Using the Ethical Context to Enhance Practicum Training

Ethics is a foundational competency that is critical to education, training, and future professional practice. In this article we define the ethical context as the articulated enactment of ethics in the academic program preparing psychologists to become health service providers. More specifically, we provide a broad road map and strategies for explicating the ethical context designed to enhance practicum training. We initially focus on the academic program that supports practicum training and describe how the ethical context approach can enhance graduate student understanding and appreciation of key program ethical responsibilities. These include the obligation to provide sufficient knowledge and developmental training experiences to achieve program objectives (i.e., identified competencies) within a supportive context and adhering to clearly stated policies regarding student personal disclosures and evaluations. The ethical context of practicum training itself is discussed in depth with an emphasis on early training for professional practice in the training clinic and community settings. Examples are provided for how this approach can be used to enhance professional and ethical competence through a focus on key ethical principles including competence, informed consent, confidentiality, and multiple relationships. Finally, it is suggested that future work could focus on examining related aspects of professionalism such as multicultural competence, and advocacy for the profession and social justice. We believe that this approach to explicating the ethical context may also serve to inspire faculty via its intentional focus on aspirational ethical principles and practices.