The Ethics Exam

1. The Ethics Exam Chris Warren; Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, 4/03

2. Ethics in Groups Groups – H76

3. The Law Test: Is what you’re considering doing illegal? There’s very little nuance to this question; if it’s illegal, don’t do it.

4. The Smell Test: Does what you’re thinking of doing smell? Even if you’ve asked yourself all the other questions, there still might be something that makes you feel uneasy. If there is, you should consult someone else.

5. The Child Test: Ask yourself what you would tell your child or a friend to do if he or she were in your situation.

6. The Newspaper Test: Would you want to read about your actions on the front page of your local paper? If not, you should reconsider.

7. The Harm Test: Who gets hurt if you do this? “One way of boiling down a lot of complex ethical principles is that you ought not do anything that causes unjustifiable harm.” Michael Hoffman, Executive Director of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College.

8. Ethics • “Ethics comprise the principles of morality, including both the science of the good & the nature of the right, and they constitute the rules of conduct in respect to a particular class of human actions, such as medical ethics.” (Myers & Salt, 2000) • Primum non nocere - First, do no harm •  Legality does NOT equate to ethics •  Ethics is the science of right moral conduct derived from an analysis of human nature by the light of reason (Myers & Salt, 2000)     

9. Ethics • See CAADAC/CAADE Code of Ethics • State regulations for AOD counselors • Scope of practice v scope of competence

10. You • Pay attention to your impact in group • Listen to your gut • Model • Know your values • Be aware of your motivations • Deal with being seen as a superhero • Use techniques mindfully, w/purpose

11. Group Member Preparation • Disclosure statements • Informed consent • Academic training & supervision • Relevant experience • Goals of group • Qualifications to join • Taping • Allow member to view

12. JoeAnn the Plumber, or“Fixing” things • Avoid members’ confrontations • Never let them see you sweat • Ignore the wisdom of the group • Silence is scary, not golden

13. The Pressure Cooker • Allow members to pass • Pressure from other members • Being harshly confrontational • Forced touching (yuck!) • Emotions out is not = success • Freedom to leave w/explanation • Referrals are mandatory!

14. Using Physical Techniques • Don’t! • Recent research shows increase in hostility after hitting balls, pillows, yelling, etc. • Different from drama therapy

15. Competence • Do you have solid training? • Taking courses; supervision workshops; professional consulting groups • Keep up with changes in the field by reading professional journals? • Are you a participating member of a group?

16. Summary • Techniques can be harmful • Ethical “itch” when techniques used to accommodate the leader • Group can suffer from these “parlor tricks,” losing focus and identity Remember: You ‘re not responsible for fixing members, just for giving a bit of guidance (leading, directing) so they can find their own inner abilities to fix themselves.