Ethics
Preparation
There are several multistep models of ethical decision making that have been recommended to assist mental health professionals in making ethical choices. Nagy (2011) describes several models of ethical decision making, such as Keith-Spiegel and Koocher’s (1985) eight-step model. The following steps are recommended when mental health professionals are faced with an ethical dilemma:
Describe the parameters of the situation (including data from the involved parties, colleagues, and the relevant psychological literature as well).
Define the potential issues involved.
Review the ethical guidelines that might apply to each issue (such as APA Standards).
Evaluate the rights, responsibilities, and welfare of parties affected by the issues.
Generate alternative decisions for each issue.
Identify the consequences of making each decision.
Consider the consequences or benefits resulting from each decision.
Make the decision.
Other models described by Nagy (2011) include the Canadian Code of Ethics 10-Step Process, Bransford and Stein’s five-step model (IDEAL), Gottlieb’s Three Factor Model for Addressing Contemplating a Multiple Role, and Sonne’s Four Factor Model for Addressing Contemplating a Multiple Role. Frame and Williams (2005) proposed an eight-step model from a multicultural perspective that includes the following steps: (1) identifying and defining ethical dilemmas, (2) acknowledging the context of power and the reality of white privilege, (3) assessing acculturation and racial identity development, (4) seeking consultation, (5) considering multiple possibilities, (6) generating alternative solutions, (7) selecting a course of action, and (8) evaluating the action.
Use the Capella library and the Internet to research these models.
Case Studies
In this assessment, practice making ethical decisions. For each of the three practice cases listed below, complete the following:
Select one of the multistep models of ethical decision making from your research. Apply each of the steps of that ethical decision-making model, and evaluate the value of this process in addressing the ethical dilemma in the practice case.
Apply all relevant APA professional ethical codes, principles, and standards, and evaluate the strengths and limitations of the codes, principles, or standards.
Incorporate relevant scholarly sources to support the analysis.
Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions.
Each case study should be 3–5 pages (double-spaced), excluding the title page, abstract, and references.
Case 1: Ethical Issues in Counseling, Assessment, and the Use of Technology
A wife has become concerned about her husband’s mental health since he returned from active duty in the military. The husband has had difficulty sleeping, appears overly anxious, and has become more withdrawn at home since his return. The wife recommends the husband seek mental health services. The family lives in a small rural community with a limited number of mental health resources. Upon his first visit, the husband recognizes the therapist as someone he knew from high school. The therapist quickly acknowledges their former relationship but feels he can proceed with treatment since they have “grown apart” since graduating high school.
The therapist recommends the client should be assessed to see if he is suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but he has not received any formal training in this area. The therapist explains there are no mental health professionals in the community who have specialized training in this area.
At the next session, the therapist conducts an assessment of PTSD symptoms using a rating scale he located on the Internet. The therapist uses the test because it administered and scored on the Internet and appears to require no formal training to use. The results are not shared with the client after the assessment. When the client returns home, his wife is very concerned about her husband and calls the therapist for the results without the husband’s knowledge. Because of the wife’s urgency and concern, the therapist reports her husband is suffering from PTSD and the therapist will begin treatment at the next session.
Case 2: Ethical Issues in Supervision and Teaching
The department chair of a clinical psychology program asks an adjunct professor in a counseling psychology program to teach the psychological assessment courses and assume the practicum supervision responsibilities of a colleague. The colleague teaches in the clinical psychology department but is on sabbatical. There are no other faculty members available to teach the courses and supervise the students. The counseling psychology professor has no formal training in psychological assessment nor experience supervising students enrolled in an assessment practicum.
The counseling psychology professor also provides contractual services with a mental health agency in the community. Because he already has a relationship with this agency, he places several of his practicum students in this setting. The counseling psychology professor also asks some of the mental health service providers at the agency to provide reports of the performance of the practicum students in lieu of regularly scheduled supervision meetings.
Case 3: Ethical Issues in Research
A social psychology professor conducts a research study to assess the relationship between college students’ perceptions of locus of control and their academic performance. The professor informs his class that participation in the study is a requirement of the course and that they will fail his course if they do not participate. The professor does not disclose the purpose and nature of the research to the students because he feels it may have an impact on the results.
As part of the study, each student completes an instrument measuring locus of control and attribution styles. The professor hypothesizes students with an external locus of control will attribute failure in his course to external factors. Therefore, the professor administers an exam to all of his students that they are unable to pass. The professor informs the students the day after the class that they have all failed the exam and does not explain the exam was part of the study. The professor requests the students complete a questionnaire asking them the reasons why they failed the exam.