CD-50606f
The Issue of Ethics and Authority for Licensed Mental Health Professionals involved in Parenting Coordination.
Amundson, Jon K.
Lux, Glenda M.
Journal Article
Copyright
Published: July 2016
Family Court Review
Vol. 54, No. 3
, p. 446 456
DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12223
John Wiley & Sons
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We examine the ethics of licensed mental health professionals accepting the authority inherent in binding arbitration when acting as parenting coordinators (PCs). PCs execute their duties under the umbrella of their professional identity and standards of practice. Fundamental differences exist in how the law and the behavioral sciences conceive human behavior and authority, in particular, authority by role and authority by status. Ethical concerns arise when licensed mental health professionals accept the authority to render binding judgments and ask clients to surrender their autonomy through informed consent. We offer recommendations for PCs to avoid these ethical complications. (Author abstract)
Keywords:
ethics; mental health services; professionals role; parent child relationships; family courts