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Ethics training at mental health centers.
1Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Denver 80204.
Community Mental Health Journal
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Mental health centers in Colorado reported minimal ethics training, with staff feeling less prepared than students. Recommendations include interdisciplinary and ongoing ethics education focusing on critical thinking processes.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health
- Ethics Education
- Professional Training
Background:
- Ethics training is crucial for mental health professionals.
- Assessing the current state of ethics training in applied settings is necessary.
- Understanding preparedness gaps between academic and practice environments is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey Colorado mental health centers regarding their ethics training practices.
- To evaluate the perceived preparedness of staff and students in handling ethical dilemmas.
- To identify areas for improvement in professional ethics education.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to mental health centers in Colorado.
- Response rate was 78.26% with 18 centers participating.
- Data collected included hours spent on ethics training and perceived preparedness levels.
Main Results:
- Mental health centers averaged 1.27 hours of ethics training annually.
- Staff were rated as less prepared for ethical issues than students.
- Potential confusion between ethical and legal issues was noted.
Conclusions:
- Current ethics training in Colorado mental health centers appears insufficient.
- A gap exists in preparedness between academic learning and clinical practice.
- Recommendations include interdisciplinary, continuing education, and process-oriented ethics training.