Ethics training at mental health centers

Eighteen (78.26% response rate) mental health centers in Colorado responded to a survey about the nature of ethics training. Mental health centers spent an average of 1.27 hours during the previous year on ethics training. Centers rated their staff as less prepared to deal with ethical issues than programs rated their students, representing a split between classrooms and applied settings. There may be some confusion of ethical and legal issues. Several recommendations are made, including interdisciplinary and continuing ethics training, and teaching a process of thinking rather than merely cases and rules.