Professional Ethics Provide The Scaffolding For Provision

Professional Ethics Provide The Scaffolding For The Provision Of Profe

Professional ethics provide the scaffolding for the provision of professional services. Ethics guide how individuals are trained as well as how they treat and interact with others. Ethical guidelines, then, affect numerous activities in which professionals are engaged. This holds true for providers from all professional groups who practice in the many forensic treatment settings available. As a forensic treatment practitioner, you need a firm understanding of the professional ethics that guide your practice.

Having a strong sense of professional identity will prepare you to provide high quality, ethically sound, and ethically informed professional services to the populations with which you choose to work. An understanding of professional ethics also reduces liability risks and provides you with a foundation for addressing challenges in a professional manner. To prepare for this Discussion: Consider at least one ethical dilemma encountered by mental health professionals who practice in forensic treatment settings. An ethical dilemma occurs when two or more ethical principles or standards conflict, and there is no right and wrong choice. Think about how ethical dilemmas might complicate treatment in specific forensic settings.

Reflect on how you would resolve each dilemma using specific ethical principles and guidelines from your code of ethics in your profession. With these thoughts in mind: By Day 4 Post a description of at least one ethical dilemma that you might encounter as a mental health professional in a forensic setting. Explain how at least two ethical standards inform the dilemma. Finally, provide one suggestion to resolve the ethical dilemma, and explain how you might approach the dilemma, applying the ethical principles and guidelines for your professional practice. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources. Read a selection of your colleagues' postings.

Paper For Above instruction

In forensic mental health settings, practitioners often encounter complex ethical dilemmas that challenge their professional judgment and moral principles. These dilemmas arise from conflicts between confidentiality, the duty to warn, client autonomy, and public safety. One common ethical dilemma involves balancing a client’s right to confidentiality with the necessity of protecting potential victims or the public from harm, especially when a client under evaluation or treatment presents imminent risk of violence.

For instance, imagine a forensic psychologist working with a client who has expressed homicidal intentions but has not yet taken any action. The client insists that their disclosures remain confidential, emphasizing the importance of trust and privacy in therapy. However, the psychologist faces an ethical conflict: respecting client confidentiality versus the obligation to protect potential victims from harm. This dilemma highlights the tension between the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, specifically Standards 4.01 (Maintaining Confidentiality) and 4.02 (Continuing.) and 4.05 (Disclosures).

Standard 4.01 emphasizes that psychologists must take reasonable steps to protect confidential information, but it also recognizes that confidentiality is not absolute, especially when there is a clear risk of harm. Standard 4.02 mandates that psychologists take appropriate steps to monitor and manage risks, which can include breaching confidentiality if necessary. Moreover, Standard 4.05 allows psychologists to disclose confidential information without the client’s consent when there is an imminent risk of harm. These standards inform the dilemma by setting criteria for when breaching confidentiality is ethically justified.

To resolve such a dilemma, a psychologist might consider the principle of beneficence—acting in the best interest of both the client and potential victims—and the principle of nonmaleficence—avoiding harm to others. Applying the guidelines, the practitioner should assess the immediacy and severity of the risk by engaging in a thorough risk assessment. If the risk is deemed imminent and serious, disclosure to appropriate authorities or potential victims becomes ethically justified, even without client consent. Documentation of the decision-making process and the assessment of risk further support ethical practice and protect against liability.

Approaching this dilemma requires transparent communication with the client about the limits of confidentiality from the outset, emphasizing that confidentiality may be broken if there is a credible threat. The practitioner should also consult relevant legal and organizational policies, seek supervision if needed, and document every step taken during the decision process. By applying ethical standards rigorously and adhering to legal obligations, the mental health professional can uphold their ethical responsibilities while ensuring safety and professionalism in forensic settings.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
• Fisher, C. B. (2017). Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists. Sage Publications.
• Knox, S., & Richman, J. (2007). Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling: A Guide for Practice. Allyn & Bacon.
• Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. (2016). Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling. Pearson.
• Reamer, F. J. (2018). Ethical challenges in forensic mental health practice. Clinical Social Work Journal, 46(4), 364-374.
• Welfel, E. R. (2015). Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Cengage Learning.
• Anderson, A. J. (2019). Risk assessment and management in forensic psychology. Journal of Forensic Psychology, 34(2), 145-160.
• Bronheim, S. (2020). Confidentiality and duty to warn in forensic settings. Law and Human Behavior, 44(5), 425-432.
• Gutheil, T. G. (2019). Ethical and legal issues in forensic mental health evaluations. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 25(4), 319-329.
• Vare, D. R., & Fain, D. (2018). Navigating dual roles and confidentiality in forensic psychology. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 36(1), 45-58.