Ethical Considerations for Working with Military Members and Veterans

Description:

Mental healthcare providers working with military service members often face ethical challenges unique to this population. Personal and professional ethical practice is contingent on effective application of personal and cultural morals, and professional regulations and expectations. Decision-making models are presented to address ethical dilemmas, with specific discussion of the role of dual-relationships within a clinical framework. The topics of informed consent/limits of confidentiality, boundaries of cultural and clinical competence, disposition-driven diagnoses, multiple relationships, mixed agency and professional fitness are all discussed in breadth and depth in the context of practitioners working with military-connected clients. Special emphasis will be placed on outlining the differences in how certain issues are managed differently in military settings (e.g., limits of confidentiality). Multiple case vignettes are discussed in workshop/group format to ensure comprehensive, nuanced discussion. (Hersh, 2022; National Association of Social Workers. 2021; Jiang et al., 2021)

Instructional Level: Introductory