Ethics for behavioral health professionals

Workshop Presentation Behavioral Health Professionals of NW Ohio June 11, 2010 Workshop Description This workshop addresses the theory and practice of ethics for behavioral health professionals. Content includes the clarifying the distinction and relationship between ethics, integrity, boundaries, and professional use of self in behavioral health care. Controversial issues accompanying select boundary behaviors and implications for the integrity of behavioral health professionals are illustrated utilizing case material from practice; audience participation in identifying competing moral principles and duties that challenge professional integrity is encouraged. Purpose To present/illustrate a theory base for “professional use of self” and instilling “integrity” in behavioral health professions. Objectives 1.Clarify the conceptual linkages between ethics, boundaries, integrity, and professional use of self in behavioral health care; 2.Discuss controversial boundary behaviors and the implications of these for “professional use of self” and the “integrity” of behavioral health professionals; 3.Identify ethical issues and competing moral principles and duties that challenge professional integrity, utilizing case material from practice. 4.Reflect on ways to enhance ethical competence in behavioral health care Workshop Talking Points: I. Introduction II. Ethics, integrity, boundaries, & professional use of self in mental healthcare. 1. What is integrity? 2. Personal and professional integrity 3.The challenges to integrity in mental health - personal vs. professional integrity - competing moral principles professional use of self - clinical necessity of boundaries III. An exploratory study on domains of controversial boundary behaviors 1. Intimate relationships 2. Dual relationships 3. Mixed modalities 4. Advice giving 5. Financial transactions 6. Other boundary behaviors IV. Case vignettes from practice illustrating ethical issues and competing moral principles that challenge professional integrity in mental healthcare: 1. Birth control for a mentally ill client 2. Releasing client records: Benefit or burden 3. Records of client in lesbian relationship subpoenaed by lawyer of client’s husband 4. Dating former clients 5. Taking group members out for pizza 6. Therapist “touching” clients V. Enhancing ethical competence in mental healthcare 1. Observing moral principle and duties 2. Observing the NASW Code of Ethic 3. The role of philosophic & contextual ethics 4. Case material illustrating contextual ethics and client-centered and family-based ethical discussions VI. Summary comments