacks and the shortcomings of the policies of PCYC in a proper way thereby leading to the stress in the communication.

Susan Yes, she represents the policies and the procedures of the PCYC. She represents the policies and the procedures in a better manner than Irene does. Susan communicates with the clients in a manner that is prescribed by the PCYC. She is more compassionate in her approach and tries to relieve the stress that has grown in the mind of Joyce after she had conversed with Irene in the first place. Thus, it may be safely said that Susan successfully communicates with the client in a way that might be prescribed by the PCYC.

a)How should Susan explain this exclusion issue to Joyce and Amy? What should she say?

Susan needs to explain the condition very carefully to Joyce and her niece, Amy. Irene had provided with the correct information that the PCYC has exemptions to the clients who have been suffering from mental illnesses that have high levels of risk. The clients having a high level of risk in the matter of self-harm or harm towards the fellow residents of the PCYC. Susan must take great care so as not to hurt the individual differences of Joyce and Amy while she attempts to explain the issue of the exclusion to them.

She should point out the reasons of such an exclusion from the policies of PCYC, as this is a very common reason due to which the younger generation needs to be counselled.

b)Do you think Amy should be excluded from the PCYC youth program? Justify your response and say if you think you are being judgemental or not.

Amy should be excluded from the PCYC youth program. The major reason behind such a response is the fact that she is prone to the suicidal tendencies. She may attempt to harm herself or the other members who have enrolled themselves in the PCYC program. According to her aunt, Joyce, Amy has taken to the bad and harmful practice of drinking. The drinking habit of hers could prove to be harmful for her as well as the other members who have been enrolled in the program. Amy would need to be provided with a special counselling in order to get her out of the mental setup that might lead her to committing an action that may lead to self-harm or may inflict harmful results on the fellow members of the youth centre. I do not think that I am being judgemental in this category as  I feel that these may be the actual consequences that may follow if she is included in the PCYC youth program.

Communication Needs and Support

a)Imagine you are Irene.

i)What should you do in the face of such ethical issues and dilemmas? Explain your answer.

If I were in the place of Irene, I would have asked Susan for a private word when she had omitted the explanation that there are a number of clients, who have been waiting for the enrolment to the youth program.

I would have made sure that Joyce and Amy would have been assured of the fact that the issue, which they have brought up, would be solved. I would also have made sure that no unethical methods have been utilised to assure them. I would have interrupted Susan while she had been explaining the situation to Amy and her aunt, Joyce. I would have assured to place a request on behalf of Amy to be enrolled in the program on a very urgent basis. I would have granted this favour citing the fact that Joyce had been requesting the enrolment urgently.

ii)Do you believe Susan has breached organisational policies and procedures? Explain your answer.

I feel that Susan has not breached the procedures and the policies that were set by the organization.

She may have assured Joyce and her niece Amy that she will put the name of Amy at the top of the waiting list. Susan might have said so just to reassure the aunt and the niece. She had not taken any action based on the words that she had spoken in addressal to Joyce. Thus, she might not be said to have committed any breach in the policies and the procedures of the organization of PCYC.

b)What problem solving techniques could Irene use to address this ethical dilemma? Name and describe at least one.

Irene could contact her supervisor for assistance regarding the course of actions that she should be following in case Susan goes ahead with the plan that she had divulged to Amy and her aunt Joyce. She could also refer to the ethical code set by the company for receiving a formal guidance.

The easier way to solve this problem would be to consult the actual policies of the company that may help to solve the dilemma on the part of Irene. The resolution of the dilemma depends largely on the specificity and the comprehensiveness of the ethics of the concerned company.

c)How can Irene and Susan identify the scope of their own ethical and legal rights and responsibilities in this scenario? Think about people they could talk to and possible sources of information.

Communication Techniques to De-escalate the Situation

Irene and Susan could identify the scope of the legal and ethical responsibilities and rights of their own by referring to the ethical goals of the concern that they work in. Every concern has its own set of ethical rules and regulations. These set of rules help the employees of the concern to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of the decisions that they take. The ethical code of the company provides a backdrop against which an employee may take the decisions.

Susan and Irene could talk to their supervisors or other employees who have been attached to the PCYC for a longer period in order to gather more information on their required course of action.

a)What would be the appropriate way to communicate with Amy about the referral to a youth service for young people with depression?

Susan should take care that she does not hurt the feelings of the young Chinese girl while referring her to the Crosswords Youth Program. Susan should explain to Amy that she could be benefitted more by being enrolled in the Crosswords Youth Program as they help people who are suffering from depression. She should explain Amy about her exact situation regarding her mental health and the problems that she may face due to the depression that she is suffering from. Susan should take care that she does, in no way, hurt the feelings of the young girl. She should take care of the fact that Amy might recoil back into depression if she is hurt and may take to self-harm techniques.

b)How could Susan and Irene seek feedback on the effectiveness of their communication with Amy and Joyce? (50-100 words)

Susan and Irene could ask the Chinese women, Joyce and her niece, Amy for a feedback of the communication that had just taken place within them. They could hand them a feedback response form that the PCYC provides its clients with for receiving feedback on the services that they provide. The feedback form could contain several close-ended questions along with a few open-ended questions that would help the PCYC to improve the services that they have been offering to their clients. They may also refer them to a separate executive who deals with the responses of the clients regarding the services that they are served with by the employees of PCYC.

a)Is Irene correct about the duty of care? Why/why not?

Yes, Irene is correct about the duty of the care that the PCYC has towards Amy and her aunt, Joyce. Susan had promised Amy’s guardian that they would take care of Amy. The policies of PCYC do not allow Amy to participate in their youth program. Thus, Susan had asked the Crosswords Youth Service to help them with the accommodation of Amy. They had responded back with denial stating that even their policies forbid Amy to join their program. Thus, both Susan and Irene agree on the point that the PCYC service does have a duty of care towards Amy. They further agree that the program should strive to solve the issue.

Improving Communication Style in Addressing Clients

b)Is Susan correct to refer Amy without getting consent? Why/why not?

Susan has no other choice but to refer Amy to the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Team. She could not talk to her directly because she and Amy were mutually unintelligible. Thus, she had to take help of Joyce, the aunt of Amy who could act as an interpreter in this scenario. She asks Joyce to ask Amy for her consent in the referral to the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Team. Joyce says that Amy is disobedient to whatever Joyce asks her. This leaves Susan with no option but to refer Amy to the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Team without her consent. She does this from the sense of the duty of care towards Amy since she could not provide her with the help that Amy actually needs.

a)Name two potential or actual conflicts of interest that exist in this scenario. For each one, state what action may be taken.

Conflict of interest Appropriate action to address the conflict of interest

Diagnosis of the actual condition of Amy Joyce may want the team to give her the permission to accompany Amy while they determine the actual stage of the mental health crisis that Amy is facing.

Treatment of Amy The Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Team may allow Joyce the visiting rights to Joyce so that she can remain updated about the progress of Amy and relay the same to Amy’s family back in China. They may also let Amy stay with her aunt or at some other youth program that they deem fit for the clients like Amy if they find that Amy is not that harmful to herself or to the other members of the society.

b)Find, in your state or territory legislation, a section relevant to this situation. Quote the most relevant paragraph from the section.

According to the Australian Mental Health Act 2014, Section 25(1)

“A person is in need of an inpatient treatment order only if all of these criteria are satisfied —

(a) that the person has a mental illness for which the person is in need of treatment;

(b) that, because of the mental illness, there is —

(i) a significant risk to the health or safety of the person or to the safety of another person; or

(ii) a significant risk of serious harm to the person or to another person;

(c) that the person does not demonstrate the capacity required by section 18 to make a treatment decision about the provision of the treatment to himself or herself;

Representing PCYC’s Policies and Procedures

(d) that treatment in the community cannot reasonably be provided to the person;

(e) that the person cannot be adequately provided with treatment in a way that would involve less restriction on the person’s freedom of choice and movement than making an inpatient treatment order.” (Slp.wa.gov.au 2017)

c)Conduct some research and identify a principle, or right, that conflicts with people being locked up against their Amy. Make sure you include the source (where you got your information from).

According to the United Nations Principles for the Protection of Persons with mental illness, the consent of the patient is necessary before the detention of the concerned person. The patients should be protected from any kind of harm that may be inflicted on the patient while undergoing treatment. This harm may include the harm that is inflicted on them by the other patients, staff or the other members. This is also inclusive of the unjustified medication or the stress due to the physical discomfort or the mental distress. The patient should be informed of the rights that is in accordance to the principles of the concerned facility (Health.wa.gov.au 2017).

d)Are there any aspects of the Declaration of Human Rights that can be applied to this situation? Think about the differences between human rights and human needs.

Human needs refer to the basic needs of a person to stay alive. Every human is entitled to six basic needs. These are variety, certainty, connection, significance, love, contribution and growth. Human Rights may refer to the moral principles that are used to describe a certain standard of human behaviour. These are, generally, protected by the laws of the state as well as by the international laws and are categorised to be legal rights. In this case, Amy could have had the right to exercise her right to freedom had she not been deemed to be harmful to her own self. Amy can claim access to her personal and her medical records that are held by the mental health facility where she might be admitted after the diagnosis conducted by the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Team (Humanrights.gov.au, 2017).

References

Health.wa.gov.au 2017. [online] Health.wa.gov.au. Available at: https://www.health.wa.gov.au/mhareview/submissions/docs/Citizens.pdf [Accessed 24 Nov. 2017].

Humanrights.gov.au (2017). Mental Health Legislation and Human Rights | Australian Human Rights Commission. [online] Humanrights.gov.au. Available at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/publications/mental-health-legislation-and-human-rights [Accessed 24 Nov. 2017].

Slp.wa.gov.au 2017. Western Australian Legislation – Mental Health Act 2014. [online] Slp.wa.gov.au. Available at: https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a147019.html [Accessed 24 Nov. 2017].