Chapter 1

Ethics in School Psychology:

An Introduction

Jacob, Decker, & Hartshorne

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School Psychology and Ethics

• “School psychologists are professionals who provide effective services to help all students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally” (NASP, 2010).

• The practice of school psychology rests on the public’s trust.

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Quality Control in School Psychology

• Professional codes of ethics.• Education law that protects the

rights of students and their parents in the school setting.

• Credentialing of school psychologists (state certification and licensure).

• Accreditation of graduate training programs.

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Ethics

• A system of ethics develops within the context of a particular society or culture.

• Ethics is composed of a range of acceptable (or unacceptable) social and personal behaviors, from rules of etiquette to more basic rules of society.

• Moral rules are thought to differ from other aspects of ethics in that they are more important, fundamental, universal, rational, and objective.

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Moral Principles• W. D. Ross (1930), a 20th-

century Scottish philosopher, identified a number of moral duties of the ethical person that provided a foundation for the codes of ethics of psychologists: –Nonmaleficence–Fidelity–Beneficence– Justice–Autonomy 5

• Nonmaleficence – do no harm• Fidelity – faithfulness to the truth and

one’s professional duties• Beneficience – do good• Justice – ensure others are treated in

a fair and nonbiased manner and that all persons have equal access to what school psychology has to offer

• Autonomy – respect for the right of individuals to have a voice in decisions that affect them

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Applied Professional Ethics

The application of broad ethical principles and specific rules to the problems that arise in professional practice.

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Goals for Ethics Training

• Sensitive to ethical issues and consequences.

• Sound knowledge of codes of ethics, professional guidelines, and law.

• Committed to a proactive stance.• Able to analyze the ethical aspects of

a situation and use problem solving model.

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Training Goals (Cont.)

• Sensitive to diverse cultural views and values; aware of own feelings and values.

• Understand complexity of ethical decisions; tolerant of ambiguity and uncertainty.

• Strength to make decisions and accept responsibility for them.

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Professional Codes of Ethics

• NASP’s “Principles for Professional Ethics” (2010)

• APA’s “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct” (2002)

• “A Canadian Code of Ethics” (2000).

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Codes of Ethics• Protect the public and maintain

public trust.• Show profession’s commitment to

self-regulation.• Enhance prestige of profession.• Educate professionals and assist

them in monitoring their own behavior.

• Guidelines for adjudicating complaints. 11

National Association of School Psychologists

• The Principles for Professional Ethics was developed specifically for school psychologists .

• NASP’s code focuses on protecting the well-being of schoolchildren and takes into account the special considerations of school-based practice.

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School-based versus Private Practice

School-based practice refers to the provision of school psychological services under the authority of a state, regional, or local educational agency. School-based practice occurs if the school psychologist is an employee of the schools or contracted by the schools on a per case or consultative basis. 13

School-based versus Private Practice

Private practice occurs when a school psychologist enters into an agreement with a client(s) rather than an educational agency to provide school psychological services and the school psychologist’s fee for services is the responsibility of the client or his or her representative. 14

APA and NASP Codes

• APA’s code has a General Principles section that includes five broadly worded aspirational goals to be considered in decision making.

• The Ethical Standards section outlines the enforceable rules of conduct.

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APA and NASP Codes

• NASP’s code is organized around four broad ethical themes (based on “A Canadian Code of Ethics”). The four broad themes subsume 17 ethical principles. Each principle is then further articulated by specific standards of conduct.

• The broad themes, corollary principles, and ethical standards are to be considered in decision making. NASP will seek to enforce the 17 ethical principles and corollary standards that appear in the “Principles for Professional Ethics.” 16

NASP’s Four Broad Ethical Principles

• Respecting the Dignity and Rights of All Persons

• Professional Competence and Responsibility

• Honesty and Integrity in Professional Relationships

• Responsibility to Schools, Families, Communities, the Profession, and Society

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I. Respecting the Dignity and Rights of All Persons

“School psychologists engage only in professional practices that maintain the dignity of all individuals. In their words and actions, school psychologists demonstrate respect for the autonomy of persons and their right to self-determination, respect for privacy, and a commitment to just and fair treatment of all persons.”

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I. Respecting the Dignity and Rights of All Persons

Principle I.1 Autonomy and Self Determination (Consent and Assent)

Principle I.2 Privacy and Confidentiality

Principle I.3 Fairness and Justice

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II. Professional Competence and Responsibility

“Beneficence, or responsible caring, means that the school psychologist acts to benefit others. To do this, school psychologists must practice within the boundaries of their competence, use scientific knowledge from psychology and education to help clients and others make informed choices, and accept responsibility for their work.”

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II. Professional Competence and Responsibility

Principle II.1 CompetencePrinciple II.2 Accepting

Responsibility for ActionsPrinciple II.3 Responsible

Assessment and Intervention Practices

Principle II.4 Responsible School-based Record Keeping

Principle II.5 Responsible Use of Materials

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III. Honesty and Integrity in Professional Relationships

“To foster and maintain trust, school psychologists must be faithful to the truth and adhere to their professional promises. They are forthright about their qualifications, competencies, and roles; work in full cooperation with other professional disciplines to meet the needs of students and families; and avoid multiple relationships that diminish their professional effectiveness.” 22

III. Honesty and Integrity in Professional Relationships

Principle III.1 Accurate Presentation of Professional Qualifications

Principle III.2 Forthright Explanation of Professional Services, Roles, and Priorities

Principle III.3 Respecting Other Professionals

Principle III.4 Multiple Relationships and Conflicts of Interest 23

IV. Responsibility to Schools, Families, Communities, the Profession, and Society

“School psychologists promote healthy school, family, and community environments. They maintain the public trust in school psychologists by respecting law and encouraging ethical conduct. School psychologists advance professional excellence by mentoring less experienced practitioners and contributing to the school psychology knowledge base.”

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IV. Responsibility to Schools, Families, Communities, the Profession, and

Society

Principle IV.1 Promoting Healthy School, Family, and Community Environments

Principle IV.2 Respect for Law and the Relationship of Law and Ethics

Principle IV.3 Maintaining Public Trust by Self-Monitoring and Peer Monitoring

Principle IV.4 Contributing to the Profession By Mentoring, Teaching, and Supervision

Principle IV.5 Contributing to the School Psychology Knowledge Base

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What makes a situation ethically challenging?

• Relevant ethical guidelines are ambiguous

• Competing ethical principles• Conflicts between ethical

principles and law, may also have two conflicting laws

• Conflicting interests of multiple parties (e.g., pupil, parents, classmates)

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What makes a situation ethically challenging?

(Cont.)• Dilemmas inherent in the dual

roles of employee and pupil advocate

• Whether and how to confront unethical conduct of colleagues

• System failures: Unsound educational practices resulting in potential harm to students

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Eight-Step Problem-Solving Model

1. Describe the parameters of the situation.

2. Define the potential ethical-legal issues involved.

3. Consult ethical-legal guidelines, if any, already available that might apply to the resolution of each issue. Consider the broad ethical principles as well as specific mandates involved. Consider cultural characteristics salient to decision.

4. Evaluate the rights, responsibilities, and welfare of all affected parties. 28

Eight-Step Problem-Solving Model5. Generate a list of alternative

decisions possible for each issue.6. Enumerate the consequences of

making each decision. Consultation with colleagues may be helpful.

7. Present any evidence that the various consequences or benefits resulting from each decision will actually occur (i.e., a risk-benefit analysis).

8. Make the decision. Consistent with ethical codes, school psychologists accept responsibility for the decision made and monitor the consequences of the course of action chosen. (Adapted from Koocher & Keith-Spiegel, 2008).

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