Discussion Topics weeks 1-
8 Week 1 Topic 1
Assessment Description
What is the difference between ethics and morals? Give an example of each that
applies to the behavioral health field. Discuss the differences and applications using
information from the book, other sources, and your own thoughts to create a
thoughtful, well-reasoned answer.
When discussing how ethics and morals are different, I always try to remember that morals are
my own virtues that I hold, and ethics are used in a more professional setting. Ethics are
guidelines on how we may approach a situation or circumstance, they affect large groups,
organizations, and/or communities. Morals affect the individual rather than the group. An
example of this could be a doctor who is a person of color that is performing surgery on a white
supremacist. They may not agree or like what the patient is involved in, but it is their ethical
obligation to perform the procedure.
Ethics and morals are important while working in any patient care, especially in a behavioral
health setting. I say this because in this setting we will encounter a diverse group of people.
Individuals with a history of mental, physical, or sexual trauma. We may encounter individuals
who are the perpetrators of such events. Understanding that our ethics and morals may not
always be aligned with one another and not allowing it to cause some turmoil within ourselves
could be a battle. Which I am sure is why we are learning about it.
Topic 2
Assessment Description
How might ethical principles vary when applied to different behavioral health careers
such as AI technology, telehealth communication, research, clinical practice, and
educational settings? Give three examples to support your claims, taking into
consideration the purpose, usefulness, and limits of confidentiality and informed
consent.
No matter which side of the behavioral health setting you are on, ethical principles exist to
protect the person receiving services. Being a person in one of these roles, we are in a position
of power. The ethical principles exist to not harm the individual we are providing the service for.
Regardless of whether you are an educator, provider, or researcher, ethical practices are
pertinent to the safety of our clients.
In research, the focus is on gathering data and delivering results. Integrity happens when we are
honest with our work. Imagine being a part of a research study and the data being corrupted
because you knew that this "tiny" change could work out in your favor. That personal gain
causes harm to the people that could have benefitted from the real research that was done. Being
dishonest with the subjects creates problems and causes harm to them as well. Corrupting the
data to be in favor of A vs B can destroy all the work done by everyone involved.
In clinical practice, being honest with the information provided to the client is important. It is our
duty to give them the most up-to-date and relevant information. We must use the most recent
techniques and methods, making sure to not cross boundaries we set with our clients. Giving
them confidence in their privacy and rights. Not treating a client with respect and dignity due to
, their beliefs or practices would be going against ethical principles.
In an educational setting, I would say ethical principles are not only applied but taught as well.
Learning about honesty, integrity, truthfulness, respect, and seeing it happen influences good
ethical behaviors.
Individuals who choose a career path in behavioral health will meet a diverse population. Being
mindful of the differences of people will also influence how you apply your ethical principles
to clients. Although they may vary in how they apply to the different roles in behavioral health,
they are still similar in many ways. Remaining honest in the work is key to having good ethical
principles.
Week 2 Topic 1
Assessment Description
Distinguish between values-based and ethical practice by providing examples.
Discuss the elements of why it is important to understand what one´s own values are
to make sure you are interacting with clients in an ethical manner.
Identifying the values, the paraprofessional has is important to understand so that when faced
with ethical issues the professional can distinguish between the own values and the ethical
values. Personal values are like morals, they are specific to the individual and can differ from
person to person. Therefore, it is important to understand the values the professional holds that
way it does to interfere with treating our client in an ethical manner. Being faced with so many
unique situations we may want to act specifically on it, but by taking the time to distinguish
between value-based and ethical practice we are able to better serve our clients. If I am unsure of
myself, how am I able to confidently treat my clients? It is why we take these classes, to bring
awareness to ourselves before we try helping another individual.
Topic 2
Assessment Description
In the GCU Library, find one article in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity or
Journal of Psychology and Theology that relates to Christian psychology practice and
ethics. Summarize the article and share your thoughts on the information presented in
the article. Include the full APA citation for the article in your response.
Review the responses your peers make regarding your chosen article and respond to
at least one of their responses.
The article I choose to discuss is Ethics of Practice Among Christian Psychologists: A Pilot
Study. This is a research article that was published in 1990 by Mark Oordt to compare
Christian psychologists with secular psychologists. There was a study done by Pope et al., in
1986 that was used for comparison. It asked 86 questions about ethical behaviors that pertain
to certain issues. The results of this research found that some areas such as finances and
sexuality may cause a Christian counselor to seek further guidance as they go on. This pilot
study was to find out if Christian psychologists may go beyond the APA Code of Ethics.
8 Week 1 Topic 1
Assessment Description
What is the difference between ethics and morals? Give an example of each that
applies to the behavioral health field. Discuss the differences and applications using
information from the book, other sources, and your own thoughts to create a
thoughtful, well-reasoned answer.
When discussing how ethics and morals are different, I always try to remember that morals are
my own virtues that I hold, and ethics are used in a more professional setting. Ethics are
guidelines on how we may approach a situation or circumstance, they affect large groups,
organizations, and/or communities. Morals affect the individual rather than the group. An
example of this could be a doctor who is a person of color that is performing surgery on a white
supremacist. They may not agree or like what the patient is involved in, but it is their ethical
obligation to perform the procedure.
Ethics and morals are important while working in any patient care, especially in a behavioral
health setting. I say this because in this setting we will encounter a diverse group of people.
Individuals with a history of mental, physical, or sexual trauma. We may encounter individuals
who are the perpetrators of such events. Understanding that our ethics and morals may not
always be aligned with one another and not allowing it to cause some turmoil within ourselves
could be a battle. Which I am sure is why we are learning about it.
Topic 2
Assessment Description
How might ethical principles vary when applied to different behavioral health careers
such as AI technology, telehealth communication, research, clinical practice, and
educational settings? Give three examples to support your claims, taking into
consideration the purpose, usefulness, and limits of confidentiality and informed
consent.
No matter which side of the behavioral health setting you are on, ethical principles exist to
protect the person receiving services. Being a person in one of these roles, we are in a position
of power. The ethical principles exist to not harm the individual we are providing the service for.
Regardless of whether you are an educator, provider, or researcher, ethical practices are
pertinent to the safety of our clients.
In research, the focus is on gathering data and delivering results. Integrity happens when we are
honest with our work. Imagine being a part of a research study and the data being corrupted
because you knew that this "tiny" change could work out in your favor. That personal gain
causes harm to the people that could have benefitted from the real research that was done. Being
dishonest with the subjects creates problems and causes harm to them as well. Corrupting the
data to be in favor of A vs B can destroy all the work done by everyone involved.
In clinical practice, being honest with the information provided to the client is important. It is our
duty to give them the most up-to-date and relevant information. We must use the most recent
techniques and methods, making sure to not cross boundaries we set with our clients. Giving
them confidence in their privacy and rights. Not treating a client with respect and dignity due to
, their beliefs or practices would be going against ethical principles.
In an educational setting, I would say ethical principles are not only applied but taught as well.
Learning about honesty, integrity, truthfulness, respect, and seeing it happen influences good
ethical behaviors.
Individuals who choose a career path in behavioral health will meet a diverse population. Being
mindful of the differences of people will also influence how you apply your ethical principles
to clients. Although they may vary in how they apply to the different roles in behavioral health,
they are still similar in many ways. Remaining honest in the work is key to having good ethical
principles.
Week 2 Topic 1
Assessment Description
Distinguish between values-based and ethical practice by providing examples.
Discuss the elements of why it is important to understand what one´s own values are
to make sure you are interacting with clients in an ethical manner.
Identifying the values, the paraprofessional has is important to understand so that when faced
with ethical issues the professional can distinguish between the own values and the ethical
values. Personal values are like morals, they are specific to the individual and can differ from
person to person. Therefore, it is important to understand the values the professional holds that
way it does to interfere with treating our client in an ethical manner. Being faced with so many
unique situations we may want to act specifically on it, but by taking the time to distinguish
between value-based and ethical practice we are able to better serve our clients. If I am unsure of
myself, how am I able to confidently treat my clients? It is why we take these classes, to bring
awareness to ourselves before we try helping another individual.
Topic 2
Assessment Description
In the GCU Library, find one article in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity or
Journal of Psychology and Theology that relates to Christian psychology practice and
ethics. Summarize the article and share your thoughts on the information presented in
the article. Include the full APA citation for the article in your response.
Review the responses your peers make regarding your chosen article and respond to
at least one of their responses.
The article I choose to discuss is Ethics of Practice Among Christian Psychologists: A Pilot
Study. This is a research article that was published in 1990 by Mark Oordt to compare
Christian psychologists with secular psychologists. There was a study done by Pope et al., in
1986 that was used for comparison. It asked 86 questions about ethical behaviors that pertain
to certain issues. The results of this research found that some areas such as finances and
sexuality may cause a Christian counselor to seek further guidance as they go on. This pilot
study was to find out if Christian psychologists may go beyond the APA Code of Ethics.
