Authors: Patrick Malley
ISBN-13: 9781560326878, ISBN-10: 1560326875
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Date Published: January 1999
Edition: 1st Edition
The legal system's impact and influence on the mental health profession has never been greater. Whether as a witness, plaintiff, or defendant, it is likely that a professional will have some kind of interaction with the law at least once in his/her career. More than ever, it is essential that psychologists, social workers, and counselors have a working knowledge of the legal and ethical mandates to which they will be held accountable.
Legal and Ethical Dimensions for Mental Health Professionals is a complete guide to the law and ethics as they relate to clinical practice. These issues can often be very confusing as values and rules change based on clients and context. For example, a school counselor who works with children is bound by different rules of confidentiality than a psychologist who counsels adults. To simplify such issues, the authors divide information into the legal and ethical rules appropriate for various types of clients in a number of settings.
The book opens with an explanation of the history of law related to mental health professionals, including a description of how and why laws related to clinicians are enacted. It then focuses on the therapist-client relationship and examines the many points at which legal and ethical considerations intersect with the practice of therapy.
This comprehensive look at the standards of law and ethics is essential reading for not only graduate and doctoral level students in the mental health fields, but also practicing professionals.
Malley (psychology, U. of Pittsburgh) and Reilly, a school counselor, present the myriad, sometimes conflicting legal and ethical obligations of mental health professionals in a variety of contexts, with a variety of populations. After giving historical perspective, they discuss the legal system and how it functions, the legal status of the counseling relationship, and such topics as negligent behavior, breach of contract, informed consent, confidentiality, client records, advertising, therapist burnout, and court appearances. Each section includes exercises for review. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Preface | ||
Pt. A | Historical and Helping Perspectives | 1 |
Ch. 1 | The Mental Health Professional in a Historical Context | 3 |
Ch. 2 | In a Helping Context | 13 |
Pt. B | Ethical and Legal Dimensions | 23 |
Ch. 3 | In an Ethical Context | 25 |
Ch. 4 | In a Legal Context | 63 |
Pt. C | Multicultural Context | 93 |
Ch. 5 | The Mental Health Professional in a Multicultural Context | 95 |
Pt. D | Relationships with Special Populations | 111 |
Ch. 6 | Clients who are Dangerous to Themselves or others | 113 |
Ch. 7 | Sexual Abuse and Homosexuality | 155 |
Ch. 8 | Other Special Relationships | 187 |
Pt. E | Considerations in Schools, Groups, Marriages, and Families | 223 |
Ch. 9 | The Mental Health Professional in the School | 225 |
Ch. 10 | In a Group Context | 237 |
Ch. 11 | In a Marriage and Family Context | 261 |
Pt. F | Considerations in Training | 275 |
Ch. 12 | In a Training Context | 277 |
References | 289 | |
Index | 325 | |
About the Authors | 339 |