10.36.05.07 Client Welfare Flashcards
What are the 5 standards of exploitation?
A psychologist may not:
1) exploit or harm clients, colleagues, students, research participants, or others.
2) take actions that violate or diminish the legal and civil rights of clients or of others who may be affected by the action.
3) exploit the trust and dependency of clients, students, and subordinates.
4) allow personal, social, religious, organizational, financial, or political situations and pressures to lead to a misuse of their influence.
5) enter into a new nonpsychological, nonprofessional relationship with a former client that is considered exploitative, dependent on, but not limited to, the 6 criteria for an exploitative relationship.
To protect client welfare during the course of therapy, what are two things a psychologist must do?
1) CONFLICTS of INTERESTS: take appropriate steps to disclose to all involved parties conflicts of interest that arise, with respect to a psychologist’s clients, in a manner that is consistent with applicable confidentiality requirements.
2) ABANDON: take needed steps to avoid inadvertently abandoning clients during times of need in between regularly scheduled appointments as well as during vacations, illnesses, and any other times of absence (that is, make arrangements for another appropriate professional to deal with emergency needs of the psychologist’s clients as appropriate, during periods of anticipated absences from professional availability).
What are the 6 criteria that determine if a nonprofessional relationship with a former client is considered exploitative?
1) the nature and intensity of professional services rendered to the client.
2) the length of the professional relationship.
3) the length of time between the termination of the professional relationship and the initiation of the nonprofessional relationship.
4) the mental stability of the psychologist and the former client.
5) the circumstances of termination, including, but not limited to, statements or actions of the psychologist suggesting or inviting the possibility of a post-termination relationship.
6) the likelihood of adverse impact on the client.
What is the rule regarding sexual misconduct? That is, what is the rule regarding sexual intimacies with clients?
A psychologist may NOT engage in sexual intimacies with a current client OR with a former client UNLESS it has been 2 years since the cessation or termination of professional services AND as long as the nonprofessional relationship is NOT exploitative according to the 6 criteria for this… (Similar rule as in the APA Ethics Code).
Are psychologists allowed to have sexual intimacies with individuals known to be parents, guardians, spouses, domestic partners, sexual partners, children, or siblings of a client?
No! Unless it has been at least 2 years after the cessation or termination of professional services. This is similar to the rule in the APA Ethics Code. Also, a psychologist may not terminate a professional relationship with a client for the purpose of engaging in sexual intimacies with one of these individuals.
What are the 2 rules re: sexual behavior with a client over the course of dx and/or tx?
A psychologist may not:
1) SETTING: engage in sexual behavior with a client in the context of any professional services to the client, regardless of the setting in which the professional services are rendered.
2) INTENT: engage in sexual behavior with a client under the pretext of diagnostic or therapeutic intent or benefit.
What is the definition of sexual harassment? That is, what are 3 things concerning this that a psychologist may NOT do?
1) engage in sexual solicitation, physical advances, or verbal/nonverbal conduct that is sexual in nature, in connection with the psychologist’s professional role.
2) engage in sexual harassment of the psychologist’s past or present clients, supervisees, research participants, or employees, with deliberate or repeated comments, gestures, or physical contacts of a sexual nature.
3) create a hostile workplace or educational environment by unwelcome and offensive behaviors that are sufficiently severe or intense to be abusive of a reasonable individual in that environment, whether it consists of a single act or of multiple persistent or pervasive acts.
What are 2 standards on providing services to minors?
1) PARENT CONSENT: provide psychological services to minor children or to adults who have legal guardians only with appropriate authorization. That is, don’t provide treatment to a minor who is brought to treatment by a non-custodial patent (only the legal guardian).
2) VOLUNTARY: take special care to protect the interests of minors or clients who are unable to give voluntary, informed consent.
When a psychologist must terminate a relationship with a client, what 2 things must he or she do?
1) REFER: make or recommend referral to other professional, technical, or administrative resources if the referral is clearly in the best interests of the client. That is, if you terminate a client’s treatment and they are still in need of professional services, make that known to them and offer to provide them with referrals to other competent professionals and offer to assist them with the referral process.
2) END WELL: unless not possible (e.g., if the client moves away, or stops attending therapy abruptly, and cannot be reached) terminate the professional relationship in an appropriate manner, notify the client in writing of this termination, and assist the client in obtaining services from another professional.
In Maryland, under what 4 circumstances MUST a psychologist terminate the professional relationship ?
1) NO POSITIVE EFFECT: when it is reasonably clear that the client is not benefitting from the professional relationship.
2) MULTIPLE RELATIONSHIP: when a multiple relationship develops or is discovered after the professional relationship has been initiated.
3) IMP COMP: when impaired competency or objectivity develops or is discovered after the professional relationship has been initiated.
4) DANGER: when the psychologist has been threatened or otherwise endangered by the client or another person with whom the client has a relationship.
