Core values and ethical principles Core values make up the basis on which members of an organization, profession, or other group work and conduct themselves. These values remain constant in spite of changes in the world. They do not describe specific behavior, but provide the foundation for that behavior (National Park Service, n.d.). The core values espoused by mental health ethics codes incorporate a wide range of overlapping morals, values, and ethical principles that lay the foundation for the profession’s unique duties. They generally include: ● Service. ● Autonomy – Allowing for Freedom of Choice and Action. ● Responsibility to Clients.
identifying enforceable standards of conduct (Reamer, 2006). For example, an aspirational principle is reflected in Standard 1.01 of the NASW Code of Ethics, making client well-being the most important priority, while an enforceable standard is Standard 1.03, requiring informed consent (Dayton, 2019). Most ethics codes describe specific ethical standards relevant to six areas of professional functioning. These standards provide accepted standards of behavior for all mental health clinicians concerning ethical responsibilities: ● To clients. ● To colleagues. ● To practice settings. ● As professionals. ● To a particular mental health profession focus. ● To the broader society. Further, professionals should take responsible steps before practicing interventions or approaches that are new to them or that are an emerging area of practice, with little to no generally recognized standards. Bogle & Coleman (2000) recommend the following strategies for gaining and maintaining professional and ethical competence: ● Learning should never stop. Research and use available education, training, consultation, and supervision opportunities to increase competence. ● Stay informed about the state of the profession through membership in national/ state organizations and the review of professional publications. ● Adhere to state licensing laws prior to service provision. Overall, mental health practitioners can benefit from the following more specific yet practical recommendations: ● Take proactive responsibility for errors in judgment. ● Avoid blame. ● Manage time effectively. ● Acknowledge clients’ time constraints. ● Check record keeping. ● Return phone messages in a timely manner. ● Avoid being late for sessions or meetings. ● Be dependable. ● Make outside resource information available to clients. This course will continue to look at issues around each of these areas.
● Responsibility to the Profession. ● Responsibility to Social Justice. ● Responsibility for Doing No Harm. ● Dignity and Worth of the Person. ● Confidentiality. ● Importance of Human Relationships. ● Do Good and Be Proactive. ● Professional Competence. ● Integrity.
● Engagement with Appropriate Informational Activities. ● Treating People in Accordance with Their Relevant Differences. ● Responsibility to Students and Supervisees. ● Fidelity. ● Responsibility to Research Participants. ● Financial Arrangements That Conform to Accepted Professional Practices. Depending on a particular mental health professional association’s code of ethics, ethical professional practice can include: ● Helping people in need. ● Challenging social injustice. ● Respecting the inherent dignity and worth of the person. ● Recognizing the central importance of human relationships. ● Behaving in a trustworthy manner. ● Practicing within areas of competence and developing and enhancing professional expertise. Some of the principles, such as responsibility to students and supervisees, are what mental health practitioners can aspire to, while others are much more prescriptive, clearly Ethical responsibilities to clients This illustration highlights the complexity of ethical responsibility to clients: A depressed 80-year-old client, suffering from the painful, debilitating effects of arthritis, asks Rene, his mental health therapist, for information on assisted suicide. He tells her that he only needs help Commitment Client interests are primary . The example above epitomizes the difficulties often faced by mental health practitioners when the principles of law, personal belief, professional codes of ethics, client need, and cultural and societal norms intersect and at times contradict one Self-determination Another standard that strongly reflects the mental health practitioner’s commitment to a client is that of self- determination. Professionals have an obligation to support and assist clients in accomplishing their goals, only deviating from this standard when a client’s goal puts them or others imminently at risk. Defining risk can be difficult; most mental health professionals cannot argue that suicide or homicide fail
downloading information from the Internet and then it is his right to weigh the options of proceeding. Rene believes the client’s depression is directly related to the pain, because the client is otherwise of sound mind, and therefore has a right to determine his future.
another. The professional is then faced with a conundrum that offers a multitude of potential decisions, actions, and consequences. We will discuss more about how the worker can best weigh all these considerations to make the most ethical decision later in this course. to present clear risk to the client or to others. Other client choices such as staying in an abusive relationship or living in squalor or on the streets may challenge a professional’s personal values and sincere desire to protect – also known as “professional paternalism” (Reamer, 2006). In the absence of clear and present harm, the client has a right to choose his or her own path and make his or her own decisions, whether we agree or disagree.
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