Ethical Decision Making for Clinicians: A 7-Step Framework for Navigating Complex Situations

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts

Speaker

Caleb Lack, PhD Related seminars and products

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Caleb W. Lack, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and the Counseling MS program coordinator at the University of Central Oklahoma. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Lack specializes in the treatment of children and adults with anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and posttraumatic stress. He is regularly consulted for and interviewed by national, and international media outlets, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, and more.

 

Dr. Lack is also a best-selling author or editor of eight books on topics from psychopathology to critical thinking and pseudoscience to racism and sexism in early psychology. He has authored more than 75 scientific publications relating to the assessment and treatment of psychological problems such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, pediatric mood disorders, and posttraumatic stress. An internationally sought-after clinical trainer and consultant, Dr. Lack has conducted workshops for clinicians across North and South America, Europe, and east Asia.

 

Speaker Disclosures: 
Financial: Dr. Caleb Lack maintains a private practice and receives compensation as a consultant. He has employment relationships with the University of Central Oklahoma, the International OCD Foundation's Training Institute, and the Latin American Association of OCD Intensive Training for the Treatment of OCD (ALTOC). Dr. Lack receives grants from the University of Central Oklahoma. He was a previous consultant with BrainsWay USA. Dr. Lack receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Lack receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Non-financial: Dr. Caleb Lack serves on the board of directors with Oklahoma Psychological Association and is a member of Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation. He is an Ad hoc reviewer and editor for several peer review journals, for a complete list contact PESI, Inc. 
 

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Objectives

1. Identify five core ideas that underlie ethical decision making.
2. Determine when something becomes an ethical dilemma.
3. Differentiate between principle-based ethics and virtue-based ethics.
4. Utilize the seven-step process to use to arrive at a sound ethical decision.

Outline

• National and organization guidelines
  • APA, NASW, ACA, AAMFT
  • Provide guidance but cannot cover all possible events
  • Uncovered situations can become stressors
• Core ideas underlying ethical guidelines and individual behavior
  • Autonomy
  • Justice
  • Beneficence
  • Non-maleficence
  • Fidelity
• Supplementary principles for ethical behavior
  • Openness
  • Commitment
  • Prudence

• Situations not directly covered by ethical guidelines
• Principle-based ethics (PBE) vs. Virtue-based ethics (VBE)
  • PBE: Rules-based guidelines that work when the situation at hand is covered in them
  • Emphasize personal characteristics of being an ethical clinician in non-covered situations
  • Rather than being in opposition, they work hand in hand
• Being ethically responsible
  • Maintain personal and professional honesty
  • Act in best interests of the client
  • Act without malice or personal gain
  • Able to justify actions based on current state of the profession

• EDMs as a stepwise process to solve ethical dilemmas
• Framework for making and defending why you made a decision
• Seven steps to making good decisions
  • Identify the problem
  • Apply principle-based ethics (legal and ethical codes)
  • Determine the nature and dimensions of the dilemma
  • Generate potential actions to take
  • Consider the consequences and determine action
  • Evaluate selected action
  • Implement the selected action

• Does not guarantee a particular outcome
• Others may not agree with your decision, even with similar process

• Walk through of model with real life ethical dilemmas
  1. Teenager with outbursts and declining grades
  2. Licensed professional who starts new job

Target Audience

• Counsellors
• Psychotherapists
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Case Managers
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Case Managers
• Other Mental Health Professionals