Paper Ethics Codes

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
DISCUSSION
The ethics code presents a common set of standards and principles which psychologists are to
follow. According to the American Psychological Association, these principles should always be used by
psychologists in arriving at a moral result for difficult issues. These rules depend on the issues being
dealt with and psychologists in different discipline will use the principles differently according to the
context presented (American Psychological Association).
1. Maintaining Confidentiality
Psychologists have a primary obligation to protect confidential information obtained

through or stored in any medium, recognizing that the extent and limits of confidentiality may be
regulated by law or established by institutional rules or professional or scientific relationship.
2. Discussing the Limits of Confidentiality
(a) Psychologists explain the limits of confidentiality to individuals and organizations,This

includes situations where you're unable to provide consent.
(b) Discussions about confidentiality occur at the beginning of the relationship and are updated
as necessary.
(c) Psychologists who provide services through electronic transmission must inform clients about
privacy risks and the limitations of confidentiality.
3. Use of Confidential Information for Didactic or Other Purposes
Psychologists are committed to protecting your privacy. They will never share any
personal or identifiable information about you, your students, research participants, or clients of
an organization in any public forum, including lectures, articles, or social media, except: They
identify who it is that they're dealing with, whether that's an individual or an organisation. They
get written consent from the person or organisation in question. They have the legal right to do
so.
Case example
Therapist D was effective in offering workshops on diagnosis and treatment planning for
practitioners seeking third-party reimbursement from insurance companies. Through a referral, she
agreed to provide a series of in service consultation sessions on the above topic with ten counselors at a
community mental health agency. D did not have formal training or supervision in agency consultation
but she resolved that a little self-instruction would suffice. D signed a 6-month contract with the agency
director to offer bi-weekly consultation with staff members to discuss cases and increase likelihood that
the agency was creating diagnosis and treatment plans resulting in third-party reimbursement. D and
the director did not address how D would be evaluated or how she would report to the director. D
instituted a written contract with the agency indicating that staff participation was voluntary and
confidential; further, agency clients were informed of D’s involvement thereby addressing client
confidentiality issues. All involved were pleased with D’s performance but at the conclusion of the
contract, D was surprised when the director asked her to evaluate the quality of each staff member’s
treatment plans. He said the agency was going to decrease its staff size and her opinion would be
valuable in making staffing decisions. Therapist complied with this request due to feeling obligated for
his hiring her, the staff reduction was to inevitably occur anyway, and she potentially might save the jobs
of the most competent staff clinicians. Several months thereafter, two former employees who
participated in the consultation group filed a complaint with the ACA Ethics Committee, charging ethical
misconduct for disclosing to the director individual staff members’ ratings of performance (Herlihy &
Corey, 1996).
Conclusion
Psychologists have a fundamental responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of all information

obtained during their professional relationships. Psychologists must clearly communicate the limits of
confidentiality at the outset and throughout the relationship, especially in situations involving electronic
communication, where privacy risks may be higher. Psychologists are prohibited from sharing personally
identifiable information in public forums unless proper steps are taken to protect identity, written
consent is obtained, or legal permission is granted. These ethical guidelines ensure the protection of
privacy while maintaining trust and integrity within the psychologist-client relationship.
Source
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
https://psychologywriting.com/privacy-and-confidentiality-in-the-work-of-a-psychologist/
https://www.texcpe.com/pdf/ny/ONYECa1.pdf

Paper Ethics Codes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Paper Ethics Codes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Paper Ethics Codes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Psychologists have a primary obligation to protect confidential information obtained

2. Discussing the Limits of Confidentiality

(a) Psychologists explain the limits of confidentiality to individuals and organizations,This

3. Use of Confidential Information for Didactic or Other Purposes

Psychologists have a fundamental responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of all information

You might also like