Relationships

Question 1

5.1 Preserving Client Welfare

Answer 1

A registrant must take steps to protect or act in accordance with the client’s welfare in all professional relationships.

Question 2

5.2 Providing explanation of procedures

Answer 2

Similar to Avoiding misunderstadings:

A registrant must give a truthful, understandable, and appropriate account of the client’s condition to the client. The registrant must keep the client fully informed as to the purpose and nature of any evaluation, treatment, or other procedure, and of the client’s right to freedom of choice regarding services provided.

Question 3

5.3 Disclosure of assessment results (feedback)

Answer 3

To the extent advisable and not contraindicated, a registrant must within a reasonable time properly inform an individual who has undergone a psychological assessment, or their legal representative(s), of the conclusions, opinions, and advice generated by the assessment.

Question 4

5.4 No abuse of information/power with clients or former clients

Answer 4

registrant must not:
use information obtained during the provision of psychological services, or use a power relationship associated with the provision of psychological services, to abuse or exploit a client or former client;
use information received from a client to acquire, directly or indirectly, a material advantage or other benefit; or
seek any benefits from relations with a client aside from appropriate agreed upon monetary compensation for the psychological services rendered.

Question 5

5.5 No misuse of influence

Answer 5

A registrant providing psychological services to a client must not:

persuade or influence that client to make gifts or contributions to them or to institutions, organizations, or charities in which they have a direct interest;
induce that client to solicit business on the registrant’s behalf;
or in any other way exert influence to the detriment of the client.

Question 6

5.6 Gifts

Answer 6

A registrant must not accept a gift of more than token value from a client.

Question 7

5.7 No stereotyping

Answer 7

A registrant must not impose on their clients any stereotypes of behaviour, values, or roles related to age, gender, religion, race, ethnicity, disability, nationality, sexual preference, diagnosis, or any other factor which would interfere with the objective provision of psychological services to the clients.

Question 8

5.8 Referrals on request

Answer 8

A registrant providing psychological services to a client must make an appropriate referral when requested to do so by the client.

Question 9

5.9 Multiple clients

Answer 9

When working with spouses or families and children, must establish at outset of services:

1. the identification of the individuals who are to be considered the clients;
2. a determination of the nature of the relationship the registrant will have with each individual, including any necessary clarification of the role and obligations of the registrant;
3. the intended or probable uses of the services provided or of the information obtained from the services provided;
4. and parameters of confidentiality.

Question 10

5.10 Prohibited dual relationship

Answer 10

1. A registrant must not undertake or continue a professional relationship with a client when the objectivity or competency of the registrant could reasonably be expected to be impaired because of the registrant’s present or previous familial, social, sexual, emotional, financial, supervisory, political, administrative, or legal relationship with the client or with another relevant person associated with or related to the client.
2. A registrant must also take steps to avoid altering the terms of an existing professional relationship such that a dual role is created.
3. If a dual relationship is unavoidable, the registrant must document the specific circumstance, an account of why the duality is unavoidable and document the informed consent of the client(s) for all services

Question 11

5.11 Third-party conflicts

Answer 11

If there is a foreseeable risk that a registrant will be asked to perform conflicting roles because of the involvement of a third party, the registrant must:
a) clarify the nature and direction of their responsibilities;
b) keep all parties appropriately informed as matters develop; and
c)
resolve the situation in accordance with this Code.

Question 12

5.12 Idenfiying COIs or dual roles

Answer 12

a) As soon as it becomes apparent that a registrant may be called upon to perform potentially conflicting roles, the registrant must:
1. identify the present or potential issues,
2. notify all parties whose rights might be affected by the potentially
conflicting role or conflicts of interest, and
3. think through the implications of any new or continued involvement in
a matter and make a decision whether or not to proceed as planned, proceed with any necessary adjustments, or withdraw, and document, as appropriate.

Question 13

Examples of dual roles or COIs

Answer 13

acting as marital counsellor to husband and wife and then acting as witness for either of them in a divorce proceeding, being both a reviewer (e.g. reviewing another registrant’s assessment report) and an evaluator (e.g. perform an additional task such as conduct a complete or partial assessment), or being asked to conduct an independent psychological assessment of the registrant’s therapy client.

Question 14

5.13 Third party requests for services

Answer 14

When a registrant agrees to provide psychological services to an individual or entity at the request of a third party, the registrant must clarify at the outset of the services the nature of the relationship with each affected party, including:

1. registrant’s role and obligattions to each affected part
2. probable uses of the services provided or the information obtained
3. any limits to the obligations of confidentiality

Question 15

5.14 No harassment

Answer 15

No harassment

Question 16

5.16 No former sex partners; 5.28 No sexual or romantic relationships with those under one’s authority or with clients or former clients

Answer 16

Self-explanatory - no services to former romantic partners; no entering a romantic relationship with individuals under one’s supervision, clients, former clients, close relatives of clients or former clients

Question 17

5.18 Continuity of care when employment ends

Answer 17

When entering into employment or contractual relationships, a registrant must make provisions, to the extent possible and with paramount consideration for client welfare, for the transfer of responsibility for client care if the employment or contractual relationship ends.

Question 18

5.17 Continuity of care when absent

Answer 18

During foreseeable absences from their professional practice, a registrant must arrange for one or more other appropriate professionals to provide coverage of their practice and deal with any urgent needs of their clients, as required.

Question 19

5.19 Assistance on termination of services

Answer 19

When psychological services are to be terminated, a registrant must offer to help locate alternative services or assistance for the client, unless the services are being terminated under Standard 5.20(d) - may terminate psychological services if threatened or otherwise endangered by the client or another person with whom the client has a relationship

Question 20

5.20 Terminating

Answer 20

Non-abandonment;
must terminate psychological services when it is reasonably clear that
i. the client no longer needs or wants the services, or
ii. the client is not benefitting from the relationship;
may terminate psychological services when a potential conflict of interest or dual relationship arises, or attempt to resolve the situation in some other appropriate manner that preserves client welfare; and may terminate psychological services if threatened or otherwise endangered by the client or another person with whom the client has a relationship.

Question 21

5.21 Appropriate training/supervision

Answer 21

A registrant must provide appropriate training to their employees and supervisees and must take steps to see that such persons perform psychological services responsibly, competently, and ethically.

Question 22

5.22 Supervision to ensure standards

Answer 22

A registrant who supervises others in the provision of psychological services must ensure that the services provided meet professional standards and the requirements of this Code.

Question 23

5.23 Delegation of responsiblities

Answer 23

A registrant so authorized by the College may delegate to their employees, supervisees, research assistants, or any other person only those responsibilities that such persons are able to perform competently on the basis of their education, training, or experience and must provide supervision appropriate to the delegation.

Question 24

5.24 Institutional conflicts

Answer 24

If institutional policies, procedures, or practices prevent fulfillment of the obligations specified in Standards 5.21 to 5.23, a registrant must:
a) clarify the nature of the conflict;
b) make known the conflicting obligation and the registrant’s
c)commitment to comply with this Code; and
to the extent feasible, seek to resolve the conflict in a way that permits full adherence to the Code.

Question 25

5.26 Avoiding harm

Answer 25

A registrant must take steps to avoid harming any individual with whom they work or have any form of professional relationship. This obligation includes taking steps to avoid foreseeable harm caused by acts of commission and to avoid foreseeable harm caused by a failure to take appropriate action.

Question 26

5.30 Treatment of complaints

Answer 26

A registrant must accord dignity and respect to all complainants and respondents.

Question 27

5.31 Respecting others

Answer 27

A registrant must, in their work-related activities and professional relationships, respect the rights of others to hold values, attitudes, and opinions that differ from their own.

Question 28

5.33 Therapeutic Relationships***

Answer 28

Registrants who offer therapeutic services must demonstrate interpersonal and therapeutic skills that would reasonably be regarded by peers as sufficient for those services, including:

interpersonal competence and an ability to establish rapport and a working therapeutic alliance that serves the client’s best interests; active self-awareness sufficient to protect the client from unintended harm;
knowledge of client-specific factors sufficient for sensitive, culturally competent therapeutic services;
an ability to appropriately process interpersonal events within the therapeutic relationship; and
willingness to refer the client to another resource when for any reason, including a mismatch between client characteristics and therapeutic services, referral is in the best interests of the client.

Question 29

5.34 No inappropriate supervision

Answer 29

Registrants are responsible for ensuring that they do not offer supervision services for an inappropriate purpose or to someone who lacks the requisite education, training, and/or experience to undertake the supervised activities. They are also responsible for ensuring that the purpose, intent, and substance of their supervision services are consistent with the intended objectives of the supervisee in seeking the supervision services, or they must decline to offer the services.