Ethical Dilemmas By Mental Health Professionals In Forensic Treatment Settings
Post a description of at least two ethical dilemmas encountered by mental health professionals who practice in forensic treatment settings. Explain how each dilemma might complicate treatment in specific forensic settings. Finally, describe how you would resolve each dilemma using ethical principles and guidelines from the APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, and/or other appropriate codes of ethics.
The post should be 300-500 words using the attached resources. Additional resources are welcomed if peer reviewed and relevant.
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index
https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/forensic-psychology
https://www.atsa.com/
https://www.atsa.com/pdfs/COE.pdf
https://www.kspope.com/licensing/index.php
Sample Solution
The ethical dilemmas encountered by mental health professionals practicing in forensic treatment settings can be quite complex. Two examples include the duty to protect society from harm and the duty to promote the best interests of clients. In a forensic setting, these two duties may conflict or cause complications due to dual roles of providing services while also serving as an expert witness.
The duty to protect society from harm refers to upholding the laws of society, which is essential in any criminal justice system. The primary obligation of a mental health professional when working with patients involved in legal proceedings is that they must remain impartial and unbiased while conducting assessments and evaluations (APA Ethical Principles). Mental health professionals should not advocate for either side but rather provide objective data that can inform court decisions. This dilemma becomes even more complicated when treating high-risk patients who pose a potential threat both inside and outside the facility, such as those facing civil commitment hearings or those on parole/probation orders. In this situation, how does one balance their responsibility to ensure patient safety without compromising the integrity of their evaluation?
The second dilemma relates to promoting client welfare within a court context where external factors may impede progress or threaten autonomy (Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists). It is important that mental health professionals strive for clients’ best interests regardless of whether it intersects with what might be expected by external stakeholders like courts or correctional facilities (ATSACodeofEthics). However, often times clinicians have limited control over treatment recommendations given by judges or other decision makers who are not always familiar with clinical standards (KSPopeLicensingIndex). This can potentially lead clinicians into an ethical grey area if they are forced into recommendations that might adversely affect client wellbeing against their better judgment.
In order resolve these ethical dilemmas, I would suggest adhering closely to established codes of ethics such as APA’s Ethical Principles Of Psychologists And Code Of Conduct, ATSACodeofEthics, and KSPopeLicensingIndex depending upon jurisdiction.. Additionally Specialty Guidelines For Forensic psychologists could be consulted for guidance regarding dual roles specific to forensic practice settings. When possible it could be beneficial for therapists to discuss difficult situations pre-emptively with clients so expectations can be clarified at outset before interventions begin; this will allow therapist greater flexibility in making autonomous decisions without fear of challenging external expectations from judges etc . Finally, consultation with peers could help identify alternate solutions which focus on achieving mutually agreeable goals between all parties involved including patients themselves