Ethical Issues for Registration as a Psychologist PDF

20/08/2024 ETHICAL ISSUES FOR REGISTRATION AS A PSYCHOLOGIST Dr Leander Mitchell, FAPS Clinical Psychologist | Clinical Neuropsychol...

20/08/2024 ETHICAL ISSUES FOR REGISTRATION AS A PSYCHOLOGIST Dr Leander Mitchell, FAPS Clinical Psychologist | Clinical Neuropsychologist 1 WHAT IS ETHICS? Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern someone in carrying out activities, of any type. Therefore, in the choices that you make in terms of how you behave and what you do, there is in fact (likely unnoticeable), an element of ethics. Consider is it ethical to steal something from a store? Now consider the ethical nature of this in a looting context… does that make a difference? What about if the person stealing has no money because they are “escaping” from a domestic violence situation? 2 1  20/08/2024 WHAT IS ETHICS? Even those simple examples highlight just how very “grey” ethics can be. While there are aspects of ethics that can make things seem very black and white, it is important to note that this is not always the case. 3 WHAT IS ETHICS? That is not to say that we should not act in an ethical manner (because it just seems all too hard!), but it emphasises the importance of consideration of ethics, taking the concept seriously, and being willing to make those hard decisions (because whether you are in practice or research contexts, this is all for the betterment of people broadly). And so, within an ethical context, supervision and discussion can be key in identifying the best way forward. 4 2  20/08/2024 PERSONAL DECISION MAKING Ethical decisions, choosing to behave ethically, requires a decision. Therefore, intertwined with ethics is the need to be able to make “good” decisions. On a personal level, “good” decision making is commonly fraught by constructs such as emotions, influence of peers, substance use, education, fatigue, intellect, etc… 5 PERSONAL DECISION MAKING Similarly, while there is a Code of Ethics in place for the profession of psychology, there are certain things (similar to what impacts on personal decision making actually) that can cloud our judgement. We might even think (be able to convince ourselves) that the decision we are making is indeed an ethical one (think back to the example of the person escaping a domestic violence situation). 6 3  20/08/2024 PERSONAL DECISION MAKING The other thing to factor in is the nature of our existence… What I mean by that is that we are a habitual animal. We get set in our ways, set in our routines, and set in our habits. Why? Because it makes our existence easier… imagine if every time we got in the car, we had to think through what we had to do to drive? Or if when we go to the store to buy something, we have to think through how we actually go about that? So decision making can be habitual as well… this situation seems similar to… so this decision must(!?) be the right one. 7 PERSONAL DECISION MAKING And it could well be the right decision… but it also might not be. Context is important, being able to set aside emotions can be important, making decisions without substances on board is pretty much always important. And so, behaving ethically requires us to step outside ourselves in some ways (sometimes) to ensure that the decision we make is the right one (and that is the role of having such documents as a Code of Ethics, because if nothing else, it provides a solid starting point for ethical decision making). 8 4  20/08/2024 ETHICS IN PSYCHOLOGY The ethical guidelines for the profession of psychology come from the Australian Psychological Society’s (APS) Code of Ethics (2007). And in 2010, when the Psychology Board of Australia began to exist, they adopted the APS Code of Ethics for the profession of psychology. https://psychology.org.au/About-Us/What-we-do/ethics-and-practice-standards/APS-Code-of-Ethics 9 APS CODE OF ETHICS There are 3 core principles: General Principle A: Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples General Principle B: Propriety General Principle C: Integrity 10 5  20/08/2024 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle A – Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples: Justice Respect Informed consent Privacy Confidentiality Release of information to clients Collection of client information from associated parties 11 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle A – Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples: “Psychologists regard people as intrinsically valuable and respect their rights, including the right to autonomy and justice. Psychologists engage in conduct which promotes equity and the protection of people’s human rights, legal rights, and moral rights. They respect the dignity of all people and peoples” (APS Code of Ethics, 2007). 12 6  20/08/2024 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle B – Propriety: Competence Record keeping Professional responsibility Provision of psychological services at the request of a third party Provision of psychological services to multiple clients Delegation of professional tasks Use of interpreters 13 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle B – Propriety: Collaborating with others for the benefit of clients Accepting clients of other professionals Suspension of psychological services Termination of psychological services Conflicting demands Psychological assessments Research 14 7  20/08/2024 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle B – Propriety: “Psychologist 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, the standing of the profession, take precedence over a psychologist’s self- interest” (APS Code of Ethics, 2007). 15 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle C – Integrity: Reputable behaviour Communication Conflict of interest Non-exploitation Authorship Financial arrangements Ethics investigations and concerns 16 8  20/08/2024 APS CODE OF ETHICS General Principle C – Integrity: “Psychologists recognise that their knowledge of the discipline of psychology, their professionals standing, and the information they gather place them in a position of power and trust. They exercise their power appropriately and honour this position of trust. Psychologists keep faith with the nature and intentions of their professional relationships. Psychologists act with probity and honesty in their conduct” (APS Code of Ethics, 2007). 17 https://psychology.org.au/About-Us/What-we-do/ethics-and-practice-standards 18 9  20/08/2024 ETHICAL DILEMMAS… 19 DILEMMA 1. Female, older adult client Telephone check-in “I need help” 20 10  20/08/2024 DILEMMA 2. Male, adult client Works in a context that is linked with the psychologist’s family 21 DILEMMA 3. Male, early 20’s client Suicide risk assessment Unable to contact as agreed 22 11  20/08/2024 HOW DO WE DO BETTER? Allan (2018) proposes two strategies to help improve our moral (and therefore ethical) decision making: Develop heuristics to be able to identify and choose among the best option(s). This includes focusing on the relevant information and analysing the available “data”. Develop protocols specifically aimed at guiding conscious and non- conscious decision making. 23 CONSEQUENCES OF BREACHES 24 12  20/08/2024 WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES? What are the potential consequences of breaching codes of ethics? Beyond feeling bad? A complaint can be raised against you with the Office of the Health Ombudsman (in Qld, note that other states might have different processes, different people to contact). Such complaints can result in a range of things, including losing registration, and possible legal/criminal proceedings. https://www.oho.qld.gov.au/ 25 RAISING A CONCERN https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Raise-a-concern.aspx 26 13  20/08/2024 MANDATORY REPORTING There are also certain circumstances under which it is mandatory to report the behaviour of a health practitioner: Impairment Intoxication while practising Significant departure from accepted professional standards Sexual misconduct And while these aren’t specifically referencing the Code of Ethics, they nonetheless relate to the principles upon which the Code is formed. 27 CASE EXAMPLES… 28 14  20/08/2024 CASE EXAMPLES 2020 – boundary violation with a vulnerable patient where the psychologist admitted to professional misconduct and unprofessional conduct… https://www.sclqld.org.au/caselaw/QCAT/2020/96 29 CASE EXAMPLES 2011 – where an allegation of unsatisfactory professional conduct was made and the registrant failed to engage in the process, denying any wrongdoing… https://www.sclqld.org.au/caselaw/QCAT/2011/153 30 15  20/08/2024 CASE EXAMPLES 2014 – where an allegation of incompetence and breach in confidentiality was made… https://www.sclqld.org.au/caselaw/QCAT/2014/65 31 SUMMING UP… In embarking on a profession, it is expected that you follow the code of ethics linked with that profession. It is no longer about you being able to be you… you are considered a “responsible person”, someone with, at the very least, perceived power. Where you breach the code and a complaint is made, there are various consequences that can occur. And so, by being familiar with the code, by establishing good supervisory relationships, and by fundamentally doing your best, you are at least setting up a good foundation on which to avoid such complaints being raised. 32 16  20/08/2024 SUMMING UP… And essentially what it also can come down to is choosing not to do something stupid…! (consider the repeat offender!) 33 THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! If you have any follow up questions, I am happy to take those via email: [email protected] 34 17