Ethics And Professional Issues

Front 1

Client Welfare

Back 1

Standard 3.04, Psychologists take reasonable steps to avoid and minimize harm to clients, students, research participants, and others with whom they work.

Front 2

Pro Bono Services

Back 2

General Principle B, Fidelity and Responsibility, states that psychologists strive to contribte a portion of their professional time for little or no compensation or personal advantage. They are recommended by the Code but not required.

Front 3

Ethical Violations by Colleagues

Back 3

Standard 1.04 encourages psychologists to handle ethical violations informally by discussing with the offender when appropriate. Std. 1.05 states tha tpsychologists make a formal report when the problem involves substantial harm. Before action is taken, psychologists must consider client confidentiality.

Front 4

Complainants and Respondents

Back 4

Standard 1.08 states that psychologists do not deny person's employment, advancement, admissions to academic or other programs, tenure, or promotion based solely upon having made or being the subject of an ethics complaint. However, action may be taken based on the outcome of proceedings.

Front 5

Competence

Back 5

Standard 2.01 requires psychologists to provide srvices, teach, and conduct research with populations and in areas only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, consultation, study, or processional experience.

Front 6

Vicarious Liability

Back 6

Under certain circumstances, supervisors and employers may be legally responsible for the actions of their supervisees and employees.

Front 7

Personal Problems

Back 7

Standard 2.06 states that psychologists refrain from initiating an activity when they know there is a substantial likelihood that their personal problems will prevent them from performing work-related activities in a competent manner. Further, when psychologists become aware of personal problems that may interfere with work, they take appropriate measures to determine whether they should limit, suspend, or terminate work-related duties.

Front 8

Sexual Harassment

Back 8

Standard 3.02 , defines sexual harassment as: sexual solicitation, physical advances, verbal or non verbal conduct that is sexual in nature, that occurs in connection with the psychologist's activities or roles as a psychologist that is unwelcome, offensive, or creates a hostile environment, or is sufficiently severe/intense to be abusive to a reasonable person in the context.

Front 9

Multiple Relationships

Back 9

Standard 3.05 states that a psychologist refrains from entering in to a multiple relationship if it could reasonably be expected to impair the psychologist's objectivity, competence, or effectiveness in performing his or her functions as a psychologist, or otherwise risks exploitation or harm to the person with whom the professional relationship exists.

Front 10

Informed Consent and Assent

Back 10

Standard 3.10 states that when psychologists conduct research, assessments, therapy, counseling, or consulting in person or electronically, they obtain informed consent of the individual(s) using language that is reasonably understandable to that person. For persons unable to give informed consent, psychologists still provide an appropriate explanation, seek individual's assent, consider the person's preferences and interests, and obtain appropriate permission from a legally authorized person.

Front 11

Confidentiality

Back 11

Refers to the obligation of psychologists to protect clients from unauthorized disclosure of information revealed int eh context of the professional relationship. Confidentiality is an ethical prinfiple and at times a legal requirement.

Front 12

Privilege and Holder of Privilege

Back 12

Privilege is a legal concept that protects a client's confidentiality in the context of legal proceedings. Most jurisdictions have laws that establish privilege for communications between licensed mental health practitioners and their clients. The clients are ordinarily the holder of privilege, but a psychologist can assert privilege on behalf of a client. There are legally defined exceptions to privilege.

Front 13

Tarasoff Decision

Back 13

The initial decision established a duty to warn an intended victim of a therapy client, however, this has since been changed to a duty to protect an intended victim by warning him/her, notifying police, or taking other steps.

Front 14

Child Abuse Reporting

Back 14

Although the specific laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, all jurisdictions require psychologists to report known or suspected cases of child abuse to the appropriate authorities.

Front 15

Consultation

Back 15

Standard 4.06 states that when consulting with colleagues, psychologists do not disclose confidential information that reasonably could lead to the identification of a client, research participant, or other with whom they have a confidential relationship unless they have obtained prior consent or disclosure cannot be avoided, and they only disclose information to the extent necssary for the consultation.

Front 16

Client Testimonials

Back 16

Standard 5.05 states that psychologists do not solicit testimonials from current therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence.

Front 17

In-Person Solicitation

Back 17

Standard 5.06 states that psycholgists do not engage, directly or through agents, in uninvited in-person solicitation of business from actual or potential therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence.

Front 18

Client Access to Records

Back 18

Client access to records is determined by law, but in general, the psycholgist is the owner of the physical record whil eth eclient has the right to inspect the contents of the record.

Front 19

Collection Agencies

Back 19

Standard 6.04 states that if the recipeient of services does not pay for services as agreed, and if psychologists intend to use collection agencies or legal measures to collect the fees, psychologists first inform the person that such measures will be taken and provide that person an opportunity to make prompt payment.

Front 20

Barter

Back 20

Standard 6.05 states that psychologists may engage in barter for their services only when it is not clinically contraindicated and the resulting arrangement is not exploitative.

Front 21

Referral Fees

Back 21

Standard 6.07 states when psychologists pay, receive payment from, or divide fees with another professional, other than in an employer-employee relationship, the payment to each is based on the services provided and is not based on the referral itself.

Front 22

Sliding Fee Scale

Back 22

Not explicitly addressed by ethics code, but is generally considered acceptable as long as the scale is fair and serves the best interests of the client.

Front 23

Education and Supervision

Back 23

Standards 7.01-7.06 address education and supervision and require psychologists to act competently and responsibly when teaching, supervising, and designing education and training programs and to avoid misrepresenting themselves or their work when performing these functions.

Front 24

Sexual Relations with Students and Supervisees

Back 24

Standard 7.07 states that psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency, or training center or over whom psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority.

Front 25

Informed Consent for Research

Back 25

Standard 8.02 states when obtaining informed consent, psychologists inform participants about the purpose of the research, duration, procedures; their right to decline to participate and to withdraw from research once participation has begun; the foreseeable consequences of declining or withdrawing; reasonably foreseeable factors that may be expected to influence their willingness to participate such as risks, discomfort, or adverse effects; any prospective research benefits; limits of confidentiality; incentives for participating; who to cnatact with questions and about rights.

Front 26

Deception in Research

Back 26

Standard 8.07 states that deception is acceptable only when the following conditions are met: the use of deception is justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible; prospective participats are not deceived about conditions that can be reasonably expected to cause physical pain or emotional distress; participats will be debriefed preferably at the conclusion of their participation, but no later than at the conclusion of data collection.

Front 27

Animals in Research

Back 27

Standard 8.09 requires psychologists to acquire, care for, use, and dispose of animals in compliance with current federal, state, local laws and regulations and with professional standards and to make reasonable efforts to minimize the discomfort, infection, illness, and pain of animal subjects. It also states that when it is apporpriate that an animal's life be terminated, psychologists proceed rapidly with an effort to minimize pain and in accordance with accepted procedures.

Front 28

Publication Credit

Back 28

Standard 8.12 states that psychologists take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed or to which they have substantially contributed; principle authorship and other publication credits accurately reflct the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their relative status.

Front 29

Test Data and Test Materials

Back 29

Standard 9.04 defines test data as raw and scaled scores, client/patient responses to test questions, psychologists' notes and recordings concerning client statements and behavior during examination. It also states that pursuant to a client release, psychologists provide test data to the client or other persons identified in the release. Std. 9.11 requires psychologists to make reasonable efforts to protect the integrity and security of test materials, which include manuals, instruments, protocols, and test questions.

Front 30

Test Scoring and Interpretation Services

Back 30

Standard 9.09 states that psychologists who offer assessment or scoring services to other professionals accurately describe the purpose, norms, validity, reliability, and applications of the procedures and any special qualifications applicable to their use; psychologists retain responsibility for the appropriate application, interpretation, and use of assessment instruments, whether they score an dinterpret such tests themselves or use automated or other services.

Front 31

Obsolete Tests

Back 31

Standard 9.08 states that psychologists do not base their assessment or intervention decisions or recommendations on data or test results that are outdated for the current purpose and do not base such decisions or recommendations on tests and measures that are obsolete and not useful for the curent purpose.

Front 32

Informed Consent for Therapy

Back 32

Standard 10.01 states when obtaining informed consent to therapy, psychologists inform clients as early as feasible in the therapeutic relationship about the nature and anticipated course of therapy, fees, involvement of 3rd parties, and limits of confidentiality and provide sufficient opportunity for the client to ask questions.

Front 33

Clients Receiving Services from Another Professional

Back 33

Standard 10.04 states that in deciding whether to offer or provide servies to those already receiving mental health services elsewhere, psychologists carefully consider the treatment issues and the potential client's welfare. Psychologists discuss these issues with client and proceed with caution.

Front 34

Sexual Intimacies with Clients and Former Clients

Back 34

Standard 10.05 prohibits psychologists form having sexual relationships with current clients, standard 10.08 from having a sexual relationship with former client for at least 2 years after termination. Even after the 2 yr limit has passed, a relationship is only acceptable in unusual circumstances. 10.07 prohibits psychologists from providing therapy to people with whom they have had sexual relationships in the past . 

Front 35

Interruption and Termination of Therapy

Back 35

Standard 10.10 requires psychologists to terminate therapy when it becomes reasonably clear that the client no longer needs service, is not likely to benefit, or is being harmed by continued service, and when doing so, to provide pretermination counsleing and suggest alternative service providers as appropriate.