1st Edition

Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Professions

By Gary G. Ford Copyright 2000

    The ability to reason ethically is an extraordinarily important aspect of professionalism in any field. Indeed, the greatest challenge in ethical professional practice involves resolving the conflict that arises when the professional is required to choose between two competing ethical principles. Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Professions explores how to develop the ability to reason ethically in difficult situations.

    Other books merely present ethical and legal issues one at a time, along with case examples involving "right" and "wrong" answers. In dramatic contrast, Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Professions provides you with the needed background in methods of ethical reasoning and introduces an innovative nine-step model of ethical decision-making for resolving ethical dilemmas.

    Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Profession discusses the ethical codes of both psychology and counseling. This interdisciplinary approach promotes a better understanding of the similarities and differences in the points of emphasis in the two codes, which, in turn, enriches your understanding of the range of ethical considerations relevant to the practice of the mental health professions.

    INTRODUCTION
    What is Ethics?
    Ethics and Personal Values
    The Role of Values in the Practice of a Mental Health Profession
    Ethics and Law
    Why Do Professions Develop Ethical Standards?
    The History of Ethics in Psychology
    "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct"
    Counseling: Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
    Psychiatry: The Principles of Medical Ethics
    Social Work: Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers
    The Limitations of Ethical Codes
    "ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CODE OF CONDUCT"
    Preamble
    General Principles
    COUNSELING'S CODE OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
    Code of Ethics
    The Existence of Ethical Conduct
    MODELS OF ETHICAL REASONING
    The Philosophical Basis of Ethical Judgements
    Ethical Relativism
    Ethical Hedonism
    Utilitarianism
    Kant's Formalist Ethical Theory
    MODELS OF ETHICAL REASONING IN RESOLVING ETHICAL CONFLICTS
    Situations Requiring Ethical Problem-Solving Skills
    Fletcher's Situation Ethics
    Wallace's Ethical Contextualism
    A MODEL OF THE ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
    The Purpose of the Model
    The Model
    A Case Example Applying the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    ETHICAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND COUNSELING
    Informed Consent
    Confidentiality
    Multiple Relationships
    Competence
    Conflict of Interest
    Respect for Clients' Autonomy
    Termination
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE WITHIN ORGANIZATIONAL AND SPECIALIZED SETTINGS
    Working Within an Organization
    Conflict of Interest
    Working in a Psychiatric Hospital
    Managed Care Practice
    Working in Forensic (Correctional) Settings
    Mental Health Professionals in the Military
    Psychotherapy with Children
    School Psychology and Counseling
    Computer-Assisted Therapy
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    ETHICAL ISSUES IN ASSESSMENT AND TESTING
    The Value and Ethical Implications of Psychiatric Diagnoses
    Psychological and Educational Assessment and Testing
    Diversity Issues in Psychological Assessment
    Ethics and Test Validity
    Use of Computerized Test Administration, Scoring, and Interpretation
    Report Writing
    Special Considerations in Industrial/Organizational Assessment
    Special Considerations in College Orientation Testing
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    ETHICAL ISSUES IN TEACHING AND SUPERVISION
    Competence
    Informed Consent
    Multiple Relationships
    Confidentiality
    Professional and Scientific Responsibility
    Teaching Students about Values and Professional Ethics
    Ethical and Legal Issues in Supervision
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH
    Ethics, Values, and* Theory Construction in the Mental Health Professions
    Conducting Research with Human Participants
    Informed Consent
    Informed Consent Issues with Children
    Protecting Research Participants form Harm
    The Use of Deception in Research
    Confidentiality
    Ethical Issues Concerning the Use of Student Subject Pools
    Ethics and the Scientific Merit of Research
    Ethical Issues in Data Collection and Analysis
    Ethical Issues in Publishing Research Results
    Ethical Issues in Conducting Research on the Internet
    Ethical Issues in Conducting Animal Research
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND THE LAW
    Legal Issues Concerning Admission for Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment
    Involuntary Hospitalization
    The Rights of Psychiatric Inpatient Clients
    Ethical Considerations in Suicide Prevention
    Forensic Practice in the Mental Health Professions
    What if Ethics and the Law Conflict?
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    STATE BOARDS, ETHICS COMMITTEES, AND ETHICS COMPLAINTS
    State Boards of Psychology and Counseling
    Professional Organizations' Ethics Committees
    Dealing Appropriately with a State Board or Ethics Committee Inquiry
    Legal Complaints against Mental Health Professionals
    When Professionals Identify Unethical Conduct
    Avoiding Ethical Difficulties by Functioning as an Ethical Professional
    Practice Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision Making
    REFERENCES
    APPENDIXES
    NOTES
    INDEX

    Biography

    Gary G. Ford, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA.

    "Ford has produced a stunning volume that should be required reading for applied psychologists and psychology graduate students of every ilk. It is a challenging, engaging and practical book. The field needs this book. Ford deserves accolades and thanks for this superb achievement!"
    - N. Dickon Reppucci, Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia