| Course | D394 Care for Individuals and Families |
|---|---|
| Task | Task 2 |
| Paper type | Ethics and client goals paper |
| Length | About 1,100 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 |
| School | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Program | BS Health and Human Services |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for D394 Task 2
Ethical Considerations and Client Goals in Care Coordination: Whose Decisions They Are Once Marcus Turns Adult, and Five Goals the Family Can Measure
Student Name
Leavitt School of Health, Western Governors University
D394: Care for Individuals and Families, Task 2
Course Instructor
Month Day, Year
Ethical Considerations and Client Goals in Care Coordination: Whose Decisions They Are Once Marcus Turns Adult, and Five Goals the Family Can Measure
Background
This paper continues the care coordination plan for a composite family: Marcus, a young man with autism and epilepsy whose school supports end in June; his mother Renee, a nursing assistant who works twelve-hour shifts; and his sister Kayla, 15. The plan replaces school-based supports with a day program, supported employment, adult medical care, income and coverage, and support for Renee. This part examines the ethical questions that coordination raises and sets goals for the family with ways to know whether they are met.
Ethical Consideration One: Autonomy of an Adult Client
At 18, Marcus became a legal adult. Unless a court has decided otherwise, he has the right to make his own decisions about his health care, his money and where he spends his days, even though he needs help to understand some choices. Respect for autonomy, one of the four core principles of biomedical ethics, requires that professionals treat him as the decision-maker and support his capacity to decide rather than deciding for him (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019). In practice, meetings that used to happen between professionals and his mother now need to include Marcus, with information given in the short, concrete form he understands and time to answer.
The family's first instinct, and often the advice they receive, is full guardianship. Guardianship removes many of a person's rights and is difficult to reverse. Less restrictive options exist, including supported decision-making agreements, in which the person chooses trusted supporters who help them understand and communicate decisions, and limited powers of attorney for health care and finances. The care coordinator's ethical duty is not to choose among these but to make sure the family hears about all of them, preferably from a legal aid or disability rights attorney, before signing anything. Marcus's own preferences, including his wish to keep working at the grocery store, should be recorded in his words.
Ethical Consideration Two: Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Because Marcus is an adult, his health information is his own. His mother can no longer call the neurologist's office and receive test results unless Marcus has authorized it in writing. For a young adult who needs support, that rule can feel like an obstacle, but it protects him. The right approach is to ask Marcus, with support, whom he wants to share information with, and to complete authorizations for each provider. Recommended practice for health care transition includes preparing young people and families for exactly this change in privacy and consent at 18 (White et al., 2018). Among professionals, the coordinator should share only what each service needs, since a day program needs his seizure plan but not his family's finances.
Ethical Consideration Three: Fairness Within the Family
Justice in care coordination includes fairness to family members whose own needs are easily overlooked. Renee's health and job and Kayla's schooling are part of this plan, not a separate matter. A plan that works only if a 15-year-old covers her brother's afternoons is not an acceptable plan, even if it is cheap. The human services ethical standards ask professionals to recognize the family and community context of the people they serve and to advocate for services that meet real needs (National Organization for Human Services [NOHS], 2015). The coordinator should therefore document Kayla's role explicitly and plan respite or after-program supervision so that her role is limited and chosen.
Ethical Consideration Four: Access and Waiting Lists
The Medicaid waiver that would fund Marcus's day program may have a long waiting list. Fairness between families on that list is the state's responsibility, but the coordinator has an ethical obligation not to leave this family without support while they wait. That means pursuing services that do not depend on the waiver, such as vocational rehabilitation, and documenting unmet need so it can be reported to the county and state.
Client and Family Goals
Goals were set with Marcus and his family, using Marcus's words where possible. Each is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
| Goal | Measure | Target date | Who supports it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus will attend a day or work program at least four days a week | Attendance record | Within 6 weeks of graduation | Case manager, vocational rehabilitation counselor |
| Marcus will work at least 8 hours a week at a job he chooses, with a job coach | Pay stubs and job coach notes | Within 4 months | Vocational rehabilitation, job coach |
| Marcus will see an adult neurologist and adult primary care provider, and his seizure plan will be on file at his program | Appointment records; plan on file | Within 3 months | Pediatric team, case manager |
| Marcus will choose the people who support his decisions, recorded in a signed agreement or power of attorney | Signed document | Before graduation | Legal aid attorney, Renee |
| Renee will keep her full work schedule and take one respite break of at least four hours each week | Work schedule; respite log | Within 2 months | Case manager, respite provider |
Cultural and Personal Considerations
Renee grew up in a close-knit family that expected problems to be handled at home, and she has hesitated to use outside services she associates with charity. Framing services as supports Marcus is entitled to as an adult, rather than as help for a failing parent, respects that value. Marcus's routines and sensory preferences are part of who he is; the plan should adapt services to him, such as a quiet workspace and a consistent job coach, rather than expect him to adapt to every service.
Including Marcus in His Own Planning
Goals written about a client are different from goals written with one. Marcus communicates best with pictures and short choices, so planning meetings will use a visual agenda, offer two or three options at each decision and allow him time to respond. His job coach, who knows his communication well, will attend. Where Marcus's preference differs from his mother's, both will be recorded, and the difference will be discussed rather than settled by whoever speaks first.
Evaluation
The case manager will review the goals with the family at six weeks and three months after graduation. A goal not met will be examined for its cause, whether a service delay, a poor fit or a change in what Marcus wants, and revised with him rather than simply extended.
References
Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
National Organization for Human Services. (2015). Ethical standards for human services professionals. National Organization for Human Services.
White, P. H., Cooley, W. C., Transitions Clinical Report Authoring Group, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, & American College of Physicians. (2018). Supporting the health care transition from adolescence to adulthood in the medical home. Pediatrics, 142(5), e20182587. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2587
What the D394 Task 2 instructions ask
The second D394 task asks you to examine the ethical issues in a care plan and set goals with the client and family. Most versions ask you to identify ethical considerations, explain them with a named framework or code, set measurable goals, address cultural and personal factors, describe how the client participates and plan evaluation. The goals should be written with the client, not only about them. Evaluators look for ethical issues specific to the case rather than general principles, goals that are specific, measurable and time-bound, and evidence that the client's voice shapes the plan. A list of ethical principles without application to the family's decisions will not meet the ethics aspects.
How this D394 Task 2 example is built
The paper opens with a short background linking it to Task 1. Each ethical consideration has its own section that names the principle, applies it to a decision the family faces and explains how the case manager would respond. Principles come from a biomedical ethics framework and the human services professional code. The goals section lists five goals in the family's language, each with a measure and date. A cultural section explains the mother's reluctance to use outside services and how to respect it. The client participation section describes communication methods suited to him. Evaluation sets review dates and explains what happens when a goal is not met. The four ethical sections follow the same pattern for easy reading.
Where the D394 Task 2 rubric puts the marks
D394 Task 2 aspects are rated competent, approaching competence or not evident. An ethics aspect checks that considerations are specific to the case and explained with a recognized framework or code. A goals aspect rewards goals that are specific, measurable and time-bound. A cultural aspect looks for sensitivity to the family's values. A participation aspect asks how the client contributes to planning. An evaluation aspect wants review dates and a response to unmet goals. Evaluators expect the human services ethics code or similar sources to be cited and notice when the client's own words appear in the goals. Papers that show the client's words in at least one goal tend to meet the participation aspect clearly.
D394 Task 2 help: what sends it back
Ethics papers come back most often when principles are defined but not applied. Show the decision each principle affects. Second, goals are written for staff rather than the family, such as coordinate services. Write goals the family can recognize and measure. Third, the client's participation is assumed. Describe how he communicates and how his preferences were gathered. Fourth, cultural considerations stereotype. Base them on what the family has said. Finally, plan what happens when a goal is missed. Evaluators credit plans that treat an unmet goal as information rather than failure. Review the goals at the scheduled dates and revise them with the family, not for them.
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D394 Task 2 questions, answered
Which ethical principles fit D394 Task 2?
Autonomy, confidentiality, justice and beneficence are common, applied through a human services ethics code. The sample applies each to a decision the family faces after the client turns 18.
How many goals should D394 Task 2 include?
Follow your instructions; three to five measurable goals is common. The sample sets five goals written with the family, each with a measure and a date. Fewer goals that the family can track are better than many that no one reviews.
Should D394 goals be written with the client?
Yes. Goals written with the client and family are more likely to be met. The sample uses the young man's words where possible and pictures to help him choose.
Is the D394 family in the sample real?
No. The family is the same invented household used in Task 1. The ethical frameworks and professional code cited are real and listed in the references. The same family appears in both D394 samples so the tasks connect.
Where can I find a free D394 Task 2 sample paper?
The ethics and goals paper is reproduced above in full with notes. Send the D394 instructions and your family case, and your first tailored paper is prepared free.