Unit 5: ABA, Ethics, Rehabilitation and Community Psychology

1. Unit 5: ABA, Ethics, Rehabilitation and Community Psychology PS 532: Clinical Applications of ABA Lisa R. Jackson, Ph.D.

2. Reading and DQs • Hinman and Marr: Overcorrection Behavior Analysis to Decrease Loss of Personal Property • Jason and Zolik: Characteristics of Community Interventions • DQ1: Identify a current (since 2005) research study which involves the use of Applied Behavior Analysis techniques in a rehabilitation setting. Discuss your thoughts on whether the intervention described was effective. Identify strengths, weaknesses and how the study can be improved upon. • DQ2: Identify a current (since 2005) research study which used Applied Behavior Analysis techniques to modify behavior in a community psychology setting. Discuss your thoughts on whether the intervention described was effective. Identify strengths, weaknesses and how the study can be improved upon.

3. Seminar Topics • Specific issues that might arise when working in rehabilitation setting that must be addressed when doing research or designing an intervention. • Cultural issues that might arise when working in a community psychology setting. • Identify specific ways in which an ABA professional can be sure to respect the dignity of a client when working in a rehabilitation or community psychology setting.

4. What is Community Psychology? • CP examines ecological issues at the group level, using a public health model, as opposed to a more clinical, medical model • Organizational, community and individual • CP examines resource mobilization, interdependence, and adaptation • Prevention is a founding principle, thus CP has become a science of prevention, community intervention, and social epidemiology. • Themes include ecological perspectives, cultural relevance, diversity and empowerment

5. Ethical Issues in Community Psychology • The APA code of ethics is primarily geared toward therapists, researchers, academicians and authors, and doesn’t address as well issues in other areas such as primary prevention (a key area of community psychology) • Sometimes it is hard to define exactly what community psychology is, so it is difficult to derive specific ethical guidelines • The effects of community psychology may be more difficult to predict than in individual therapy

6. Ethical Issues • Interventions often involve individuals and groups who did not hire the psychologist • A psychologist may be hired by an agency to work on behalf of a group whose members may be unaware that a professional is working to advance their presumed interests • Ex: DC Public Health Dept and US HHS campaigns to reduce HIV infection in African American women

7. Lack of Ethical Guidance • These case studies are typical of ethics exercises, but they presume: a) that one has (or can have) all relevant information, and b) each requires a single, either/or choice. • You are counseling Anna, who cannot cope with her 16 year old daughter. Anna tells you that she lied to your agency about her income so she would receive more benefits, what should you do? • Several psychologists and students sent an ethics committee a local newspaper article where a psychology professor was quoted as admitting to having frequent sexual relationships with undergrad students in his class. What should the committee do?

8. Multilayered Ethical Responsibilities • Meharry Medical College treats primarily African American patients • Medical personnel and counselors realize that teen pregnancy is a problem in the community they serve • “I Have a Future” project combines individual and group work to prevent teen pregnancy • Counseling, employment skills, leadership development and career advice • MMC also engaged in advocacy and policy work, working to change systems that disadvantaged the teen girls • Religious congregations, human services agencies, African American business leaders and public agencies

9. To Whom are Community Psychologists Responsible? • A group of women started a transition house for battered wives in a rural area. 3 levels of govt were involved; the representatives were worried that the project might not be economically viable. • The women’s group hired a community psychologist to do a needs assessment • After several months, her data indicated that there were enough victims of wife battering in the area to make the house viable and necessary. • However, her information sources might have affected the outcome: doctors, lawyers, police, social services and an anonymous hotline.

10. Responsible for What? • A psychologist agreed to help a day care center apply for a special needs teacher to work with 4 children who had developmental delays or behavior problems or both • The govt funded only a limited # of such teachers so the psychologist and administrator knew they would have to make a strong case • 2 of the children had such serious problems that they would need to be dropped from the center’s program w/o more resources, but while the other two could use a special needs teacher they did not unduly burden the program. • A teacher would not be provided for only 2 students, though • This pits the needs of these 4 students against students in other towns since special needs teachers are scarce • The psychologist’s proposal walked a fine line, making as strong a case as possible w/o misrepresenting the situation

11. Questions?? • I am sure you have been asking questions here in seminar!  Great job! • But, if you have more, email me: Ljackson2@kaplan.edu