October Clinical Supervision Group Topic: Ethics
What better way to dress up ethics than with a beautiful picture?
As we transition into autumn, let’s get cozy with our ethics and dive a bit deeper into our understanding of them. I’ll be bringing some tea and honey to groups to get us all in a good relaxed and curious mindset.
Ethics really just comes down to decision-making. When you are providing care for your clients, you are constantly making choices. Within that, you are regularly weighing clinical considerations, your profession’s values and ethical standards, your personal values, your agency’s culture and policies and more (mandated reporting, etc.). Your awareness of these various factors is so valuable. I’m curious: when it comes to decision-making, especially for more weighty decisions (do I push for someone being put on a mental health hold or not? do I discharge the person in the substance use program who is still dealing drugs? do I tell the adolescent’s parents that their child is dealing with some passive thoughts of suicide?), what is your process? What is at least one tool you use in your decision-making? I know for me, it’s consultation. I’m regularly in consultation with trusted colleagues around me; those whose values and practices are sound and ethically-based. What about you? Do you keep your code of ethics by your computer or in your work bag? Are you using your documentation as a time to consider your decision-making? Do you engage in team meetings around this? Let’s discuss.
If you’re a CSWA, you can find your social work code of ethics here. For those with a counseling degree, your ethics are here. Which ones seem most relevant to your current scope of practice? Come ready to discuss the ethical considerations you make in your daily work, and any dilemmas you’ve resolved or would like further support around resolving. Would you like further reading? I’ll be going over this article with you all. It has a useful decision-making tool you may want to steal. I’ll bring some handouts as well.
As a reminder, here are our current groups:
1st Mondays 6-8pm at Taborspace
2nd Sundays 3:30-5:30pm at my Vancouver office
2nd Mondays 5:30-7:30pm at Taborspace
3rd Sundays 3:30-5:30pm at Taborspace
See you all soon!
