Code of Ethics (510-4-…)

Question 1

How to resolve ethical issues re: misrepresentation

Answer 1

Take reasonable steps to correct the misuse or misrepresentation of your work

Question 2

When ethics code conflicts with law

Answer 2

Make your commitment to the ethics code known, and work to resolve the situation in a manner consistent with the ethics code

All else fails, resort to what the law dictates

Question 3

Ethics complaints and employment

Answer 3

You cannot deny someone a job or advancement for being involved in a current ethics investigation

Question 4

General guidelines for “competence”

Answer 4

Don’t practice outside your areas of expertise and training
Read up, complete training, and seek supervision/consultation on new areas or populations
Take ongoing efforts to maintain competence
Make judgements based on scientific principles
Don’t initiate work if there’s a good chance that it will result in personal conflict or issues

Question 5

Delegation of work to others

Answer 5

Delegate work that subordinates can do ethically and competently

Supervise them!

Question 6

Practicing in an unknown area in emergency situations

Answer 6

Can provide services if in an emergency

Stop once the emergency is over or if better resources become available

Question 7

Definition of “sexual harassment”

Answer 7

Sexual advances that are unwelcome, offensive, or which create a hostile work environment

Which is sufficiently severe or intense to be abusive to a reasonable person

Can be a single intense act, or multiple pervasive acts

Question 8

Multiple relationships

Answer 8

Don’t form into relationships with those where it could be reasonably expected to cause impairment or risk exploitation or harm

Question 9

Third party services

Answer 9

Clarify your role and relationship to them at the outset

Question 10

Provision of informed consent (research and therapy)

Answer 10

Understandable language

If unable to give consent, explain it appropriately anyway, get assent, informed consent from the legally authorized person, document everything

Question 11

Informed consent and court-orders

Answer 11

Inform the person of the limits of confidentiality
Nature and purpose of the evaluation
Where the data gathered would reasonably be expected to end up

Question 12

Continuity of care

Answer 12

Make reasonable attempts to have continuity of care if therapy is interrupted by retirement, death, illness, relocation, vacation, etc.

Question 13

Confidentiality

Answer 13

Take appropriate steps to protect client information to ensure confidentiality, recognizing that it may be impacted by the law

Discuss limits of confidentiality early and throughout services as needed

Question 14

Confidentiality and recording

Answer 14

Get permission beforehand

Question 15

Confidentiality and electronic services

Answer 15

Same ethics as in-person services

Make sure clients understand risks to using the technology
Must have an intake where you assess appropriateness for VC

Question 16

When can you disclose client information without consent

Answer 16

Mandated by law

When needed to provide professional services, obtain consultation

Obtain payment

Protect the client and others from harm

Question 17

Disclosure for didactic purposes

Answer 17

Need client permission or legal authorization

Question 18

Advertising and compensation

Answer 18

Do not compensate media for publicity

Paid ads must be clearly marked as such

Question 19

Advertising and giving trainings

Answer 19

Take precautions to ensure workshops and media presentations are based on training and experience, and are accurate and consistent with the ethics code

Make clear there is NO therapeutic relationship with participants

Question 20

Testimonials

Answer 20

Don’t solicit testimonials from current patients or from those who could be exploited

Question 21

Solicitation of services

Answer 21

Do not engage in uninvited in-person solicitation of clients, unless providing disaster or outreach services

Question 22

Withholding records for nonpayment

Answer 22

Do not withhold records solely by reason of nonpayment during emergencies

Question 23

Billing and honest communication

Answer 23

Discuss billing and fees asap, and continue the discussion throughout if need be

Question 24

Use of collection agencies

Answer 24

Give the patient a chance to lay before turning over to an agency

Question 25

Bartering

Answer 25

Allowed UNLESS it is clinically contraindicated and/or the arrangement is exploitative

Question 26

Payment and referrals

Answer 26

Payment to and fro each professional should be based only on the services provided

Question 27

Student disclosure of confidential information

Answer 27

Cannot compel students to discuss things like sexuality, abuse history, and other confidential issues

Question 28

Requiring students to seek therapy

Answer 28

If therapy is a required component of your training program, you must make this known ahead of time

Give students the opportunity to seek services from an outside provider

Faculty in the program (supervisor or those expected to supervise) should not provide the therapy to students

Question 29

Disclosure to research participants

What should your informed consent include?

Answer 29

Risks and benefits
Compensation
Right to withdraw and any time
Limits of confidentiality
Who to go to with questions (and their contact info)

Question 30

Consent with experimental treatments

For treatment studies

Answer 30

Clarify experimental nature of the treatment
How people are assigned to the treatment group
How they will be compensated
Which services will be provided to the controlled group

Question 31

When do you NOT need consent in research

Answer 31

Naturalistic observation in public places

When recording is not expected to cause harm

When otherwise permitted by law

When in a work environment and research is not a threat to employment

Question 32

Requiring research participation for students

Answer 32

Students should be given equitable alternatives to research participation

Question 33

Deception in research

Answer 33

Don’t use unless justified by scientific value of the study

• If you use it, explain to participants as soon as it is feasible
• Provided adequate debriefing and minimize harm

Don’t use if research is expected to cause pain or severe emotional distress

Question 34

Use of animals in research

Answer 34

Train team to make reasonable efforts to minimize animals pain, distress, infection, illness, and discomfort

Use anesthesia in surgery

If you have to euthanize, do as quickly and painlessly as possible

Question 35

Authorship in research

Answer 35

Assign according to contribution

Dissertation publications typically authored first by the student

Question 36

Data in research

Answer 36

Don’t publish info as original if you’ve already published it elsewhere

Don’t withhold data if someone requests it for verification

If you review data for a study, keep it confidential and do not share it or use it for your own purposes

Question 37

Informed consent and testing

Answer 37

Get it unless consent is implied (e.g., routine job procedure), mandated by law, or when the test is to evaluate decisional capacity

Question 38

Ethics and assessment issues

Answer 38

Only provide opinions after properly evaluating someone
Clarify limitations of data, including if you cannot meet the person
Use tests appropriately based on test purpose and your own training and experience
Test should be matched to the persons language

Question 39

Use of interpreters in assessment

Answer 39

Get consent to use the interpreter

Maintain confidentiality

Question 40

Definition of “test data”

Answer 40

Raw and scaled scores, client responses to test stimuli, psych notes and recording

Question 41

Release of test data

Answer 41

If a client signs a release, you can refuse it, but not if it’s release would cause client harm

Can also refuse to prevent misuse or misinterpretation of the test data

Question 42

Release of test results

Answer 42

Give clients results unless it’s precluded (forensic evaluation, pre-employment, etc.)

Question 43

Provision of therapy under supervision

Answer 43

Inform client you are being supervised
Give name of supervisor
Allow contact with supervisor, supervisor be there for intake

Question 44

When giving therapy to families

Answer 44

Clarify who is the patient is and the relationship you’ll have to each person
(Avoid multiple roles)

Question 45

Provision of therapy to someone already in therapy

Answer 45

Discuss with them, consult with other therapist, proceed with caution and sensitivity

Question 46

Sex with clients

Answer 46

Don’t have sex with current clients or their loved ones

Only have sex with former clients after two years from last contact (but consider all factors beforehand…mental health/stability, nature of termination, risk for exploitation…)

Question 47

Termination of therapy

Answer 47

Only do when it’s reasonably clear the patient is no longer in need of services, is not likely to benefit, or is being harmed by continued services

Can also terminate when threatened by the patient or someone with whom the patient has a relationship

When possible, provide pre-termination counseling, and refer out as needed