Ethics on Call

CPA members may request a free personal and confidential consultation from members of the CPA Ethics Committee on questions related to Ethics in Psychology.  Members of the Ethics Committee are approved by the CPA Board of Directors, and are individuals who have significant experience with the application of the APA Code of Ethics to the work of psychologists.

CPA members may call the CPA Central Office to request a personal consultation with a member of the Ethics Committee.  

Please click here for the call-in number (login required).  If you are not a CPA member, you may join here.

Apply to become a Full Member or Student Member of the CPA Ethics Committee

Tips for Getting the Best Out of Your Ethics Committee Consultation

Link to APA Ethics Code

Resource Articles
The following articles are offered as a resource to all.

The CPA Ethics Committee and the Ethics Code:

• Any Questions? CPA Ethics On Call and Professional Practice Consultations

  Elizabeth Winkelman, JD, PhD & Mary Harb Sheets, PhD (2016)

• The Behnke "Bin Analysis" Bram Fridhandler, PhD

• Ethical Dilemma Analysis with Risk Management Considerations Flow Chart, Mary Harb Sheets
  

• The CPA Ethics Committee: On Call and On Demand
• Donner (2006) I Heard Someone Say: Myths, the Ethics Code, and Professional Life
• Jordan (Mar/Apr, 2012) Making the Call: Some Parting Reflections
• Jenks (July/Aug, 2012) Courageous Conversations - Who’s in Your Corner?
• Fridhandler (Sep/Oct, 2012) Is Making a Difference Part of the Ethics of our Profession
• Rosenberg/Harb Sheets (Fall 2014) Consultation with Trusted Colleagues

Confidentiality:

• Kolmes (2018) The E-Rosion of Confidentiality
  
• Donner(2008) Confidentiality - Not for Patients Only 
• Donner & Fridhandler (2005) Ewing, Confidentiality and the Duty to Warn
• Harmell (2010) To Disclose or Not to Disclose: That Is the Question
• Harb Sheets (Mar/Apr, 2012) Will Confidentiality Survive Death?

Multiple Relationships:

• Harb Sheets/Rosenberg (2017) Invitation by Client to Attend Out-of-Session Event:
  Responding Ethically to a Client’s Invitation 
• Rosenberg/Harb Sheets (2017) Inside—>Outside:  Unexpected Encounters
  
• Harb Sheets/Rosenberg (2017) Invitation by Client to Attend Out-of-Session Event: Responding Ethically to a Client's Invitation
  
  

Record-Keeping:

• Fridhandler (2010) Clinical Record Keeping: Breaking Out of the Circle
• Crespo & Donner (2007) Records in the Face of Disaster
• Stein (Sep/Oct, 2011) Ethical Considerations of Private Practice in a Recession
• Harb Sheets (Nov/Dec, 2012) Making Ethical Decisions about Client Records
• Patterson (Summer 2015) Special Issues in the Documentation of Couple and Family Psychology
  

Psychology and the Courts:

• Jull-Patterson (2016) Psychology's Ethics and the End of Life Option Act 
• Donner & Alban (2010) Protecting the Therapy Hour: More Thoughts on Stipulations and Other Strategies
• Franklin (2009) Diagnostic Reification in Court 
• Fridhandler (2009) Giving Opinions in Therapy Cases Involved With the Courts 
• Nicholas, Donner (2009) Ethical Standards in Custody Evalutions  
• Simon (May/Jun, 2012) Ethical Issues and Forensic Consulting: Multiple Relationships - Questions In Search of Definitive Answers

Supervision:

• McGlenn/Harb Sheets (2018) Great Power, Great Responsibility: Addressing Power Dynamics in Supervision  (References)
• Anderson, Claiborne, Jenks, & Bucky (2014) Ethical Dilemmas in Training and Doctoral Education: Avoiding Deleterious Effects 
• Jordan (2008) Ethical Supervision 
• Campos (2009) Ethics, Supervision, and the Power of Differential: Impact on Supervisors & Supervisees

Telepsychology and Digital Media:

• Donner (2009) MySpace, Your Space, Facebook and Blogs- Self-Disclosure on the Internet
• Donner (2007) The Ethical Use of the Listserv: Privacy and Professional Conduct
• Behnke (APA Director of Ethics) (2008) Ethics in the Internet Age  
• Isaac (May/Jun, 2011) Telepsychology: Update on Ethical Resources for California Psychologists
• Dingle (Jan/Feb, 2013) Protecting Your Reputation Ethically: Unfavorable Online Reviews
• Kolmes (Nov/Dec, 2013) An Introduction to APA’s Telepsychology Guidelines
• CPA Ethics Committee (2013) Guidelines for Client/Patient Information on the Listservs
• Kolmes (Spring 2015) My Client, My Follower:Multiple Relationships on the Internet

Special Populations and Cultural Competence:

• Jordan (2009) Ethical Issues with Older Adults 
• Donner and 2004 Expertise Series Task Force (2008) Mandated Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse
• Donner (2005) Child Treatment, Parents & Privacy 
• Isaac (2010) Ethical Issues in Pre-Surgical Assessments with Industrial Patients
• Dingle (2011) The Power of Informed Consent: A Valuable Component in the Treatment of Minors
• Franklin (2011) Ethics and Captive Populations
• Rogers (Jul/Aug, 2011) What about the Parents? The Ethics of Minor's Consent to Treatment
• Patterson (Nov/Dec, 2011) Couple and Family Therapy: Who’s Qualified To Do It?
• Patterson, Claiborne, Russaw (Jul/Aug, 2013) Ethical Dimensions of Cultural Competence in Supervision: Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
• Dingle (Summer 2014) Collaboration and Competence: The Impact of Women's Health Issues in Psychotherapy
  

Other:

• Bucky/Caudill (2018) When Does Therapy Begin?

  (References)

• Becker/Bucky (2017) The Ethics of Caring for Self while Caring for Others
  

• Gold (2017) Don’t Cringe When We Suggest You Call Your Carrier

• Unexpected Requests: Ethical Considerations Related to Support Animals

  Alann Dingle, PhD (2016) 
• The Ethical Failure of our Time, Special Commentary, by Bram Fridhandler, PhD Chair, CPA Ethics Committee (2016)
  
• Donner (2006) Healing the Mind or Breaking the Spirit: The Role of Psychology During Interrogations
• Patterson (2010) The Role of Specialty Competence in Ethical Compliance: How do we know who's competent?
• Articles by Steve Behnke, JD, PhD, Director of Ethics, APA
• Harb Sheets, Buckey (March/April, 2013) Ethics within a Standard of Care Analysis
• Fridhandler, Bram (March/April, 2013 Risk Management: Avoiding the Precipice
  
• Stein (September/October, 2013) Ethical Considerations When Faced With Serious or Life Threatening Illness
• Rosenberg (Spring 2014) Ethics, Evidence-Based Practice, and Clinical Expertise
• Anderson/Claiborne/Jenks/Bucky ( Winter 2014) Ethical Dilemmas in Training and Doctoral Education: Avoiding Deleterious Effects
• Rosenberg (Fall 2015) Ethics, Upcoding, and the DSM-5
• Fridhandler (Winter 2015) Ethics, Law and Risk Management: Navigating the Complexities of Practice