Treatment FAQ

what is the treatment management and the ethical and legal implications for school psychologists

by Dorothy Kihn II Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Is the ethics code applicable to psychologists?

Are school psychologists prepared to handle ethical dilemmas on the job?

Why are ethical and legal issues important in medicine?

School psychologists maintain school-based psychological and educational records with sufficient detail to be useful in decision making by another professional and with sufficient detail to withstand scrutiny if challenged in a due process or other legal procedure. Standard II.4.3. School psychologists include only documented and relevant

Do psychologists have to follow ethics outside of their professional roles?

Attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the commonest neuropsychiatric disorder of childhood, its most severe form, hyperkinesis, affecting 1% of UK children. 1 However, case definitions vary, 2 and while effective treatments exist, their use is repeatedly questioned. 3 Considering legal and ethical issues in delivering services to these children can assist …

What are ethical issues in school psychology?

Multiple Relationships and Conflicts of Interest: “School psychologists avoid multiple relationships and conflicts of interest that diminish their professional effectiveness.” Specific standards address:Private conduct compromising professional effectiveness.Personal/religious beliefs conflicting w/service delivery.More items...

What are the 4 main ethical concerns for psychologists?

Ethical Issues in PsychologyInformed Consent.Debrief.Protection of Participants.Deception.Confidentiality.Withdrawal.

What are three ethical principles that the psychologist should adhere to when carrying out this study?

Ethical Guidelines for Research With Human SubjectsParticipation Must Be Voluntary.Researchers Must Obtain Informed Consent.Researchers Must Maintain Participant Confidentiality.Sep 26, 2020

What are the 5 ethical guidelines in psychology?

The Five Ethical PrinciplesPrinciple A: Beneficence and Non-maleficence. ... Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility. ... Principle C: Integrity. ... Principle D: ... Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity. ... Resolving Ethical Issues. ... Competence. ... Privacy and Confidentiality.More items...•Mar 4, 2020

What is ethical implications in psychology?

Ethical implications are the impact in which psychological research could have on the rights of individuals. This could be how the research affects public policy or the way in which certain groups are viewed or treated.

What do you mean by legal ethics?

legal ethics, principles of conduct that members of the legal profession are expected to observe in their practice. They are an outgrowth of the development of the legal profession itself. legal ethics. Related Topics: law bar association privileged communication disbarment.

How do ethical and legal guidelines protect research participants?

These ethical and legal guidelines provided by the American Psychological Association protect research participants from unethical practice. The ethical guidelines on human research are: Informed Consent (participants must agree to participate)Nov 23, 2021

What are the ethical guidelines a psychologist needs to maintain?

The ethical guidelines that a psychologist needs to follow while conducting a psychological enquiry are: Voluntary Participation : This principle states that the persons on whom researcher want to conduct the study should have the choice to decide whether to participate or not to participate in the study.Aug 24, 2015

Why we need ethics in clinical psychology?

Psychologists must follow ethical principles that prevent deceiving their clients that means psychologists cannot lie to a client for the good purpose. Basically the code of ethics was created to protect the client and the psychologists from any abuse or any harm that are the result of mishandling a situation.Jul 25, 2020

What are the 7 ethical guidelines in psychology?

General PrinciplesPrinciple A: Competence. ... Principle B: Integrity. ... Principle C: Professional and scientific responsibility. ... Principle D: Respect for people's rights and dignity. ... Principle E: Concern for others' welfare. ... Principle F: Social responsibility. ... General standards.Dec 1, 1992

What are the 6 ethical guidelines in psychology?

If you are taking an a-level psychology exam, or conducting psychological research, it is important to know these ethical principles.Protection From Harm. ... Right to Withdraw. ... Confidentiality. ... Informed Consent. ... Debriefing. ... Deception. ... Further Reading.Feb 11, 2015

What are the 7 ethical principles?

There are seven principles that form the content grounds of our teaching framework:Non-maleficence. ... Beneficence. ... Health maximisation. ... Efficiency. ... Respect for autonomy. ... Justice. ... Proportionality.Oct 7, 2014

How do school psychologists foster trust?

“To foster and maintain trust, school psychologists must be faithful to the truth and adhere to their professional promises. They are forthright about their qualifications, competencies, and roles; work in full cooperation with otherprofessional disciplines to meet the needs of students and families; and avoid multiple relationships that diminish theirprofessional effectiveness.”

What is school psychologist?

“School psychologists engage only in professional practices that maintain the dignity of children and other clients. In their words and actions, school psychologists demonstrate respect for the autonomy of persons and their right to self-determination, respect for privacy, and a commitment to just and fair treatment of all persons.”

What is the standard for confidentiality in school psychology?

Standard I.2.3. School psychologists inform students and other clients of the boundaries of confidentiality at the outset of establishing a professional relationship. They seek a shared understanding with clients regarding the types of information that will and will not be shared with third parties. However, if a child or adolescent is in immediate need of assistance, it is permissible to delay the discussion of confidentiality until the immediate crisis is resolved. School psychologists recognize that it may be necessary to discuss confidentiality at multiple points in a professional relationship to ensure client understanding and agreement regarding how sensitive disclosures will be handled.

How many children have mental health issues?

One in five children and adolescents in the United States has a mental disorder that interferes with daily functioning. Yet, fewer than one in five of these children receive the mental health services they need. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report)Anxiety disorders, mood disorders (such as depression), and disruptive disorders (such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) are the most common mental disorders among children. Of these, anxiety disorders are the most common, affecting about 13 percent of children age 9 to 17. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report)

When a student who is a minor self-refers for assistance, it is ethically permissible to provide

“When a student who is a minor self-refers for assistance, it is ethically permissible to provide psychological assistance without parent notice or consent for one or several meetings to establish the nature and degree of the need for services and assure the child is safe and not in danger. It is ethically permissible to provide services to mature minors without parent consent where allowed by state law and school district policy. However, if the student is not old enough to receive school psychological assistance independent of parent consent, the school psychologist obtains parent consent to provide continuing assistance to the student beyond the preliminary meetings or refers the student to alternative sources of assistance that do not require parent notice or consent.”

Do school psychologists need parental consent?

However, where school psychologists are members of the school’s educational support staff, not all of their services require informed parent consent. It is ethically permissible to provide school-based consultation services regarding a child or adolescent to a student assistance team or teacher without informed parent consent as long as the resulting interventions are under the authority of the teacher and within the scope of typical classroom interventions.”

Why is ethical and legal issues important?

Ethical and legal issues are important in determining how doctors should behave in offering a diagnosis or treatment that may generate strong and unpredictable reactions from children, their families, or other agencies. A model for routine ethical practice was proposed, based on three sets of assumptions.

What are the four principles of ethical medical practice?

Firstly, ethical medical practice must be consistent with respect to four principles: respect for autonomy, beneficence, non‐maleficence, and justice . Secondly, ethical concerns lead to legal processes, whose task is to ensure ethical practice.

What are the three interrelated techniques that Beauchamp and Childress recommend?

Beauchamp and Childress recommend three interrelated techniques, which they call specification, dialectic, and balancing . Specification describes how the principles are related to norms and practical judgements, leading to guidance towards action.

What are Beauchamp and Childress4have developed?

Beauchamp and Childress4have developed four such principles that have proved useful in medical ethics: respect for autonomy ; beneficence; non‐maleficence; and justice. Respect for autonomy informs debates over issues of consent, competence, and disclosure of professional information.

Is there an ethical problem with ADHD?

Though there is no general ethical problem regarding either the routine diagnosis or treatment of ADHD, ethical difficulties surround some special cases, especially when doctors are working in conjunction with other agencies or coping with non‐medical frameworks.

What are ethical issues in the evaluation and treatment of depression?

Ethical Issues in the Evaluation and Treatment of Depression. Clinical assessments for patients experiencing depression constitute one of the most common scenarios for psychiatrists practicing today. In fact, depressive disorders are estimated to affect more than 12% of Americans during their lifetimes, contributing to impairments in functional ...

What is the code of medical ethics?

As laid out by the American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics, physicians who provide treatment to a close relative risk compromising the precepts of professional objectivity, patient autonomy, and informed consent ( 9 ). 1.2 The answer is A.

What are the ethical considerations for depression?

The prevalence of depressive symptoms and the variety of available management options make the ethical considerations surrounding the evaluation and treatment of depression particularly compelling. These ethical imperatives include respect for law, beneficence, compassion, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity or honesty, confidentiality or privacy, ...

What is the ethical principle of justice?

The ethical principle of justice dictates that there should be fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens among patients. In allowing Jane and other patients experiencing financial hardship to pay with a sliding scale, Dr. Weber is ensuring equal access to crucial psychiatric treatment such as ECT.

What should be taken into consideration before a psychologist takes a public stance on controversial issues?

Finally, several standards in the Ethics Code should be taken into consideration before psychologists choose to take a public stance on controversial issues. Psychologists may want to take into account how current and future professional relationships may be affected by their behavior during their leisure time.

What is the role of a psychologist in conflicting evidence?

There are several examples, such as this, of conflicting evidence in the literature on controversial issues; however, it is psychologists’ professional duty to critically evaluate what they read and take into account limitations of the studies before drawing conclusions and holding a public position based on research.

What is the role of psychologists in the workplace?

Psychologists uphold professional standards of conduct, clarify their professional roles and obligations, accept appropriate responsibility for their behavior, and seek to manage conflicts of interest that could lead to exploitation or harm. (APA, 2002, p.

When does APA take a stance?

Given that APA only takes a stance when there is considerable scientific evidence supporting a particular direction on an issue, this could lead individuals or organizations to assume that research has been done supporting an argument that psychologists are making in their leisure time.

When should psychologists avoid professional relationships?

Standard 3.06 (conflict of interest) specifies that psychologists should avoid professional relationships when there is the possibility for impairment in objectivity or if the relationship could be harmful or exploitative (APA, 2002).

Should a psychologist comment on a subject?

If these professional expectations have not been met, the psychologist should either not comment on the subject or clearly state that his/her comments are based on personal beliefs, are not based on professional judgment, and are not supported by research, the institutions in which they are affiliated, or APA.

Does the APA Ethics Code restrict psychologists?

Although the APA Ethics Code does not restrict how psychologists conduct themselves during their personal time, taking a public stance on a controversial issue could potentially strain professional relationships and inadvertently reflect negatively on the profession.

What happens if a psychologist does not pay for services?

If the recipient of services does not pay for services as agreed, and ifpsychologists intend to use collection agencies or legal measures tocollect the fees, psychologists first inform the person that such mea-sures will be taken and provide that person an opportunity to makeprompt payment. (APA, 2002, Standard 6.04[e])

What do psychologists do?

psychologists create, and to the extent the records are under theircontrol, maintain, disseminate, store, retain, and dispose of recordsand data relating to their professional and scientific work in order to

What does abandonment mean in psychology?

Q: What does abandonment mean?A:Abandonment generally refers to the psychologist’s inappro-priately ending services in a way that is detrimental to a client’swelfare. The duty to not abandon a client does not mean that theprofessional relationship becomes a permanent one. Psychologistsare advised to be aware of case law in their state to know what willconstitute abandonment. It may include inappropriate terminationor lack of referral.

Can a psychologist choose to provide services?

A:Generally no. Psychologists are free to choose to whom theywish to provide services. However, one exception might be if thereis a contractual obligation to accept all applicable clients. Forexample, with institutions such as hospitals or schools, there maybe a contractual requirement to accept all persons seeking servicesthrough their organization.

What is Ethics Code 3.12?

Ethics Code 3.12 (Interruption of Psychological Services) addresses both expected and unexpected reasons for termination as follows: “Unless otherwise covered by contract, psychologists make reasonable efforts to plan for facilitating services in the event that psychological services are interrupted by factors such as the psychologist’s illness, death, unavailability, relocation or retirement or by the client’s/patient’s relocation or financial limitations.”

Why is it important to maintain a focus on patient welfare?

Even in challenging circumstances, such as a unilateral termination due to a lack of expertise, the psychologist may be able to promote a positive outcome , for example by facilitating a transition to a provider who can better meet the patient’s needs.

Why are psychologists ethically required to clarify financial arrangements and payment responsibilities at the beginning of treatment or service?

Psychologists are ethically required to clarify financial arrangements and payment responsibilities at the beginning of treatment or service (Ethics Code 6.04). Giving clients a written policy at the outset of treatment facilitates client understanding of professional fees, their responsibility for payment, issues relevant to third-party billing and any limits to coverage. The fee agreement should be included in the treatment record to show that the psychologist provided this information to the client as a part of the informed consent process. Accurate and detailed billing records are an important aspect of risk management, considering that client dissatisfaction about payment and collection issues may precipitate an ethical complaint (Bennett et al., 2007).

What are the responsibilities of a psychologist?

Practicing psychologists can tailor their record-keeping practices to their setting, type of practice and the characteristics of their treatment or assessment population. Psychological records document the nature, delivery, progress and outcomes of services.

What are the APA guidelines?

As APA practice guidelines, the guidelines are aspirational and complement the mandatory APA Ethical Standards (APA, 2010) that relate to documentation. The APA guidelines are designed to "educate psychologists and provide a framework for making decisions regarding professional record keeping.".

How long do psychologists have to keep records?

Perhaps the most welcomed change in the guidelines' revision is a shorter requirement to keep records. The guidelines state: "In the absence of a superseding requirement, psychologists may consider retaining full records until seven years after the last date of service delivery for adults or until three years after a minor reaches the age of majority, whichever is later."

Why is APA important?

APA's record-keeping guidelines also recognize the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in providing patient care. Accurate records facilitate adjunctive treatment, such as medication management, coordinated care for chronic illness or family therapy intervention. Should an unforeseen illness befall the psychologist, an up-to-date record facilitates the successful transfer of care. Records may also be requested by the client, or his or her attorney, for other uses, such as divorce or other legal proceedings, applications for disability or life insurance, or requirements for certain types of employment.

When did the APA change its record keeping guidelines?

APA revised its Record Keeping Guidelines in 2007 in response to evolving technologies, the advent of electronic health records, the impact of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the complexities of record keeping in various organizational settings.

Do psychologists have to consider state laws?

As previously mentioned, psychologists must also consider any applicable state laws and other regulatory or institutional requirements in determining specific records retention policies. This guideline may be useful as psychologists prepare for retirement and plan for how records will be stored and later disposed of.

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