Ethical and legal issues in professional practice transitions.

Transitions such as opening, growing, closing, or relocating a professional practice raise a host of challenging legal and ethical questions. Practitioners must consider a range of issues related to client welfare, records management, professional liability, and relationships with colleagues. Some of the issues include obligations and options when closing or selling a practice, opening a practice in a new community, and altering the nature of an existing practice by adding or shedding participating practitioners. A checklist of issues to consider is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in training and practice of psychologists: Current challenges for licensing boards.

Psychology licensing laws have a short history and were created to regulate the professional interactions between a psychologist and a client within a single jurisdiction. Societal and technological changes in the way psychologists are trained and practice challenge licensing boards to provide new mechanisms to regulate professional behavior that recognize these changes yet still offer adequate protection of the public. This article describes the problems psychologists encounter related to professional mobility, temporary practice across jurisdictional boundaries, distance learning, and consistency in the handling and reporting of disciplinary actions. The article also describes the efforts of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to help its licensing board members to address these challenges. Finally, the article raises some potentially dramatic changes being considered in the way psychologists are admitted to professional practice using a competency assessment approach to complement the traditional use of course credits, supervised experience hours, and performance on a knowledge-based exam. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' knowledge and attitudes about fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and alcohol use during pregnancy.

Do you have adequate knowledge of the hallmarks of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders? Can you identify pregnant women who are at risk for having a child with the disorder? A large random sample survey of American Psychological Association members uncovered large deficits in psychologists' knowledge about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these problems. The authors report accurate information about these damaging disorders and identify the errors most commonly demonstrated by those surveyed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disability and rehabilitation research: Opportunities for participation, collaboration, and extramural funding for psychologists.

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) funds research and related activities that promote new knowledge that helps individuals with disabilities to perform regular activities in the community and increases the capacity of society to provide full opportunities and supports for individuals with disabilities. NIDRR achieves this goal by promoting interdisciplinary research and related activities. Psychologists play a key role in many of these activities and assist with improving understanding of disability and rehabilitation by participating in peer review of research proposals or by reviewing NIDRR's proposed research priorities. Psychologists also contribute by taking advantage of training and the many other opportunities for support outlined in this article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of self-help materials for anxiety and depression in mental health services: A national survey of psychologists in Norway.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 42(3) of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (see record 2011-11548-002). The author's affiliations were listed incorrectly. The correct affiliations are in the correction.] How do psychologists in clinical practice perceive and use self-help materials for clients with anxiety and depression? The use of self-help materials with guidance from a therapist has been suggested as a way of meeting the increasing need for mental health services. The present study investigated factors relevant to the use of self-help materials for the treatment of anxiety and depression among psychologists employed in mental health services. Among 1863 eligible clinical psychologists in Norway, 815 (43.7%) participated in a national survey. A total of 93.5% of the participants had recommended self-help materials to clients, and approximately half (55.1%) had received requests from their clients regarding self-help materials. Self-help materials were recommended as an adjunct and not as an alternative to therapist contact by 73.0% of respondents, by 16.6% for relapse prevention, and by 1.2% to clients on a waiting list. Internet/computer-based programs were recommended by 2.2% of the participants. The practitioner's previous use of self-help materials to enhance his or her therapy skills and knowledge of self-help materials was related to use of self-help materials with clients. Psychologists working in child mental health services recommended self-help less often than those working in adult services. These results have implications for future efforts to disseminate effective self-help materials through increased attention toward self-help interventions in training and clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing psychologists for evidence-based school practice: Lessons learned and challenges ahead.

The evidence-based practice (EBP) movement has the potential to significantly advance the quality of psychological and educational services provided by psychologists working in schools. Training psychologists in EBP has challenged the profession and caused faculty in graduate programs to reevaluate and retool professional training curricula and instructional practices. Four domains of challenges in graduate training are identified: (a) integrating the EBP knowledge base into the curriculum, (b) expanding models of research training, (c) expanding training in prevention science, and (d) expanding training in problem-solving consultation and school contextual issues. For each of these, the author discusses the range and scope of the challenge and possible solutions for advancing graduate training in psychology relevant to school practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical Dilemmas in Sport Psychology: Discussion and Recommendations for Practice.

The practice demands required of sport psychologists often complicate the direct and specific fulfillment of several ethical regulations. Many practitioners face specific issues of confidentiality and the appropriate use of informed consent, challenges to practicing within areas of competence, issues regarding termination, and challenges that arise from multiorganizational demands and the formation of multiple relationships. Although ethical guidelines established by the American Psychological Association direct practice in order to protect both the client and the practitioner from difficult and dangerous situations, these guidelines typically pertain directly to traditional practice efforts. Within sport psychology, although ethical practice requires consideration of established guidelines, the specific demands of the population and setting complicate traditional adherence to such parameters. Sport psychologists must be flexible in their practice and carefully consider how the Ethics Code can both benefit athlete-clients and minimize inherent practice difficulties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facilitating mobility for psychologists: Comparisons with and lessons from other health care professions.

Psychology and other health care professions are giving increasing attention to facilitating the movement of practitioners across jurisdictions. One of the greatest deterrents to mobility is the variability in licensing requirements among states and provinces. We review the status of mobility systems for licensed members of the professions of psychology, optometry, dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy. Each profession has, at a minimum, addressed the issue of mobility and licensure. With the exception of medicine, each profession currently has in place a version of licensure by endorsement and/or by reciprocity, although the professions differ in breadth of use and user-friendliness. Implications for enhancing mobility for psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical and competent care of suicidal patients: Contemporary challenges, new developments, and considerations for clinical practice.

Clinical work with suicidal patients has become increasingly challenging in recent years. It is argued that contemporary issues related to working with suicidal patients have come to pose a number of considerable professional and even ethical hazards for psychologists. Among various concerns, these challenges include providing sufficient informed consent, performing competent assessments of suicidal risk, using empirically supported treatments/interventions, and using suitable risk management techniques. In summary, there are many complicated clinical issues related to suicide (e.g., improvements in the standard of care, resistance to changing practices, alterations to models of health care delivery, the role of research, and issues of diversity). Three experts comment on these considerations, emphasizing acute versus chronic suicide risk, the integration of empirical findings, effective documentation, graduate training, maintaining professional competence, perceptions of medical versus mental health care, fears of dealing with suicide risk, suicide myths, and stigma/blame related to suicide. The authors' intention is to raise awareness about various suicide-related ethical concerns. By increasing this awareness, they hope to compel psychologists to improve their clinical practices with suicidal patients, thereby helping to save lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interstate forensic psychology consultations: A call for reform and proposal of a model rule.

Forensic psychology has made important gains in professional recognition and stature in the courts, resulting in increasing demands for mobility of expertise. Current regulations regarding the interjurisdictional temporary forensic practice of psychology, however, are characterized by variability of regulations, ambiguity and inaccessibility, and continuing total barriers. A uniform, well-reasoned policy is needed. A conceptual basis for such a policy is provided by a discussion of licensing rationales and the application of these to forensic practice. Uniformity, public and professional protection, and practicability are identified as fundamental regulatory criteria. A Model Rule Regarding the Temporary Forensic Practice of Psychology is proposed for adoption by state licensing boards on a nationwide basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

American Psychological Association policy in context: The development and evaluation of guidelines for professional practice.

This article focuses on guidelines for professional practice and related policy development in this area by the American Psychological Association's (APA) Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) over the past decade. BPA's work in this area has been based on its belief that the intention of guidelines should be to facilitate the continued systematic development of the profession and to support a high level of professional practice by psychologists. APA policy related to practice guidelines, as articulated in the "Criteria for Practice Guideline Development and Evaluation" (APA, 2002) is based on the perspective that practice guidelines have a useful purpose for practitioners when they are developed in response to a recognized need in the field and that APA is the most appropriate and reputable organization to develop such recommendations for psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctoral student awareness of licensure, credentialing, and professional organizations in psychology: The 2005 National Register International Survey.

The 2005 National Register International Survey assessed doctoral students' familiarity with licensure, credentialing, and professional organizations in psychology in the United States and Canada. A total of 3,835 doctoral students responded online. Results indicated the substantial majority planned to apply for a license but had not researched the requirements and that less than half were familiar with named credentialing organizations. The authors recommend ways for professional organizations and doctoral programs to disseminate information on licensing and credentialing to increase student awareness and prevent qualification problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From clinical trials to professional training: A graduate course in evidence-based interventions for children, youth, and families.

In preparing students to become competent professional psychologists, graduate coursework must lay the foundation for the development of competence in the ethical delivery of evidence-based interventions. This paper describes a graduate course designed to introduce students to evidence-based treatments with children and youth. The course is designed to enhance critical thinking in translating research into practice as well as to develop core competencies in intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation. Activities to enhance interaction and to promote problem-based learning include student presentations of a workshop on an effective practice element, as well as a case assignment requiring treatment planning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reviews of The guide to pastoral counseling and care; Psychotherapy with priests, Protestant clergy, and Catholic religious: A practical guide; and Spirituality, ethics, and relationship in adulthood: Clinical and theoretical explorations.

Reviews the books, The guide to pastoral counseling and care by Gary Ahlskog and Harry Sands (see record 2000-00411-000); Psychotherapy with priests, Protestant clergy, and Catholic religious: A practical guide by Joseph W. Ciarrocchi and Robert J. Wicks (see record 2000-00453-000); and Spirituality, ethics, and relationship in adulthood: Clinical and theoretical explorations by Melvin E. Miller and Alan N. West (see record 2000-05026-000). Some 90 percent of the American public has at least a conventional affiliation with religion, according to national polls over the last 50 years, yet psychology is one of the professions with a level of religious affiliation variously estimated at 30 to 40 percent. So patients for whom religion is or was important in their lives are quite likely to appear in treatment, and most analysts or therapists are unprepared to understand and professionally respond to the issues these patients raise. Recently, the American Psychological Association (APA) has published three broad, well-structured volumes to fill this gap (Richards & Bergin, 1997, 2000; Shafranske, 1996). If you are interested in learning about the life of religious professionals and the communities with which they work, the three books reviewed here deal with areas that the APA publications do not, with varying degrees of effectiveness. They are all recently published by a division of International Universities Press and are a very diverse set. The Guide to Pastoral Counseling and Care and Spirituality, Ethics, and Relationship in Adulthood: Clinical and Theoretical Explorations are both edited collections, and they evince the characteristics of nearly all edited collections: variations in quality, tone, voice, and utility. Psychotherapy With Priests, Protestant Clergy, and Catholic Religious: A Practical Guide also varies in the theoretical stance it takes, shuttling between cognitive–behavioral, interpersonal, and psychoanalytic perspectives. These three books each have something to offer and their own sets of shortcomings. I do not think that they will substitute for the issues covered in the Shafranske (1996) or Richards and Bergin (1997, 2000) handbooks, but they do provide therapists and analysts with specific information that may be relevant to specific clients. Many analysts may have to grit their teeth at times over therapeutic recommendations, especially in the Ciarrocchi and Wicks book, but that is not what these books should be read for. The practicing clinician will find much of use in the first two books, but less in the Miller and West book. The Miller and West book may appeal to a reader interested in a more philosophical approach from a postmodern perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Managing physical handicaps: A practical guide for parents, care providers, and educators.

Reviews the book, Managing physical handicaps: A practical guide for parents, care providers, and educators by Beverly A. Fraser and Robert N. Hensinger. This is a well-written, information-packed potential source of assistance to those working with the more severely involved members of the physically disabled population. The book contains 14 chapters organized into four sections: (1) Looking Beyond the Patient to the Person, (2) About Physical Handicaps, (3) Techniques and Tips for Helping Those with Severe Impairments, and (4) Looking Ahead. The orientation of the book is centered on the management of the physical disabilities of the childhood population under discussion. This book would serve a very practical purpose not only as a desk reference for teachers and others caring for the severely physically disabled child and young adult in the school system, but in the preservice classrooms of those students preparing for careers in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Involuntary medication, trial competence, and clinical dilemmas: Implications of Sell v. United States for psychological practice.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sell v. United States (2003) raises a number of challenging issues for mental health professionals regarding the involuntary medication of individuals who are incompetent to stand trial. The authors examine the Sell decision, other relevant legal decisions, and research findings on coercion and procedural justice, and discuss the implications for mental health professionals involved in the treatment and assessment (both clinical and forensic) of defendants who may be affected by Sell. The authors conclude by proposing recommendations for mental health professionals working with defendants in Sell contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hindsight bias, Daubert, and the silicone breast implant litigation: Making the case for court-appointed experts in complex medical and scientific litigation.

Empirical research indicates that knowledge of the outcome in a given case influences juror deliberations. This bias is compounded when the jury must evaluate complex scientific evidence. Because jurors typically lack the background necessary to evaluate such evidence, they often use hindsight as a "cognitive shortcut." "Junk science" can exacerbate this tendency by offering a "scientific" link between the injury and the product. Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993), properly applied, can defuse junk science testimony and mitigate its distorting effect on legal outcomes. The authors argue that judges carrying out Daubert's prerogatives should, where feasible, appoint independent experts and science panels to educate themselves and the jury, and thereby improve the likelihood that legal decisions will be based on sound scientific understanding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)