__________________________________ Laws, Regulations, and Ethics for Florida Psychologists, 2nd Edition
of ethical decision-making models. These core characteristics can be used by the professional to evaluate decision-making models and select one that fits them best. • Action —Taking an action toward resolving the dilemma and accepting consequences. Select a course of action, implement the action, modify practices based on the action, and accept responsibility for the action. • Review —Gathering information, including a review of professional standards. Define the dilemma based on standards or principles, review ethical and legal standards, and review literature. • Intrapersonal —Considering personal values and professional competencies. Self-reflect on personal values and beliefs, and assess boundaries of competence. • Interpersonal —Discussing with those involved in the decision and consulting with colleagues. Discussing with the client, consulting with a colleague, and/or seeking out additional training or supervision. • Prediction —Thinking about the potential consequences of the action. Consider possible outcomes, estimate the probability of consequences for each option, and determine if the solution is feasible. • Deliberation —Defining and judging all aspects of the situation. Identify and interpret the problem, consider possible courses of action, identify the ideal desired outcome, assess values, and determine if the action is acceptable. • Self-monitoring —Monitoring the process, decision, and consequences. Monitor the outcome, review the process, and document the process. • Perspective thinking —Reviewing the perspectives of all involved parties. Consider all parties affected, consider cultural factors, identify competing values, and adopt the perspective of each party involved. DECISION-MAKING MODELS As noted, the psychology professional can apply numerous decision-making models when faced with an ethical dilemma. Riggin and Lack (2018) propose a virtue-driven model, incor- porating themes of openness, benevolence, justice, commit- ment, and prudence during six stages when making a decision on a course of action. • Stage One: Observation—Recognize and define the situation that requires decision making. Observe codes of conduct and local laws to see if the appropriate action is specified. • Stage Two: Identification—Identify the individuals, culture, value systems, and relevant ethical principles to help clarify how they all influence the potential course of action.
• Stage Three: Consultation—Consult with supervisors, colleagues, and current literature. Brainstorm potential solutions and evaluate each. • Stage Four: Balance—Consider the balance between personal beliefs and values and the accepted code of ethics. These must be balanced against each other, as well as against the values of the client. If not, the client may be minimized and/or boundary crossings may occur. • Stage Five: Action—The balance stage allows one to move into the action stage, where the course of action is implemented. • Stage Six: Reflection—This is a critical step in the model. Self-reflection, mindfulness, and documentation are completed. Document the details of the dilemma, the procedures followed, the reasoning for choosing a particular solution, and the final effect of the course of action. Another popular model is the ETHICS model, which was introduced by Ling and Hauck (2016). It serves to simplify the ethical decision-making process into six steps that can be applied to a broad range of ethical dilemmas. 1. E— Evaluate the dilemma. This is the most critical aspect of the model. Identifying and understanding the dilemma provides the framework for the decision-making process. The psychologist applies the Ethics Code and any applicable laws to help define the dilemma. Possible courses of action and the ethical codes that support or violate the option are evaluated, since, by definition, a dilemma cannot be resolved without potentially violating an ethical code. 2. T —Think ahead. Once the dilemma is defined, the psychologist must think ahead to the possible consequences, positive and negative, of each potential action. Consideration of all who are potentially affected by the action is necessary and may include the psychologist, client, colleagues, or profession. Psychologists have a duty to do no harm, so this step aligns with the General Principle of Beneficence and Nonmaleficence. 3. H —Help. It is important to receive help from others in the form of consultations. Receiving help is different than receiving a decision. Receiving help involves a discussion of relevant factors to help determine a course of action, keeping the responsibility for the action with the psychologist. Help can be sought from different sources; for example, legal clarification from an attorney, risk- management clarification from a liability company, or clinical clarification from a supervisor or colleague. The help received is then applied to each potential action and analyzed in conjunction with the information from other steps.
41
EliteLearning.com/Psychology
Powered by FlippingBook