All psychologists are bound by a set of core ethics and guidelines to ensure accountability and integrity in their practice. As such, it is important to consider the core ethics and guidelines when providing professional consultations to caregivers and community partners (i.e., other professionals working with the client). The following are some expectations required of consultants as stated in the American Psychological Association (2002), British Psychological Society (2017), and Singapore Psychological Society (2019) ethical guidelines. Consultants should:
Take steps to ensure that clients are aware of their right to informed consent and the need for confidentiality, where appropriate.
Demonstrate the essential skills required in professional consultations.
Be competent and have adequate knowledge that is pertinent to the area of consultation.
Be mindful of their fidelity towards clients, organisations, and stakeholders and refrain from manipulative acts.
Here are some ideas and resources:
BOOKS
Mental Health model
Trcikett, E. J., Barone, C., & Watts, R. ( 2000). Contextual influences in mental health consultation: Toward an ecological perspective on radiating change. (pp. 303-330). | Source: In Handbook of community psychology. Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4615-4193-6_13
This chapter focuses on the different models of consultation that have evolved particularly over the past quarter of a century and the ethical responsibility that comes with it, given that consultants report working across a wide variety of setting with a variety of problems.
Snow, D. L. & Gersick, K. E. Ethical and professional issues in mental health consultation. (pp. 393-432).| Source: In Handbook of mental health consultation. American Psychological Association (APA).
This chapter attempts to further the considerations of ethical issues in mental health consultation and to suggest accounting for situational factors that impinge on this work as paramount. It also examines the five areas of ethical responsibilities and explore typical ethical dilemmas that arise in the provision of mental health consultation.
Behavioural Consultation model
Beacham, A. O., & Van Sickle, K. S. (2018). Ethical considerations for behavioral health professionals in primary care settings. (pp. 598-615). | Source: In The Cambridge handbook of applied psychological ethics. Cambridge University Press.
This chapter discusses the need for a shift in behavioural health providers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding the ethical considerations inherent in primary care clinics in order to accommodate the broadening and changing landscape over the past three decades.
Organisational Consultation model
Cooper, S.E. & Lowman, R. L. (2018). Ethical issues in psychological consultation. (pp. 552-574). | Source: In The Cambridge handbook of applied psychological ethics. Cambridge University Press.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-02482-027
This chapter focuses on some of the ethical issues likely encountered by professionals who engage in consultation as a mode of general applied or mental health/health services delivery to achieve goals with individuals, groups, systems or communities. The first section focuses on description of mental health and organisational consultation approaches and the likely ethical dilemmas with each. It also provides a brief description of the differences between consultation and therapy and between consultation and collaboration, along with the ethical implications of each of these differences. The second part of the chapter then introduces and expounds upon five typical psychological consultation ethical concerns areas.
VIDEOS
Mental Health model
Professional boundaries and self-care for mental health consultants| Source: First 5 Alameda County. (2019, Aug 24).
The video is produced as a third webinar in a series presented by CA Project LAUNCH looking at self-care and professional boundaries in the role of a mental health consultant..
Behavioral Consultation model
Maintaining the boundaries of the BHC role| Source: Primarycareshrink.com (2015, Mar 28).
The video discusses challenging situations where the BHC role may be difficult to maintain.
Organisational Consultation model
Psychology in Business – Ethics while consulting | Source: Alok Sawhney.
A video series of short clips about the field of consulting psychology. Topics include areas of applied psychology in organisational design, team effectiveness, executive coaching and entrepreneurial consulting.
OTHER RESOURCES
SPS Code of Ethics (January 2019, Version 3) | Source: Singapore Psychological Society (SPS)
https://singaporepsychologicalsociety.org/sps-code-of-ethics/
The following are some SPS guidelines that are more pertinent to professional consultations.
Section 1.3 provides some guidelines regarding the disclosure of information during consultations.
Sections 2.6 and 2.10 each contains a list of items that consultants are required to obtain clarification prior to the provision of consultations.
Guideline 5 is comprised of various sections that describe the expectations of consultants to practice within their competence and demonstrate awareness of their own competency.
BPS Practice Guidelines (2017) | Source: British Psychological Society (BPS)
https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/practice-guidelines
The following are some BPS guidelines that are more pertinent to professional consultations.
Section 1.5 provides a general idea on the objectives of professional consultation and identifies the different types of consultations.
Section 3.4 describes consultants’ fidelity to their primary clients, commissioning stakeholders, and other relevant personnel.
Section 3.5 consists of a list of guidelines that consultants should bear in mind when collaborating with other professionals.
APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2002) | Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/
The following are some APA guidelines that are more pertinent to professional consultations.
Section 3.08 states that consultants should be aware that exploitative relationships are not condoned.
Section 4.06 covers confidentiality issues that are pertinent to consultations.
Mental Health model
Fanibanda, D. K.. Ethical issues of mental health consultants.| Source: Professional Psychology , 74(4), 547-552.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1977-13499-001
This article highlights important questions for mental health consultants to ponder upon and lists the basic principles to consider as a consultant.
Behavioural Consultation model
Fivecoat, H. C., Cos, T., & Possemato, K. (2017). Special ethical considerations for behavioral consultants in the primary care setting. |Source: Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 48(5), 335-342.
This article discusses potential ethical dilemmas and challenges that are faced in PCBH. Specifically, the application of ethical guidelines to this work is discussed, with the article aiming to address where further clarity is needed and context-based ethical decision-making is warranted. Case studies are provided to help illustrate the novel challenges faced by BHCs in integrated medical settings.
Runyan, C., Robinson, P., Gould, D. A. (2013). Ethical issues facing providers in collaborative primary care settings: Do current guidelines suffice to guide the future of team based primary care? |Source: Family System Health, 31(1), 1-8.
This special issue discusses the ethical issues providers face in collaborative primary care settings. It is organized in three sections: (a) Common Themes, (b) Context-Specific Quandaries, and (c) Research and Training.
Organisational Consultation Model
Lefkowitz, J. Forms of ethical dilemmas in industrial-organizational psychology. |Source: Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 46(4), 2-12.
This article presents and tests a structural perspective on understanding the nature of ethical dilemmas that can facilitate such study. A taxonomy of five paradigmatic forms of ethical dilemmas is defined and placed in a theoretical context and tested using 292 narrative descriptions of ethical situations.