Transcript Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Ethics in School Psychology:
An Introduction
Jacob, Decker, & Hartshorne
1
School Psychology and
Ethics
• “School psychologists are
professionals who provide effective
services to help all students succeed
academically, socially, behaviorally,
and emotionally” (NASP, 2010).
• The practice of school psychology
rests on the public’s trust.
2
Quality Control in School
Psychology
• Professional codes of ethics.
• Education law that protects the rights
of students and their parents in the
school setting.
• Credentialing of school psychologists
(state certification and licensure).
• Accreditation of graduate training
programs.
3
Ethics
• A system of ethics develops within the
context of a particular society or culture.
• Ethics is composed of a range of acceptable
(or unacceptable) social and personal
behaviors, from rules of etiquette to more
basic rules of society.
• Moral rules are thought to differ from other
aspects of ethics in that they are more
important, fundamental, universal, rational,
and objective.
4
Moral Principles
• W. D. Ross (1930), a 20th-century
Scottish philosopher, identified a
number of moral duties of the ethical
person that provided a foundation for
the codes of ethics of psychologists:
– Nonmaleficence
– Fidelity
– Beneficence
– Justice
– Autonomy
5
• Nonmaleficence – do no harm
• Fidelity – faithfulness to the truth and
one’s professional duties
• Beneficience – do good
• Justice – ensure others are treated in
a fair and nonbiased manner and that
all persons have equal access to what
school psychology has to offer
• Autonomy – respect for the right of
individuals to have a voice in decisions
that affect them
6
Applied Professional Ethics
The application of broad ethical
principles and specific rules to the
problems that arise in professional
practice.
7
Goals for Ethics Training
• Sensitive to ethical issues and
consequences.
• Sound knowledge of codes of ethics,
professional guidelines, and law.
• Committed to a proactive stance.
• Able to analyze the ethical aspects of a
situation and use problem solving
model.
8
Training Goals (Cont.)
• Sensitive to diverse cultural views and
values; aware of own feelings and
values.
• Understand complexity of ethical
decisions; tolerant of ambiguity and
uncertainty.
• Strength to make decisions and accept
responsibility for them.
9
Professional Codes of Ethics
• NASP’s “Principles for Professional
Ethics” (2010)
• APA’s “Ethical Principles of
Psychologists and Code of Conduct”
(2002)
• “A Canadian Code of Ethics” (2000).
10
Codes of Ethics
• Protect the public and maintain public
trust.
• Show profession’s commitment to selfregulation.
• Enhance prestige of profession.
• Educate professionals and assist them
in monitoring their own behavior.
• Guidelines for adjudicating
complaints.
11
National Association of School
Psychologists
• The Principles for Professional Ethics
was developed specifically for school
psychologists .
• NASP’s code focuses on protecting
the well-being of schoolchildren and
takes into account the special
considerations of school-based
practice.
12
School-based versus Private
Practice
School-based practice refers to the
provision of school psychological
services under the authority of a state,
regional, or local educational agency.
School-based practice occurs if the
school psychologist is an employee of
the schools or contracted by the
schools on a per case or consultative
basis.
13
School-based versus Private
Practice
Private practice occurs when a school
psychologist enters into an agreement
with a client(s) rather than an
educational agency to provide school
psychological services and the school
psychologist’s fee for services is the
responsibility of the client or his or her
representative.
14
APA and NASP Codes
• APA’s code has a General Principles
section that includes five broadly
worded aspirational goals to be
considered in decision making.
• The Ethical Standards section outlines
the enforceable rules of conduct.
15
APA and NASP Codes
• NASP’s code is organized around four broad
ethical themes (based on “A Canadian Code of
Ethics”). The four broad themes subsume 17
ethical principles. Each principle is then further
articulated by specific standards of conduct.
• The broad themes, corollary principles, and
ethical standards are to be considered in
decision making. NASP will seek to enforce the
17 ethical principles and corollary standards
that appear in the “Principles for Professional
Ethics.”
16
NASP’s Four Broad Ethical
Principles
• Respecting the Dignity and Rights of
All Persons
• Professional Competence and
Responsibility
• Honesty and Integrity in Professional
Relationships
• Responsibility to Schools, Families,
Communities, the Profession, and
Society
17
I. Respecting the Dignity and
Rights of All Persons
“School psychologists engage only in
professional practices that maintain
the dignity of all individuals. In their
words and actions, school
psychologists demonstrate respect for
the autonomy of persons and their
right to self-determination, respect for
privacy, and a commitment to just and
fair treatment of all persons.”
18
I. Respecting the Dignity and
Rights of All Persons
Principle I.1 Autonomy and Self
Determination (Consent and Assent)
Principle I.2 Privacy and Confidentiality
Principle I.3 Fairness and Justice
19
II. Professional Competence
and Responsibility
“Beneficence, or responsible caring,
means that the school psychologist
acts to benefit others. To do this,
school psychologists must practice
within the boundaries of their
competence, use scientific knowledge
from psychology and education to help
clients and others make informed
choices, and accept responsibility for
their work.”
20
II. Professional Competence
and Responsibility
Principle II.1 Competence
Principle II.2 Accepting Responsibility
for Actions
Principle II.3 Responsible Assessment
and Intervention Practices
Principle II.4 Responsible School-based
Record Keeping
Principle II.5 Responsible Use of
Materials
21
III. Honesty and Integrity in Professional
Relationships
“To foster and maintain trust, school
psychologists must be faithful to the
truth and adhere to their professional
promises. They are forthright about
their qualifications, competencies, and
roles; work in full cooperation with other
professional disciplines to meet the
needs of students and families; and
avoid multiple relationships that
diminish their professional
22
effectiveness.”
III. Honesty and Integrity in Professional
Relationships
Principle III.1 Accurate Presentation of
Professional Qualifications
Principle III.2 Forthright Explanation of
Professional Services, Roles, and
Priorities
Principle III.3 Respecting Other
Professionals
Principle III.4 Multiple Relationships and
Conflicts of Interest
23
IV. Responsibility to Schools, Families,
Communities, the Profession, and Society
“School psychologists promote
healthy school, family, and community
environments. They maintain the
public trust in school psychologists by
respecting law and encouraging
ethical conduct. School psychologists
advance professional excellence by
mentoring less experienced
practitioners and contributing to the
school psychology knowledge base.” 24
IV. Responsibility to Schools, Families,
Communities, the Profession, and
Society
Principle IV.1 Promoting Healthy School,
Family, and Community Environments
Principle IV.2 Respect for Law and the
Relationship of Law and Ethics
Principle IV.3 Maintaining Public Trust by
Self-Monitoring and Peer Monitoring
Principle IV.4 Contributing to the Profession
By Mentoring, Teaching, and Supervision
Principle IV.5 Contributing to the School
Psychology Knowledge Base
25
What makes a situation
ethically challenging?
• Relevant ethical guidelines are
ambiguous
• Competing ethical principles
• Conflicts between ethical principles
and law, may also have two conflicting
laws
• Conflicting interests of multiple parties
(e.g., pupil, parents, classmates)
26
What makes a situation
ethically challenging? (Cont.)
• Dilemmas inherent in the dual roles of
employee and pupil advocate
• Whether and how to confront unethical
conduct of colleagues
• System failures: Unsound educational
practices resulting in potential harm to
students
27
Eight-Step Problem-Solving Model
1. Describe the parameters of the situation.
2. Define the potential ethical-legal issues
involved.
3. Consult ethical-legal guidelines, if any,
already available that might apply to the
resolution of each issue. Consider the
broad ethical principles as well as specific
mandates involved. Consider cultural
characteristics salient to decision.
4. Evaluate the rights, responsibilities, and
welfare of all affected parties.
28
Eight-Step Problem-Solving Model
5. Generate a list of alternative decisions
possible for each issue.
6. Enumerate the consequences of making
each decision. Consultation with
colleagues may be helpful.
7. Present any evidence that the various
consequences or benefits resulting from
each decision will actually occur (i.e., a
risk-benefit analysis).
8. Make the decision. Consistent with ethical
codes, school psychologists accept
responsibility for the decision made and
monitor the consequences of the course of
action chosen. (Adapted from Koocher &
29
Keith-Spiegel, 2008).