Psychologists helping psychologists

Determining your responsibilities when you believe a colleague may have behaved unethically.

By Rebecca A. Clay
The Monitor on Psychology
October 2012, Vol 43, No. 9
Print version: page 36

If you saw another psychologist do something that appeared unethical, would you know how to respond?

Many psychologists don't, says Beth Kaplan Westbrook, PsyD, co-chair of APA's Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (ACCA) and a private practitioner in Portland, Ore. They may be unsure about laws in their state and how those laws interact with APA's Ethics Code. They may lack the information they need. Or they may be nervous about the liability issues that could arise, either from reporting a colleague or failing to do so.

ACCA is working to make sure psychologists are clear about how to react when a colleague needs help. In addition to creating a series of online resources, the group is urging state, provincial and territorial psychological associations (SPTAs) to create colleague assistance programs that can stop problems before they become crises.

"Health professionals aren't immune from the same problems that affect the general public," says Westbrook, citing as examples substance abuse and mental health disorders. "ACCA's main purpose is not only to help people get the treatment they need, but also to focus on prevention—to have programs in place so that psychologists can seek help or refer colleagues as problems arise."

The entire story is here.