APS - B Flashcards
General Principle B: Propriety
Psychologists ensure that they are competent to deliver the psychological services they provide. They provide psychological services to benefit, and not to harm. Psychologists seek to protect the interests of the people
and peoples with whom they work. The welfare of clients and the public, and the standing of the profession, take precedence over a psychologist’s self-interest.
Explanatory Statement
Psychologists practise within the limits of their competence and know
and understand the legal, professional, ethical and, where applicable, organisational rules that regulate the psychological services they provide. They undertake continuing professional development and take steps to ensure that they remain competent to practise, and strive to be aware
of the possible e ect of their own physical and mental health on their ability to practise competently. Psychologists anticipate the foreseeable consequences of their professional decisions, provide services that are bene cial to people and do not harm them. Psychologists take responsibility for their professional decisions.
Ethical Standards
B.1. Competence
What is competence? what do the boundaries of professional work and competence include?
B.1.1. Psychologists bring and maintain appropriate skills and learning to their areas of professional practice.
B.1.2. Psychologists only provide psychological services within the boundaries of their professional competence. This includes, but is not restricted to:
(a) working within the limits of their education, training,
supervised experience and appropriate professional
experience;
(b) basing their service on the established knowledge of the discipline and profession of psychology;
(c) adhering to the Code and the Guidelines;
(d) complying with the law of the jurisdiction in which they provide psychological services; and
(e) ensuring that their emotional, mental, and physical state does not impair their ability to provide a competent psychological service.
B.1. Competence
How does one support themselves in practice to have a competent practice?
B.1.3. To maintain appropriate levels of professional competence, psychologists seek professional supervision or consultation as required.
B.1.4. Psychologists continuously monitor their professional functioning. If they become aware of problems that may impair their ability to provide competent psychological services, they take appropriate measures to address the problem by:
(a) obtaining professional advice about whether they should limit, suspend or terminate the provision of psychological services;
(b) taking action in accordance with the psychologists’ registration legislation of the jurisdiction in which they practise, and the Constitution of the Society; and
(c) refraining, if necessary, from undertaking that psychological service.
B.2. Record keeping
How long keep records for?
What age collect until?
What do you do if a client asks you to amend information?
B.2.1. Psychologists make and keep adequate records.
B.2.2. Psychologists keep records for a minimum of seven years since last client contact unless legal or their organisational requirements specify otherwise.
B.2.3. In the case of records collected while the client was less than 18 years old, psychologists retain the records at least until the client attains the age of 25 years.
B.2.4. Psychologists, with consideration of the legislation and organisational rules to which they are subject, do not refuse any reasonable request from clients, or former clients, to amend inaccurate information for which they have professional responsibility.
B.3. Professional responsibility
Psychologists provide psychological services in a responsible manner. Having regard to the nature of the psychological services they are providing, psychologists:
(a) act with the care and skill expected of a competent
psychologist;
(b) take responsibility for the reasonably foreseeable
consequences of their conduct;
(c) take reasonable steps to prevent harm occurring as a resultof their conduct;
(d) provide a psychological service only for the period when those services are necessary to the client;
(e) are personally responsible for the professional decisionsthey make;
(f) take reasonable steps to ensure that their services and
products are used appropriately and responsibly;
(g) are aware of, and take steps to establish and maintain properprofessional boundaries with clients and colleagues; and
(h) regularly review the contractual arrangements with
clients and, where circumstances change, make relevant modi cations as necessary with the informed consent of the client.
B.4. Provision of psychological services at the request of a third party
Psychologists who agree to provide psychological services to an individual, group of people, system, community or organisation at the request of a third party, at the outset explain to all parties concerned:
(a) the nature of the relationship with each of them;
(b) the psychologist’s role (such as, but not limited to, case
manager, consultant, counsellor, expert witness, facilitator,
forensic assessor, supervisor, teacher/educator, therapist); (c) the probable uses of the information obtained;
(d) the limits to con dentiality; and
(e) the financial arrangements relating to the provision of the service where relevant.
B.5. Provision of psychological services to multiple clients
Psychologists who agree to provide psychological services to multiple clients:
(a) explain to each client the limits to con dentiality in advance; (b) give clients an opportunity to consider the limitations of the situation;
(c) obtain clients’ explicit acceptance of these limitations; and (d) ensure as far as possible, that no client is coerced to accept these limitations.
B.6. Delegation of professional tasks
Psychologists who delegate tasks to assistants, employees, junior colleagues or supervisees that involve the provision of psychological services:
(a) take reasonable steps to ensure that delegates are aware
of the provisions of this Code relevant to the delegated
professional task;
(b) take reasonable steps to ensure that the delegate is not in a
multiple relationship that may impair the delegate’s judgement;
(c) take reasonable steps to ensure that the delegate’s conduct
does not place clients or other parties to the psychological service at risk of harm, or does not lead to the exploitation of clients or other parties to the psychological service;
(d) take reasonable steps to ensure that the delegates are competent to undertake the tasks assigned to them; and
(e) oversee delegates to ensure that they perform tasks competently.
B.7. Use of interpreters
Psychologists who use interpreters:(a) take reasonable steps to ensure that the interpreters are
competent to work as interpreters in the relevant context;
(b) take reasonable steps to ensure that the interpreter is not
in a multiple relationship with the client that may impair the
interpreter’s judgement;
(c) take reasonable steps to ensure that the interpreter
will keep con dential the existence and content of the
psychological service;
(d) take reasonable steps to ensure that the interpreter is aware
of any other relevant provisions of this Code; and
(e) obtain informed consent from the client to use the selected
interpreter.
B.8. Collaborating with others for the benefit of clients
B.8.1. To bene t, enhance and promote the interests of clients, and subject to standard A.5. (Con dentiality), psychologists cooperate with other professionals when it is professionally appropriate and necessary in order to provide e ective and e cient psychological services for their clients.
B.8.2. To benefit, enhance and promote the interests of clients, and subject to standard A.5. (Con dentiality), psychologists o er practical assistance to clients who would like a second opinion.
B.9. Accepting clients of other professionals
If a person seeks a psychological service from a psychologist whilst already receiving a similar service from another professional, then the psychologist will:
(a) consider all the reasonably foreseeable implications of
becoming involved;
(b) take into account the welfare of the person; and
(c) act with caution and sensitivity towards all parties concerned.
B.10. Suspension of psychological services
B.10.1. Psychologistsmakesuitablearrangementsforotherappropriate professionals to be available to meet the emergency needs of their clients during periods of the psychologists’ foreseeable absence.
B.10.2. Wherenecessaryandwiththeclient’sconsent,apsychologist makes speci c arrangements for other appropriate professionals to consult with the client during periods of the psychologist’s foreseeable absence.
B.11. Termination of psychological services
B.11.1. Psychologists terminate their psychological services with a client, if it is reasonably clear that the client is not bene ting from their services.
B.11.2. When psychologists terminate a professional relationship with a client, they shall have due regard for the psychological processes inherent in the services being provided, and the psychological wellbeing of the client.
B.11.3. Psychologistsmakereasonablearrangementsforthecontinuity of service provision when they are no longer able to deliver the psychological service.
B.11.4. Psychologists make reasonable arrangements for the continuity of service provision for clients whose nancial position does not allow them to continue with the psychological service.
B.11. Termination of psychological services
B.11.5. Whenconfrontedwithevidenceofaproblemorasituationwith which they are not competent to deal, or when a client is not bene ting from their psychological services, psychologists:
(a) provide clients with an explanation of the need for the
termination;
(b) take reasonable steps to safeguard the client’s ongoing
welfare; and
(c) o er to help the client locate alternative sources of assistance.
B.12. Conflicting demands
B.12.1. Where the demands of an organisation require psychologists to violate the general principles, values or standards set out in this Code, psychologists:
(a) clarify the nature of the con ict between the demands and
these principles and standards;
(b) inform all parties of their ethical responsibilities as
psychologists;
(c) seek a constructive resolution of the con ict that upholds the
principles of the Code; and
(d) consult a senior psychologist.
B.12.2. Psychologists who work in a team or other context in which they do not have sole decision-making authority continue to act in a way consistent with this Code, and in the event of any con ict of interest deal with the con ict in a manner set out in B.12.1.
B.13. Psychological assessments
B.13.1. Psychologistsuseestablishedscienti cproceduresandobserve relevant psychometric standards when they develop and standardise psychological tests and other assessment techniques.
B.13.2. Psychologists specify the purposes and uses of their assessment techniques and clearly indicate the limits of the assessment techniques’ applicability.
B.13. Psychological assessments
B.13.3. Psychologists ensure that they choose, administer and interpret assessment procedures appropriately and accurately.
B.13.4. Psychologists use valid procedures and research ndings when scoring and interpreting psychological assessment data.
B.13.5. Psychologistsreportassessmentresultsappropriatelyand accurately in language that the recipient can understand.
B.13.6. Psychologistsdonotcompromisethee ectiveuseofpsychological assessment methods or techniques, nor render them open to misuse, by publishing or otherwise disclosing their contents to persons unauthorised or unquali ed to receive such information.
B.14. Research
B.14.1. Psychologistscomplywithcodes,statements,guidelinesandother directives developed either jointly or independently by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council, or Universities Australia regarding research with humans and animals applicable at the time psychologists conduct their research.
B.14. Research
B.14.2. After research results are published or become publicly available, psychologists make the data on which their conclusions are based available to other competent professionals who seek to verify the substantive claims through reanalysis, provided that:
(a) the data will be used only for the purpose stated in the approved research proposal; and
(b) the identity of the participants is removed.
B.14.3. Psychologistsaccuratelyreportthedatatheyhavegatheredand the results of their research, and state clearly if any data on which the publication is based have been published previously.
