The ethics of supervision and consultation practical guidance for mental health professionals

• Main Author: Thomas, Janet T. (Author)
• Corporate Author: American Psychological Association
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 2010
• Subjects: Mental Health Services > ethics; Ethics, Professional; Mental Health Services > organization & administration; Personnel Management > methods; Administrative Personnel > ethics; Interpersonal Relations
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 Clinical supervision and consultation have long been considered integral elements of training and maintaining competency for psychologists and other mental health professionals. One of the primary responsibilities of supervisors is to help with the professional socialization of supervisees; instilling in them the relevant ethical principles and standards is a significant component of this charge. Although students may have considerable knowledge from graduate courses in professional ethics, it is usually in the context of a practicum or internship that the nuances and complexities of these issues begin to emerge. Supervisors must be present and attentive in order to capture and fully utilize those proverbial 'teachable moments' in which the applications of ethical principles and standards might be recognized and internalized. The potential for misunderstanding and misapplication is significant for novice professionals, and it is supervisors who can provide the guidance necessary to protect the welfare of clients and educate supervisees. Even experienced professionals are vulnerable to ethical errors caused by other factors such as mismanaged countertransference, lack of knowledge about evolving standards, and personal problems that compromise objectivity and effectiveness. ""The Ethics of Supervision and Consultation: Practical Guidance for Mental Health Professionals"" represents the confluence of ethics with supervision and consultation. Supervision and consultation are treated as discrete areas of specialization, and ethics codes and specialty guidelines are analyzed in terms of their applications to this work. Supervisors and consultants are provided with both theoretical and practical strategies for incorporating ethical principles into their work.