Ethics & Psychology

In this continuing education program, John and Sam Knapp discuss the critical elements of the new Child Protective Service law. Act 31 of 2014 requires all mandated reporters who hold licenses to receive at least two hours of approved continuing education in the signs of child abuse and the reporting requirements for child abuse in Pennsylvania.

Episode 19 is the first hour of that training. In hour one, Drs. Gavazzi and Knapp discuss the definitions of a child and perpetrator as these pertain to the new mandated reporting law. John and Sam highlight the legal definitions of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and begin to discuss the definition of sexual abuse in the new Pennsylvania law.

Click here to find the PowerPoint presentation associated with this podcast.

Please go to Part 2. Once you listen to parts 1 and 2, a link will be provided for Continuing Education credit.

This podcast is not yet approved by the PA Department of Human Services or the PA Department of State.

My estimate is that it will be approved in early March 2015

If you have missed AM radio, then you will appreciate this episode. John experiments with conference call software with his guests to discuss ethics and safety from a psychologist's point of view. I apologize about the squeaks (Shannon's phone), scratches and other recording imperfections.

John's guests include Dr. Don McAleer, psychologist, gun owner, firearms instructor, firearm collector; Massad Ayoob, an international firearms and self-defense instructor, expert in lethal force encounters and shooting cases, and author; and, Dr. Shannon Clark, psychologist, FBI agent, active shooter and response instructor, and lifelong martial artist.

We discuss the ethics of nonmaleficence (do no harm) versus personal safety. It is no secret that psychologists are vulnerable to threat, assault, and stalking of patients and family members of patients. The overarching goal is to start a discussion for psychologists and mental health professionals about potential dangers for mental health professionals and some options to help keep them safe.

At the end of this podcast, the listener will be able to:

1. Outline your personal values related to safety in your professional life.

2. List the options to enhance personal safety in your office.

3. Describe several responsible steps to take if you decide to carry a firearm or house one in your office.

Reading Material

Ken Pope: Therapists' Resources for Threats, Stalking, or Assaults by Patients

Robert B. Young: When a Psychiatrist Shoots to Kill

Dave Grossman: On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society

Massad Ayoob: In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection

Massad Ayoob: Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense

Massad Ayoob Information

Massad's Training Institute

Shannon Clark's email address

Click here

Are you a psychologist working independently? If so, do you have a professional will? If not, you need to listen to this podcast. John welcomes Drs. Mary O’Leary Wiley and Cathy Spayd to outline the important points in constructing a professional will. A professional will is part of your ethical obligation to your patients should you die suddenly or become incapacitated. The podcast will address the pragmatics of constructing a professional will and why it is important for all psychologists to have a professional will.

At the end of the workshop the participants will be able to:

1. Explain the importance of a professional will.

2. Locate documents on the Internet to help create a professional will.

3. Create your professional will.

Click here to earn one APA-approved CE credit

Resources

Mary O'Leary Wiley, PhD ABPP web site

Catherine Spayd, PhD

Closing a Professional Practice: Clinical, Ethical and Practical Considerations for Psychologists Throughout the Lifespan PowerPoint presentation by Drs. Wiley and Spayd

APA Sample of a Professional Will

Ragusea, S. (2002). A professional living will for psychologists and other mental health professionals. In L. VandeCreek & T. Jackson (Eds.), Innovations in clinical practice: A source book (Vol. 20, pp. 301 – 305). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.

Spayd, C.S. and Wiley, M.O. (2009). Closing a Professional Practice: Clinical and Practical Considerations. Pennsylvania Psychologist, 69 (11), 15-17.

Dashlane.com - A secure site to store passwords

John welcomes Dr. Marlene Maheu back for Part 2 of Ethics and Telepsychology. The podcast starts out with a vignette on practicing psychology over state lines using telepsychology. John and Marlene review important aspects of informed consent, privacy and security laws, documentation, and interstate practice. Marlene gives a variety of tips, including the need to utilize a risk management tool for telepsychology practice, additional components of informed consent, and the need to document more information.

At the end of the podcast, the listener will be able to:

1. Explain two important interjurisdictional issues with telepsychology.

2. Described three important components of informed consent with telepsychology.

3. List one relevant security law and one relevant security law related to the practice of telepsychology.

Click here to earn one APA-approved CE credit

Resources for Episode 16

TeleMental Health Institute, Inc.

American Psychological Association Guidelines on Telepsychology

HIPAA Security Standards: Technical Safeguards

HIPAA Risk Assessment Tool: HHS & HealthIT.gov

Gros, D. F., Yoder, M., Tuerk, P. W., Lozano, B. E., & Acierno, R. (2011). Exposure therapy for PTSD delivered to veterans via telehealth: Predictors of treatment completion and outcome and comparison to treatment delivered in person. Behavior Therapy, 42, 276-283.

doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2010.07.005

Harris, E., & Younggren, J. N. (2011). Risk management in the digital world. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42, 412-418.

doi: 10.1037/a0025139

Bibliography from TeleMental Health Institute, Inc.

Marlene Maheu SlideShare

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the most frequent crisis encountered by mental health professionals. This podcast reviews basic information about the assessment, management, and treatment of patients at risk to die from suicide. It fulfills Act 74 requirements for Pennsylvania licensed psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors.

Program Learning Objectives:

At the end of this program the participants will learn basic information that will help them to

1. Assess patients who are at risk to die from a suicide attempt;
2. Manage the risks of suicide; and
3. Treat patients who are at risk to die from a suicide attempt.

Resources

Bongar, B., & Sullivan, G. (2013). The suicidal patient: Clinical and legal standards of care. (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Bryan, C. J. (2015). Cognitive behavior strategies for preventing suicidal attempts. NY: Routledge.

Jamison, K. R. (2000). Night Falls Fast: Understanding suicide. New York: Random House.

Jobes, D. (2016). Managing suicide risk (2nd Ed.). NY: Guilford.

Joiner, T. (2005). The myths of suicide. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

McKeon, R. (2009). Suicidal behavior. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe & Huber.

Disclaimer

As an educational program, this podcast/video does not purport to provide clinical or legal advice on any particular patient. Listeners or viewers with concerns about the assessment, management, or treatment of any patient are urged to seek clinical or legal advice. Also, individual psychotherapists need to use their clinical judgment with their patients and incorporate procedures or techniques not covered in this podcast/video, or modify or omit certain recommendations herein because of the unique needs of their patients.

This one-hour video/podcast provides a basic introduction to the assessment, management, and treatment of patients at risk to die from a suicide attempt. This podcast/video may be a useful refresher course for experienced clinicians. However, listeners/viewers should not assume that the completion of this course will, in and of itself, make them qualified to assess or treat individuals who are at risk to die from suicide. For those who do not have formal training in suicide, this podcast/video should be seen as providing an introduction or exposure to the professional literature on this topic.

Proficiency in dealing with suicidal patients, like proficiency in other areas of professional practice, is best achieved through an organized sequence of study including mastery of a basic foundation of knowledge and attitudes, and supervision. It is impossible to give a fixed number of hours of continuing education and supervision that professionals need to have before they can be considered proficient in assessing, managing, and treating suicidal patients. Much depends on their existing knowledge base and overall level of clinical skill. It would be indicated to look at competency standards from noted authorities, such as those developed by the American Association of Suicidology ( http://www.sprc.org/training-events/amsr), by David Rudd and his associates (Rudd et al., 2008), or Cramer et al. (2014).

Click here for the slides associated with this podcast.

Click here to link for CE credits.