Consultation Implications in Context

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, be sure to read the required articles for this week.

You are a consulting psychologist for a local clinic and have been asked to follow up on a consultation you completed four years ago. There are current developments in this case that require further consideration. Please review the PSY699 Week Five discussion case file (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or detailed information on the current case under review.

In your initial post, explain how the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct can be used to guide decisions in this ethically complex situation. Provide a suggested course of action for the clinic staff. Given the daughter’s age and the situation presented, integrate concepts developed from different psychological content domains to support your suggested course of action. Be certain to use evidence-based psychological concepts and theories to support your arguments. You may wish to consider the following questions as you construct your post.

• Should the staff encourage the daughter to inform her mother that she is sexually active?
• Would knowledge regarding her daughter’s sexual activity influence the mother’s stance regarding disclosure?
• Should the staff break confidentiality and inform the mother that her daughter is sexually active?
• Should the staff encourage the mother to inform the daughter of both her and her daughter’s HIV status?
• Does the daughter’s boyfriend have any rights in this situation? If so, what are they?
• Based on the daughter’s age, does the mother have a right to not disclose the diagnosis to her daughter?
• Does the mother have a right to the privacy regarding her own diagnosis, which could be threatened if her daughter learns of her own status?
• Are there other approaches the staff can take? If so, what are they?
• Is further information required in order for you to create an ethically sound suggested course of action?

Guided Response: Review several of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7 of the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies earlier in the week to promote more meaningful interactive discourse in this discussion. 

Was the suggested course of action presented ethically sound based on the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct? If so, how? If not, why not?  Did your colleague consider the legal ramifications of the course of action he or she suggested? Were the arguments for the suggested course of action supported by appropriate evidence-based psychological concepts and theories? What other resources might you suggest to your colleague that would inform the response to this case? Was your colleague’s recommendation culturally sensitive? What developmental issues did your colleague consider? What other issues might you suggest for further review in this case?