Ethical responsibilities to colleagues Licensed mental health practitioners should not only take responsibility for their own actions, but also take actions that ensure the safety and well-being of any clients served by others in the mental health profession. Thus, their responsibilities include: ● Duty to clients. ● Duty to colleagues, and ● Indirectly, duty to the mental health profession. In addition, they demonstrate further ethical responsibility by: ● Respecting and fairly representing the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues. ● Respecting shared confidential information. ● Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. ● Not taking advantage of disputes between colleague and employer or exploiting clients in disputes with colleagues. Ethical responsibilities to the mental health profession In general, national mental health professional associations discuss the responsibility to help maintain the integrity of their particular mental health focus as well as issues related to mental health work evaluation and research. Maintaining the integrity of the profession is a responsibility of every licensed mental health professional and requires the active participation of each person whether it be collaborating on the creation of new standards, continuing to challenge mediocrity or complacency, or taking advantage of educational opportunities. Mental health professionals should demonstrate the following integrity safeguards: Evaluation, evidence-based practice, and research In recent years, greater interest in “evidence-based practice” (EBP) has become a prominent theme in the social work profession due to the need for justification for payment of services, as well as the need for methods of best treatment practice in social work. The role of professional ethics and values is an important source of evidence in the process of making decisions about evidence-based practice. Significant failures in making decisions occur when evidence is not used. These can include: ● Ineffective use of interventions. ● Interventions that do more harm than good. ● Continuing to use interventions instead of replacing them with better interventions. ● Failure to discontinue interventions that do more harm than good. Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient/client values. The purpose of EBP is to promote effective practice and to enhance public health by applying empirically supported principles of assessment, case formulation, therapeutic relationship, and intervention (Mount Saint Mary’s University, 2020). Evidence- based guidelines for best practice in the mental health profession should draw upon critical thinking, practice-related research, accountability, service to clients, informed consent, self-determination, and social justice as essential components of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice in social work focuses on evidence- based research in which clinical knowledge and client values are important considerations. Evidence-based practice implements the current state of knowledge and best practice strategies: etiology, causation, prevention, and treatment of a wide range of conditions using state-of-the-art methods. Evidence-based practice in social work utilizes the best available research evidence, along with professional wisdom and individual family values. The social worker should reflect on the following questions: ● Which treatment approaches and specific interventions are most effective? ● In what contexts and for whom?
● Seeking advice and counsel of colleagues who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and competence so as to benefit the interests of clients. ● Referring clients, without payment for such, to qualified professionals and transferring responsibilities in an orderly fashion. ● Consulting and assisting impaired and/or incompetent colleagues, and addressing impairments through proper channels when they are unable to practice effectively (e.g., reporting to professional associations or licensing and regulatory bodies). ● Discouraging unethical conduct of colleagues; being knowledgeable about established procedures and taking action as necessary through appropriate formal channels. ● Defending and assisting colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct. ● Maintain and promote high standards of practice. ● Uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession through study, research, active discussion, and reasonable criticism. ● Contribute time and professional expertise to activities that promote respect for the value, integrity, and competence of the profession. ● Contribute to the knowledge base and share with colleagues knowledge related to practice, ethics, and research. ● Act to prevent unauthorized/unqualified practice of mental health work. ● What are the indicators of effective social work practice using this method? ● How will results of treatment be measured? ● How can the assessment data be used to inform future work throughout the course of practice? These questions illustrate the close connection between critical thinking and the application of evidence-based practice. Of course, all social work practice must be individualized for the client based on the client’s specific needs and the most effective evidence-based methods to achieve his or her goals. All practice methods and techniques must be within the limits of the social worker’s training and experience, as outlined in ethical standards for competency. The mental health profession has become more organized around the need for monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of interventions, policy initiatives, and program implementation. Improved services and outcomes for clients and enhancements increase credibility. Licensed mental health professionals should: ● Respect the dignity and protect the welfare of research participants. ● Be aware of applicable laws and regulations and professional standards governing the conduct of research. ● Monitor and evaluate policies, program implementation, and practice interventions. ● Promote and facilitate evaluation and research. ● Critically examine and keep current with emerging mental health practice research. ● Obtain voluntary, written informed consent, which includes: ○ No implied or actual deprivation or penalty for refusal, or undue inducement to participate. ○ Regard for the participant’s dignity, well-being, and privacy. ○ All information about the nature, extent, and duration of the participation and disclosure about the risks and benefits. ○ When the participant is incapable, provision of appropriate explanation to the participant, obtaining of permission to the degree he or she is able, and obtaining of written consent from the appropriate proxy.
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Book Code: SWUS1524
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