This document provides an assignment for a course on ethical issues in forensic psychology. Students are instructed to read the American Psychology-Law Society's ethical guidelines and apply them to scenarios involving substance abuse counseling in the criminal justice system. They are asked to summarize the purpose and goals of the ethical standards, discuss how to handle limits of confidentiality and countertransference as a counselor, and analyze the complex relationship between substance abuse treatment and the legal system. The report requires integrating information from multiple sources and adhering to APA style and formatting standards.

1. Assignment 2: LASA 1: Ethical Issues for Forensic
Psychologists
Read the following current version of the ethical guidelines by
the American Psychology-Law Society:
http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/
This assignment is designed to help you synthesize and apply
the current version of the ethical guidelines of forensic
psychology to what you have been learning about the
relationship of substance abuse in the criminal justice system,
assessment, diagnosis and ethical considerations.
After thoroughly reading the ethical guidelines of forensic
psychology, review the following scenarios and questions and
respond to each question thoroughly. Your paper should reflect
an understanding of applying the ethical standards to the course
material.
Provide a summary which includes the purpose, history and
goals of the ethical standards. What is your initial reaction to
the ethical guidelines of forensic psychology?
Review and summarize the standards related to confidentiality.
What steps will you take as a counselor in the criminal justice
system to be in compliance with the ethical standards? After
reviewing the textbook and online lecture, how will you handle
“red flags” and the limits of confidentiality, yet be in
compliance with the ethic guidelines?
You are presented with a client who is ordered through the court
to undergo an examination or treatment. The client refuses to
sign the confidentiality agreement, and has made it quite clear
he is not going to participate. Identify what action you will
take and provide the standard(s) which guided your decision.
Be sure to include a summary of what confidentiality is and why
it is important. Your significant other is a recovering addict.
According to the module lecture countertransference may occur
when counseling an individual who has similar behaviors to the
counselor’s family members. Review the standard 4.07 from

2. the ethical guidelines of the American Psychology-Law Society
and the online content. Discuss what options the counselor has
to be in compliance with the standard. Be sure to include a
discussion of countertransference.
Compare and contrast the ethical issues of confidentiality and
countertransference: Which issue do you believe will be most
difficult to deal with, and why? After reviewing the ethical
guidelines and applying the guidelines to treatment and
evaluation issues provide your opinion of the relationship of
substance abuse treatment and sanctions of the court.
Your report should be at least 5 pages long. Remember to also
include a cover page and reference page, and to support your
arguments with information drawn from the ethical guidelines
of the American Psychology-Law Society, the online content,
the textbook, and other credible, scholarly sources to
substantiate the points you are making. Apply APA standards
for writing and citations to your work.
Submit your response to the
M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox
by
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
. Name your assignment as follows:
LastName_FirstInitial_PSY494_M3A2.doc.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Summarized the ethical guidelines and provided initial reaction
to the publication.
28
Summarized the standards of confidentiality and provided
explanation of being in compliance of the standards within the
criminal justice system when presented with “red flag”
situations.
32
Identified the standards which guide the practitioner to handle
court ordered evaluations and described what actions could be

3. explored with a non-cooperative client.
32
Described countertransference and examined the appropriate
action of the counselor as guided by the ethical guidelines and
the module content.
32
Compared and contrasted the issues of confidentiality and
countertransferance. Analyzed the complexity of substance
abuse use and the criminal justice systems.
32
Style (4 points): Tone, audience, and word choice
Organization (12 points): Introduction, transitions, and
conclusion
Usage and Mechanics (12 points): Grammar, spelling, and
sentence structure
APA Elements (16 points): In text citations and references,
paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other
elements of style
44
Total:
200