National Standards and Codes of Ethical Conduct

Question 1

What are the broad standards that apply to psychologists?

Answer 1

National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce
The Mental Health Act

Question 2

What are the discipline specific documents that may apply to psychologists

Answer 2

Code of Ethics
Ethical and Practice Guidelines and Procedures

Question 3

Outline the national practice standard (1) of Rights and responsibilities, safety and privacy

Answer 3

• privacy, dignity and confidentiality are maintained, and safety is actively promoted (caveat - if they are putting themselves or others in harm)
• implementing all the right procedures, legislations and codes relevant to their role in a way that supports people affected by mental health problems and/or mental illness

Question 4

Outline standard 2: Working with people, families and carers in recovery-focused way

Answer 4

• support people to become decision makers in their own care, implementing the principles of recovery-oriented mental health practice

Question 5

Outline standard 3: meeting diverse needs

Answer 5

• social, cultural, linguistic, spiritual and gender diversity of people, families and carers are actively and respectfully responded to by mentla health practitioners

Question 6

standard 4: working with aboriginal and torres strait islander people, families and communities

Answer 6

• actively and respectfully reducing barriers to access
• provide culturally secure systems of care
• improve social and emotional wellbeing

Question 7

standard 5: access

Answer 7

facilitating timely access to services and provide a high standard of evidence based assessment that meets the needs of people and their families or carers
- but often therapy has waiting lists?

Question 8

standard 6: individual planning

Answer 8

meet the needs, goals and aspirations of people and their families and carers, mental health practitioners facilitate access to and plan quality, evidence based, values based health and social care interventions

Question 9

standard 7: treatment and support

Answer 9

meet the needs, goals and aspirations of people and their families and carers

deliver quality evidence informed health and social interventions

Question 10

Standard 8 - Transitions in care

Answer 10

On exit from a service or transfer of care, people are actively supported by mental health practitioners through a timely, relevant and structured handover, to maximise optimal outcomes and promote wellness

Question 11

Standard 9: integration and partnership

Answer 11

people, families and carers are recognised by mental health practitioners, as being part of a wider community, and mental health services are viewed as one element in a wider service network

practitioners support provision of coordinated and integrated care across programs, sites and services

Question 12

Standard 10 : Quality Improvement

Answer 12

in collaboration with people with lived experience, families and team members, mental health practitioners take active steps to improve services and mental health practies using quality improvement frameworks (i.e. you need to have a plan on how to get better)

Question 13

Standard 11: Communication and informed management

Answer 13

• connection and rapport with people with lived experience and colleagues is established by practitioners
• maintaining high standard of documentation and use information systems and evaluation to ensure data collection meets needs

Question 14

Standard 12: Health promotion and prevention

Answer 14

Mental heath promotion is an integral part of all mental health work
- primary prevention principles
- seek to build resilience in communities
- reduce the impact of mental illness
Trying to break down stigma

Question 15

Standard 13: Ethical practice and professional responsibilities

Answer 15

• provision of treatment and care is within the boundaries prescribed by codes of conduct
• practitioners recognise rights, acknowledging and minimizing poewr differentials
• take responsibility for maintaining and extending their professional knowledge and skills

Question 16

What is the APS code of ethics

Answer 16

Adopted September 2007 - it is now adopted by psychology board of Australia.

Used in conjunction with APS ethical guidelines document

Belonging to APS or becoming a registered psychologist commits and binds that person to the code (inside and outside of work)

Question 17

Definition of ‘client’

Answer 17

• a party / parties to a psychological service
• could be for teaching, supervision, research, professional practice
• may be individuals, couples, dyads, families, groups of people, organisations, communities, facilitators , sponsors

Question 18

define conduct

Answer 18

means any at or omission by psychologists
- that others may consider to be a psychological service
- outside their practice which casts doubt on their competence and ability to practice
- outside their practice which harms public trust in the discipline
- in their capacity as members of the society

Question 19

Multiple relationships

Answer 19

occurs when a psychologist, rendering a psychological service to a client, also is or has been
a) in a non-professional relationship with the same client
b) in a different professional relationship with the same client
c) in a non-professional relationship with an associated party
d) a recipient of a service provided by the same client

Question 20

psychological service

Answer 20

any service provided by a psychologist to a client
including professoinal activities, psych activities, professiional practice, teaching, supervision, research practice, professional services, psychological procedures

Question 21

APS: General Principle A: Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples

Answer 21

• regard people as intrinsically valuable and respect their right to autonomy and justice
• conduct which promotes equity and the protection of people’s human, legal and moral rights
• respect the dignity of all people

Question 22

What does general principle A (Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples) include?

Answer 22

A1 - Justice
A2 - Respect
A3 - Informed consent
A4 - Privacy
A5 - Confidentiality
A6 - release of information to clients
A7 - Collection of client information from associated parties

Question 23

A1 (Justice) and A2 (Respect)

Answer 23

Justice: psychologists should not engage in any form of discrimination

Respect: no coercive or demeaning behaviours, respecting legal and moral rights
- also towards colleagues

Question 24

A3 (Informed Consent) A4 (privacy) and A5 (confidentiality)

Answer 24

Informed consent: fully inform clients the services they intend to provide, using plain / appropriate language

Privacy: no undue invasion of privacy, collect only relevant information

Confidentiality: take into account legal and organisational requirements
- disclosure: with consent of client, when legally obliged, immediate if they are at risk of harm that can only be averted by disclosure

Question 25

General Principle B

Answer 25

Propriety!

Question 26

Principle B Propriety: B1 and B2

Answer 26

Competence- bring and maintain appropriate skills and learning to their areas of professional practice. Practice within boundaries of professional competence and jurisdiction of practice.

Record keeping - adequate records, kept for 7 years (for clients under 18 keep records till they are 25). Clients and former clients have the right to amend inaccurate information in records.

Question 27

Principle B: Propriety –> B3

Answer 27

Professional Responsibility
- psychologists provide services in a responsible manner
- act with care and skill expected of a competent psychologist
- take responsibility for the reasonably foreseeable consequences of their conduct
- take reasonable steps to prevent harm occurring
- provide psych services only for the period for when those services are necessary
- personally responsible for the professional decisions

Question 28

Propriety: B4 = Provision of psychological services at the request of a third party

Answer 28

Psychologists who agree to provide psychological services to an individual, group, system, community at the request of a third party, you must explain to all parties:
- the nature of the relationship with each of them
- the psychologists role
- the probable use of information
- the limits to confidentiality
- the financial arrangements

Question 29

Propriety B5 - Provision of psychological services to multiple clients

Answer 29

a) explain to each client the limits to confidentiality in advance
b) give clients an opportunity to consider limitations
c) explicit acceptance of these limitations
d) no coercion

Question 30

Propriety B6: Delegation of professoinal tasks and B7: Use of interpreters

Answer 30

B6: delegates must have read code, ensure no multiple relationships, assess risk of harm to clients, oversee delegate

B7: use of interpreters

Question 31

B8: Collaboration with others for the benefit of clients

Answer 31

cooperate with other professionals when appropriate and necessary to provide effectual service to clients

Question 32

B11 (termination of services) b12 (conflicting demands between organisation and code) and b13 (psychological assessment)

Answer 32

b11: when client is no longer benefiting from services, or needs greater expertise than you can provide, you ahve to terminate the service

b13: use quality instruments and measures, do not compromise these tests

Question 33

General Principle C includes

Answer 33

Integrity!

Reputable behaviour
communication
conflict of interest
non-exploiration
integrity

Question 34

Integrity: Reputable Behaviour, Communication

Answer 34

Reputable behaviour: don’t bring yourself or the profession into disrepute

Communication: honesty, correct misrepresentations, accurately portray professional qualification

Question 35

Integrity: Conflict of interest and Non-exploitation

Answer 35

Avoid multiple relationship that impair professional practice / lead to exploitation
seek advice from senior psychologist

nonexploitation:
- psych do not exploit people with whom they have/ had a professional relationship, and also tehir assistants , employees, colleagues

Question 36

General priciple C: Integrity - sexual activity

Answer 36

• do not have sex with client or anybody closely related
• do not engage in sex with former client or anyone closely related within two years after terminating the professional relationship
• need 2 years from termination of service, and talk to supervisor

Question 37

Sex w clients

Answer 37

Clients who have sex w counsellors often feel
- ambivalence
- guilt
- isolated
- empty
- have thought disturbances, disturbances to cognitive functions
- identity disturbances
- loss of trust
- sexual confusion
- unstable mood
- suppressed rage
- greatly increased suicide risk

Question 38

Sex w clients perps

Answer 38

male and middle aged
professionally isolated
suffering from personal distress
having marital problems
will typically expose / self-disclose their own problems to younger clients, making themselves vulnerbale and gaining sympathy

Question 39

principle c integrity: authorship and financial agreements

Answer 39

authorship: discuss early, assigned according to contribution

financial arrangements
- honest, clear, safeguard the best interests of and are clearly understood
- avoid financial arrangements which may adversely influence the psychological services

Question 40

Integrity - Ethics investigations and concerns

Answer 40

cooperate with any investigations

if you suspect a colleague of misconduct
- draw attention of psychologist whose conduct is in question directly, or through a senior psych to the actions that have been breached by the code
- encourage people directly affected to report the conduct to relevant regulatory body
- report the conduct to a relevant regulatory body