Balancing Ethics in an Unethical Marketplace (Psychotherapy Practice‪)‬

Sometimes we get ethics confused with what should be done or with what is illegal or legal. It is easy to be confused when emotional issues confront us almost daily. For example, the Virginia Tech massacre could have been prevented if the killer's parents had admitted him into a psychiatric hospital, if the judge had committed him to a state hospital, or if someone had helped him years ago. Second-guessing is not just a game; there are real life consequences. Over 90% of everyone reading this article will face some type of ethical dilemma in the life of his or her practice. It does not seem to matter if you work full- or part-time or if you see 5 or 35 patients a week. At some point you will likely face a challenge to your practice and personal integrity. That challenge may come as a formal allegation to your professional board, an audit from an insurance carrier or managed care organization, another professional writing a letter sharing his or her concern about how you handled a patient, an allegation that brings an investigator from the state attorney general's office to your office, or an investigator from Medicaid or Medicare's Integrity department. The challenge can be any of those, or it may be a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, a call from a credit or collection organization, or a certified letter from a legal firm serving you notice of possible action against you.