HOW CAN A PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONAL DETERMINE WHEN A SITUATION MIGHT REQUIRE VIOLATING ETHICAL PRINCIPLES?

Required Resources

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have either been granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.
•American Psychological Association. (2014). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing each assessment. They provide helpful information about the topics in this unit. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Library Resources

The following resources are provided for you in the Capella University Library and are linked directly in this course. These e-books or articles contain content relevant to the topics and assessments that are the focus of this unit.
•Kolmes, K. (2012). Social media in the future of professional psychology. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 43(6), 606–612.
•Leach, M. M., & Oakland, T. (2010). Displaying ethical behaviors by psychologists when standards are unclear. Ethics & Behavior, 20(3/4), 197–206.
•Gauthier, J. (2009). Ethical principles and human rights: Building a better world globally. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 22(1), 25–32.
•Sude, M. E. (2013). Text messaging and private practice: Ethical challenges and guidelines for developing personal best practices. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 35(3), 211–227.
•Barnett, J. E. (2008). The ethical practice of psychotherapy: Easily within our reach. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 569–575.

Course Library Guide

A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the PSYC-FP3002 – Developing a Psychology Perspective Library Guide to h

As you complete the assessment work in this unit, you may find it helpful to consider the questions below. You are encouraged to discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community, in order to deepen your understanding of the topics.
•How can a psychology professional determine when a situation might require violating ethical principles?
•What kinds of ethical violations are also violations of the law?

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[u04a1] Ethics Case Study Assessment Description

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
•Competency 1: Communicate effectively.
•Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional.
•Competency 3: Apply ethical principles in the field of psychology.
•Identify the ethical issues of a case study.
•Point out how ethical principles can compete with each other.
•Analyze ethical solutions for a psychologist practicing outside of professional boundaries.
•Competency 4: Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
•Explain the implications for a psychologist practicing outside of professional boundaries.
•Competency 5: Demonstrate an understanding of fundamentals of psychology principles.
•Analyze the limits of practice for a psychology professional in terms of competency and licensure.

elp direct your research.Assessment Preparation

To prepare for this assessment, complete the following:
•Review the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct on the APA Web site (linked in the Assessment Resources).
•Research the topic of ethics in psychology. Find at least 3 scholarly or professional resources on the topic of ethics. At least one of the resources you use in this assessment must be from the Capella University library.
•Read the case study below.

Case Study

Dr. Jones lives in and practices psychology in a small town. She began treating 52-year-old Mr. Albertson, who was suffering with depression. After only 5 sessions with Dr. Jones, Mr. Albertson suffered a serious concussion while at work. His impairment from his injury was quite noticeable; he had trouble understanding concepts and became easily confused during his next two sessions with Dr. Jones.

One of Mr. Albertson’s co-workers helped him find an attorney to protect his rights. Dr. Jones had Mr. Albertson sign a release so she could talk to the attorney and to the co-worker. The attorney called to say that workers’ compensation wanted to work out a settlement. The attorney, however, has no idea just how impaired Mr. Albertson is; they have never met face-to-face and have only communicated by e-mail and phone.

Mr. Albertson demonstrates multiple cognitive deficits. He needs assistance and monitoring with things like cleaning his house, shopping, transportation, paying bills, and understanding the settlement process. He will likely need to go into an assisted living facility. His family members all live some distance away and are unable to provide much help. Workers’ compensation refuses to pay for the services of an independent social worker, and attempts to find social service agencies that can help have not been successful. Further, Mr. Albertson does not appear to understand either his legal rights or the settlement process.

Before providing extra therapy support, Dr. Jones had Mr. Albertson sign a document explaining her fees for the additional services. She does not feel that he completely understands what is happening. Dr. Jones has been doing much of the case management work such as locating a long-time friend who is willing to help Mr. Albertson at home, referring him for neuropsychological testing, having long discussions with his primary physician, participating in conference calls with the attorney, and trying to find a guardian.

Assessment Instructions

Respond to the following questions regarding the case study you just read. Applying critical thinking and support your responses with references to the APA code of ethics and your own research. Your paper should be at least 4 but no more than 6 pages, excluding the title page and reference page.
•What are the potential ethical issues with this case?
•What are the competing ethical principles?
•Is Dr. Jones acting beyond the limits of her competency? Explain.
•Is Dr. Jones practicing outside the scope of her license? Explain. (Tip: Look for state licensing and legal requirements in your own state.)
•What are the possible implications that may occur as a result of Dr. Jones engaging in multiple roles in Mr. Albertson’s care? (Hint: Is there a conflict of interest? Are there possible issues involving confidentiality, legal, and so on?)
•What suggestions would you make to Dr. Jones?

Be sure that you support your statements, explanations, and decisions with references to at least 3 scholarly or professional resources. Follow APA guidelines throughout your paper.

Additional requirements:
•Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.
•Spacing: Typed, double-spaced.

Submission Guidelines

Refer to the Ethics Case Study Assessment Scoring Guide to ensure that you meet the grading criteria for this assessment.

You are required to submit your assessment to the Turnitin source matching tool. Refer to the FlexPath instructions on the Turnitin iGuide page, linked in the Assessment Resources.

Submit your assessment for faculty evaluation by clicking the linked assessment title in the assessment link below. Be sure to include the corresponding Turnitin report with your assessment.