The Ethics Committee provides consultation on ethical issues related to psychological practice. The committee consults with MPA members and the greater Minnesota community using the American Psychological Association’s (APA) ethical standards. If you have experience and/or expertise consulting on ethical dilemmas consider joining this committee. 
Ethics Committee Chairs:
Matt Hanson Ph.D., LP (left) Rose M. Stark-Rose, Ph.D., LP (right) 

 

Interested in joining the committee?  Click here to Contact us!  

Need an ethical consultation? Free for MPA members. Click here Contact us!

Resources: 

1. APA Ethical Principles: https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
2. MN Board of Psychology: https://mn.gov/boards/psychology/
3. Ethics in the News
    a. News that will impact education and practice:
         i. COVID updates: https://www.apaservices.org/practice/clinic
        ii. PsychPact: https://psypact.site-ym.com/
       iii. Psych related news/ethics news from MN and the USA: https://www.apa.org/news/psycport
4. Other useful sites:
    a. https://kspope.com/

Library:

1. Case Studies
    a. Case Study 1 - Part A

  1.  A client reveals that he was diagnosed with HIV+ five years ago. He has had multiple sexual partners in  the past five years, practices unprotected sex, and has been in a monogamous relationship for six months. He has not told his partner he has HIV+ and continues to engage in unprotected sex with her. You discuss your concern for both him and his partner, and encourage him to bring her to one to his therapy sessions, so you can support him in telling her. He refuses.
  2. What ethical concerns do you have? What do you do in this situation?


    b. Case Study 1 - Part B

  1. You consult with a colleague, who cites Tarasoff and Duty to Warn, and strongly urges you to notify the client’s current and past partners. You have some of his previous partners’ phone numbers, as he provided them to you in the past as emergency contacts.
  2. You contact the client’s current partner, and several of his previous partners, inform them that your client is HIV+, and urge them to get tested as soon as possible.
  3. When your client discovers you have done this, he abruptly terminates therapy with you. One month later, you find that your client has filed a complaint against you to the Board of Psychology.
  4. Were any ethical codes violated in this case? Laws broken?

  1. 2. Interesting articles:

    1. Top 10 Journal Articles of 2020: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/01/top-journal-articles
    2. Ethics and Psychology: Where Ethics is More Than a Code: ethicalpsychology.com/p/articles-and-papers-related-to-ethics-52.html
    3. The Electric Typewriter: Great Articles and Essays by the World’s Best Journalists and Writers: https://tetw.org/Psychology