NCJ Number
215199
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 542-564
Date Published
August 2006
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the ethical codes developed by the American Correctional Health Services Association and the American Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology for correctional mental health providers and demonstrates how the new ethic codes can be effectively used in the practice of correctional mental health care.
Abstract
The American Correctional Health Services Association (ACHSA) and the American Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology (AACFP) developed codes of ethics. These codes provide health care providers a viable approach to ethical practice in corrections. The codes recognize the importance of working with all correctional staff members in providing a safe environment, yet value the unique professional role of health care professionals in providing health care. The major principles of welfare of the client, informed consent, competence, dual relationships, confidentiality, and social responsibility are reviewed and case examples illustrate the ethnical decisionmaking process. Facing many ethical dilemmas, the ACHSA and AACFP Codes of Ethics are clinician derived and offers the correctional clinician a practical, well-balanced approach to inmate health care. References