Learn About New Ethics Procedures

The APA Ethics Committee and the APA Ethics Appeals Board will conduct back-to-back component workshops at APA’s 2003 annual meeting in San Francisco to update members on significant changes that have occurred in APA’s “Procedures for Handling Complaints of Unethical Conduct.” The workshops will be held Tuesday, May 20, beginning at 9 a.m. in Salons 14 and 15, lower B-2 level, Marriott. The title is “New APA Ethics Procedures: Implications for the Profession, Part 1 and Part 2.”

In November 2002 the Assembly and Board of Trustees approved revisions to the current ethics procedures. Once an ethics complaint is sustained against a member, a district branch now has the choice to proceed under the older model (Enforcement Option) or employ a new model (Education Option) by which they process a complaint of unethical conduct in a manner that will educate the member about the issues raised, but will not result in a finding. In deciding which approach to use, the district branch is to consider factors such as the nature and seriousness of the alleged misconduct, prior findings or allegations of unethical conduct, and other guidelines developed by the APA Ethics Committee.

The Board of Trustees also approved other changes in the ethics process, including the imposition of a 10-year statute of limitations and a decision to replace an appeal to the Ethics Appeals Board with an appeal to the Ethics Committee. The implications of these changes, as well as other topics, will be discussed at the workshops.

The workshops should be of interest to all members, but will be especially helpful to district branch ethics chairs, district branch presidents, other members involved in ethics at the district branch level, and district branch executive directors. Ample time will be set aside for questions from the floor.