Assessing and Managing Risk in Psychological Practice

Book excerpt: The Second Edition of Assessing and Managing Risk in Psychological Practice: An Individualized Approach adds significant new content to its coverage of the basic principles of risk management and its descriptions of how risk management strategies can be applied to specific areas of professional practice. This includes work with children and families, forensic psychology, assessment, psychotherapy, and other emerging areas of practice. Special attention is given to applying risk management principles in accordance with overarching ethical principles with the goal of improving the quality of services provided. The Second Edition will help readers: • Identify the contexts or circumstances that increase the risk of a disciplinary complaint; • Integrate the risk management strategies (documentation, informed consent, and consultation) based on overarching ethical principles into their practices; • Adapt patient-focused risk management strategies according to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning; • Describe unique ethical and legal risks and practice concerns when considering issues of competence, multiple relationships, and confidentiality; • Describe unique ethical and legal risks and practice concerns when treating couples, children or families, patients who threaten to harm themselves or others, or other difficult patients; • Describe unique ethical and legal risks and practice concerns when engaging in assessment, court appearances, or acting as a consultant or supervisor; and • Describe unique ethical and legal risks and practice concerns when billing for services, considering retirement, or purchasing professional liability insurance. Note that this publication is available in eBook formats.