WEEK 11 DR JOHNSON FINAL
Project: Final Project
Throughout this course, you have studied and applied the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct to a variety of situations. You also have explored and applied at least one ethical decision-making model. You now have the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of one ethical principle in particular, detailing the many things a psychologist must consider.
For the Final Project, you demonstrate your understanding of ethics through a 1-5-page paper discussing the application of ethical principles to the case study, “Introduction to William Thompson,” which is located in this week’s Learning Resources. William is a member of the Thompson threaded family case study that you work with throughout the AYR experience.
Your final paper (1-5 pages) should:
- Include a thorough and thoughtful reflection of at least one of the relevant five principles from the current Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct. A portion of the paper should discuss not only the general significance of the selected principle or principles, but also how the principles specifically apply to the above case.
- Reflect your understanding of the principles through application to the multicultural situations inherent in the case example. You should also include a brief self-assessment of how your own worldviews and cultural background might impact your analysis of how to best proceed in addressing the ethical dilemmas in this case.
- Include your ethical decision-making process and model when describing the case.
The paper should be a minimum of 1-5pages, in correct APA format, with at least 5 relevant, scholarly citations. (Wikipedia is not a scholarly source and should not be included as such.) Be sure that your references are listed in correct APA hanging indented format.
By Day 7
Peer Consultation
It is considered a basic standard of good ethical practice to consult one’s professional peers when confronted with clients who challenge you, exhaust you, and/or cause you to feel dread. In any situation where you realize you may have lost perspective, it is wise to get an impartial consultation. Consultations may be sought in peer supervision groups, in what the medical profession refers to as “curbside consultations” (catching a colleague in between clients at the office, for example), or in a more formal supervision arrangement with a senior colleague. Caution always should be taken to only give essential information when getting a consultation, avoiding unnecessary identifying information such as names or physical descriptions. Documenting in the client record that you sought consultation on a challenging client, however, demonstrates for the record that you were practicing within the highest ethical standards of your profession.
Similarly, impaired colleagues should find other psychologists to be non-judgmental sources of support and information about impaired colleague assistance programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) for psychologists, and similar self-help groups. Rather than trying to counsel impaired colleagues (unless you have become a seasoned clinician who has developed a demonstrable expertise in this area), you should ask a senior colleague for guidance in approaching an impaired colleague about getting help (and protecting his or her clientele). If you have succumbed yourself to the point of impairment, recognizing how this could be negatively impacting your clients is crucial to providing the highest, ethically sound and professionally competent care; you must seek help for yourself in this circumstance. Always remember that it is an ethical mandate to “Do No Harm” and to protect your clients.
This week you explore peer consultation through the Learning Resources. You also submit your Final Project, a paper applying your knowledge of the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct.
Learning Objective
Students will:
- Analyze and apply APA ethical principles
Required Readings
Barnett, J. E., & Hillard, D. (2001). Psychologist distress and impairment: The availability, nature, and use of colleague assistance programs for psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 32(2), 205–210.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Markus, H. E., Cross, W. F., Halewski, P. G., Quallo, H., Smith, S., Sullivan, M., & Tantillo, M. (2003). Primary process and peer consultation: An experiential model to work through counter transference. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 53(1), 19–37.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Webb, K. B. (2011). Care of others and self: A suicidal patient’s impact on the psychologist. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(3), 215–221.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Required Media
