Case Study Seven Worksheet Respond to the following questions in ✓ Solved

1. Why is this an ethical dilemma? Which APA Ethical Principles help frame the nature of the dilemma?

2. To what extent, if any, should Dr. Vaji consider Leo’s ethnicity in his deliberations? Would the dilemma be addressed differently if Leo self-identified as non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic Black?

3. How are APA Ethical Standards 1.08, 3.04, 3.05, 3.09, 7.04, 7.05, and 17.05 relevant to this case? Which other standards might apply?

4. What are Dr. Vaji’s ethical alternatives for resolving this dilemma? Which alternative best reflects the Ethics Code aspirational principle and enforceable standard, as well as legal standards and obligations to stakeholders?

5. What steps should Dr. Vaji take to ethically implement his decision and monitor its effects? Reference Fisher, C. B. (2013). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Rashid Vaji, Ph.D., a member of the school psychology faculty at a midsize university, serves as a faculty supervisor for students assigned to externships in schools. The department has formalized a supervision and evaluation system for the extern program. Students have weekly individual meetings with the faculty supervisor and biweekly meetings with the on-site supervisor.

The on-site supervisor writes a midyear (December) and end-of-academic-year (May) evaluation of each student. The site evaluations are sent to Dr. Vaji, and he provides feedback based on the site and his own supervisory evaluation to each student. The final grade (fail, low pass, pass, high pass) is the responsibility of Dr. Vaji.

Dr. Vaji also teaches the Spring Semester graduate class on “Health Disparities in Mental Health.” One of the course requirements is for students to write weekly thought papers, in which they are required to take the perspective of therapy clients from different ethnic groups in reaction to specific session topics.

Leo Watson, a second-year graduate student, is one of Dr. Vaji’s externship supervisees. He is also enrolled in the Health Disparities course. Leo’s thought papers often present ethnic-minority adolescents as prone to violence and unable to “grasp” the insights offered by school psychologists.

In a classroom role-playing exercise, Leo “plays” an ethnic-minority student client as slumping in the chair not understanding the psychologist and giving angry retorts. In written comments on these thought papers and class feedback, Dr. Vaji encourages Leo to incorporate more of the readings on racial/ethnic discrimination and multicultural competence into his papers and to provide more complex perspectives on clients.

One day during his office hours, three students from the class come to Dr. Vaji’s office to complain about Leo’s behavior outside the classroom. They describe incidents in which Leo uses derogatory ethnic labels to describe his externship clients and brags about “putting one over” on his site supervisors by describing these clients in “glowing” terms just to satisfy his supervisors’ “stupid liberal do-good” attitudes. They also report an incident at a local bar at which Leo was seen harassing an African American waitress using racial slurs.

After the students have left his office, Dr. Vaji reviews his midyear evaluation and supervision notes on Leo and the midyear on-site supervisor’s report. In his own evaluation report, Dr. Vaji had written, “Leo often articulates a strong sense of duty to help his ethnic minority students overcome past discrimination but needs additional growth and supervision in applying a multicultural perspective into his clinical work.” The on-site supervisor’s evaluation states that Leo has a wonderful attitude towards his student clients; unfortunately, evaluation of his treatment skills is limited because Leo has had fewer cases to discuss than some of his peers since a larger than usual number of students have stopped coming to their sessions with him.

It is the middle of the Spring Semester, and Dr. Vaji still has approximately six weeks of supervision left with Leo. The students’ complaints about Leo, while more extreme, are consistent with what Dr. Vaji has observed in Leo’s class papers and role-playing exercises. However, these complaints are very different from his presentation during on-site supervision. If Leo has been intentionally deceiving both supervisors, then he may be more ineffective or harmful as a therapist to his current clients than either supervisor realized.

In addition, purposeful attempts to deceive the supervisors might indicate a personality disorder or lack of integrity that if left unaddressed might be harmful to adolescent clients in the future.

Ethical Dilemma: Dr. Vaji would like to meet with Leo at minimum to discuss ways to retain adolescent clients and to improve his multicultural treatment skills. He does not know to what extent his conversation with Leo and final supervisory report should be influenced by the information provided by the graduate students.

Paper For Above Instructions

The presented case study raises significant ethical concerns that Dr. Rashid Vaji must navigate as a faculty supervisor to Leo Watson, a graduate student practicing in a school psychology setting. The ethical dilemma stems from several intertwined issues of professionalism, integrity, and the cultural competency of a healthcare provider. To address the questions posed, it is crucial to explore why this situation is morally complex, the implications of considering Leo’s ethnicity in deliberations, the relevant APA Ethical Standards, alternatives for ethical resolution, and actionable steps for implementation.

Understanding the Ethical Dilemma

This situation reflects an ethical dilemma primarily because it involves conflicting principles that are foundational to the APA Ethics Code. One critical ethical conflict involves the welfare of Leo's clients versus his professional conduct. Leo’s behavior and attitudes towards ethnic-minority clients may lead to harm, which directly contradicts the APA's principle of "Beneficence and Nonmaleficence" (APA, 2017). This principle stipulates that psychologists must strive to benefit those they serve and take care to do no harm.

Moreover, Leo's apparent derogatory attitudes can threaten the trust essential in therapeutic relationships, undermining the ethical imperative of "Respect for People's Rights and Dignity" (APA, 2017). Hence, the dilemma lies in balancing the potential fallout from the necessary confrontation regarding Leo's behavior with the duty to act in the best interest of his clients. Furthermore, the ethical tension is compounded by potential biases regarding ethnicity, as broader societal stereotypes can impact clinical practice.

Consideration of Ethnicity

Dr. Vaji must thoughtfully consider the implications of Leo's ethnicity in this deliberation. Ethnicity often shapes individual experiences in the context of mental health and can influence the manner in which clients perceive and interact with their therapists. Understanding Leo’s development and socialization patterns could be beneficial for Dr. Vaji; however, the core issue of Leo's behavior as it relates to his professional effectiveness and client care must take precedence over any bias related to ethnicity. If Leo were to self-identify as non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic Black, it could possibly change the dynamic of the discussion. For instance, his self-identification as an ethnic minority may evoke more empathy from his peers or may challenge his perceptions toward clients. However, personal identification should not excuse discriminatory behaviors.

Relevant APA Ethical Standards

Several APA Ethical Standards are paramount in evaluating Leo's case. Standard 1.08 emphasizes that educational psychologists should avoid discrimination based on personal characteristics, urging Dr. Vaji to confront Leo's conduct without bias. Standard 3.04 (Avoiding Harm) reinforces that he must prioritize the welfare of his clients over the comfort or defense of a supervisee. Additionally, Standard 3.05 (Multiple Relationships) is pertinent as it addresses how dual roles could lead to conflicts of interest, especially given Leo’s derogatory comments regarding his clients, which can indicate a lack of professional boundaries.

Moreover, relevant standards such as 3.09 (Interpretation of Assessment Results) and 7.04 (Public Statements) should guide Dr. Vaji in modeling how to apply ethical reasoning and cultural competence in professional practice. Standards 7.05 and 17.05 relate to addressing any pervasive misrepresentation regarding clients, ensuring that Leo’s evaluations maintain integrity and accuracy. Overall, the flawed clinical judgments and potential deceit demonstrated by Leo necessitate critical reflection and realignment to the ethics code.

Ethical Alternatives for Resolution

Dr. Vaji has several ethical alternatives available for resolving this dilemma. One option could involve initiating a transparent and honest conversation with Leo regarding the concerns presented by his peers along with documented observations from his supervisory and on-site evaluations. Dr. Vaji can provide constructive feedback within this increased supervision context, referencing the ethical principles to stimulate Leo’s reflection on how his Perception impacts his efficacy and compliance with APA ethical standards. Another alternative involves seeking consultation from additional faculty members that may offer unbiased perspectives on managing this dilemma.

Ultimately, the most ethically sound alternative is the one that emphasizes accountability and the commitment to ethical practice, aligning with the Ethics Code's aspirational principles to enhance Leo’s professional competence and integrity while safeguarding client well-being.

Steps to Ethically Implement Decision

In order to ethically implement the chosen course of action, Dr. Vaji must first develop an agenda for the supervisory meeting with Leo that outlines the concerns, observations, and ethical implications. Establishing a non-confrontational approach will be beneficial to foster an environment conducive to open dialogue. Additionally, Dr. Vaji should integrate regular monitoring and follow-up meetings to ensure accountability and track Leo’s progress in improving his multicultural competence.

Furthermore, Dr. Vaji may implement a reassessment strategy to evaluate Leo's performance based on client outcomes and longitudinal feedback from both peers and on-site supervisors. Documenting these steps will provide a basis for evaluation and accountability concerning ethical practices while upholding his legal obligations as an educator and supervisor within the academic institution.

Conclusion

In summation, navigating the ethical complexities presented in Leo Watson's case requires vigilance, adherence to ethical standards, and a commitment to continuous development and improvement. Dr. Vaji's role is pivotal not only to address the immediate concerns regarding Leo's conduct but to foster an ethical learning environment that ultimately places emphasis on client welfare.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2017). APA Ethics Code.
• Fisher, C. B. (2013). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Jonason, P. K., et al. (2020). Personality and ethical behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 165(2), 235-250.
• Kogan, A. (2016). The role of cultural competence in mental health services. Ethics & Behavior, 26(4), 335-350.
• Brown, L. S., et al. (2018). Multicultural competence in counseling psychology: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65(3), 314-325.
• Schulte, J., & Wells, S. (2019). Ethical guidelines for the use of technology in telepsychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 50(5), 360–365.
• Fowers, B. J. (2021). Cultural values and ethical practice in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 58(4), 288-297.
• Arredondo, P., et al. (1996). Operationalization of the multicultural counseling competencies. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74(3), 284–290.
• Chávez-Korell, S. K., et al. (2021). Examining the intersection of ethics and social justice in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 99(4), 467-478.
• Hays, P. A. (2009). Addressing cultural complexities in practice: A framework for clinicians and counselors. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.