Provide substantive responses to the initial posts . Contribute to the conversat

Provide substantive responses to the initial posts . Contribute to the conversation by asking questions, respectfully debating positions, or responding freely to the topic at hand. Your responses should reference assigned readings as well as other academic references that support your views and writings. Remember to follow APA Style and Format (linked in Resources) when citing references.
1-Megan Shmyr
TuesdayAug 15 at 8:09am
U6: D1: Psychological Testing and Assessment
In Alberta, the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) offers a Standards of Practice that is specific to Psychological Testing and Assessment. The biggest piece of advice given when working with populations that are not within “mainstream culture” is mindfulness and awareness to their lived experiences, traumas endured, and different beliefs for specific situations. The following is a summary of the twelve points that the College of Alberta Psychologists (2021) outlines for working with Indigenous populations or immigrant cultures:
Consider the unique cultural, historical, and situational context of how the individual interprets their situation and the conditions looking to be assessed.
Those who complete direct observations of one’s home, school, or community need to be mindful of the possible lived experiences of the individual.
Assessment procedures need to be flexible. If the client wishes to include family members, let them, and indicate this on the written report. Collectivistic cultures are more prone to wanting family present.
Be aware of how labelling someone in a diverse cultural group can have a detrimental and stigmatizing effect. Focus on helpful descriiptions and recommendations for treatment.
Psychologists should become familiar with how different cultures conceptualize pathology and how these can play a role in the assessment.
Psychologists should promote the development of local norms and psychological testing specific to different cultures (those who have immigrated into the country).
Be mindful of psychological tests that have limited normative basis for interpretation.
Work collaboratively with individuals and communities to build culturally specific tests.
Be mindful of client’s autonomy and offer empowering feedback.
Be mindful that many clients of minority cultures have trust issues given the history between white people and the discrimination of those of color.
Psychologists need to be available for ongoing consultation, monitoring the impact of their assessment recommendations, treatment, and long-term findings. It is poor service to just drop in and complete the assessment and then never follow-up.
Remember: the highest ethical responsibility lies with those who are most vulnerable when they are assessing a person, which is usually the client.

Based on the above guidelines, one can see that building rapport with the individual by conducting an informal and formal interview is crucial. Understanding a client’s way of life, perspective of the world, and lived experiences needs to be conversed before psychological assessment and testing can begin. Working with refugees from a rare ethnic background may be intimidating, and being aware of one’s own biases is important. Keep it simple and dedicate time to having conversations with the immigrants before determining what psychological measures need to be implemented.
Some of the ethical considerations involved in the case of working with immigrants include general rights, non-discrimination, fair treatment, and protection for vulnerable individuals (Canadian Psychological Association, 2017). These elements can be found in Sections I.5 to I.36 of the Canadian Code of Ethics. It is imperative to respect the moral rights of the clients, not condone any form of unjust discrimination, design research and practice that includes vulnerable populations, communicate informed consent in a way that is appropriate and understandable for the individual or group, and seek appropriate ethical reviews of moral rights issues and protections for those who are vulnerable (Canadian Psychological Association, 2017).
In addition to what the CPA guidelines outline, Fisher (2021) offers valuable information for working with immigrants, especially unaccompanied children. It is important to be aware that immigrants may be hesitant to speak to a psychologist or divulge any information for fear of shame against their family and culture of origin (Fisher, 2021). In some cultures, speaking about vulnerabilities is frowned upon and considered dishonorable. Building a foundation of trust and rapport with vulnerable groups is crucial in this regard. It is also important to remember that these immigrants may have undergone severe trauma and abuse trying to escape their country of origin. They may be going through cultural shock as well. When interviewing them, it is recommended to avoid using leading questions or direct approaches that could be viewed as coercion to the individual (Fisher, 2021).
These instructions and guidelines are what I would use if working with immigrants from a rare ethnic background. I would want them to know I am there to help and not harm. I would start with simple information such as their name, how many members in their family, and what things they enjoyed doing before immigrating. I would help build trust by providing some of my details, such as my name, how many members in my family, and what I do for work. I would look for common ground to build the rapport and trusting relationship. I would listen to their story and what they need presently before conducting psychological assessment for mental health problems or placement needs. After establishing a more secure relationship, and doing my research on applicable psychological instruments that are culturally diverse, I would gather informed consent and conduct the assessment interview.

References
Canadian Psychological Association. (2017). Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (4th ed.). The College of Alberta Psychologists. https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Ethics/CPA_Code_2017_4thEd.pdfLinks to an external site.
Fisher, C. B. (2021) Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists, 5th Edition. Sage Publications Inc. Retrieved from vbk://9781544362748
The College of Alberta Psychologists. (2021). Psychological assessment and testing: Practice guidelines. The College of Alberta Psychologists. https://www.cap.ab.ca/Portals/0/adam/Content/VJ7IO_ZKuUS__GH2OqV0dg/Link/Practice%20Guideline-%20Psychological%20Assessment%20and%20Testing%20final.pdfLinks to an external site.
2-Nicole Ritenour
TuesdayAug 15 at 11:51am
In the scenario, a large number of refugees have moved into my state and many are seeking mental health services. My agency has requested that I review possible psychological assessments to screen the refugees for challenges/issues unique to their population for the purpose of more efficient service delivery. According to the APA (2017), section 9.02 Use of Assessments, psychologists can administer, adapt, score, interpret, or use assessment techniques, interviews, tests, or instruments in a manner and purpose that are appropriate considering the research/evidence of the usefulness and proper application of the techniques. In this scenario, it is important to ensure the assessments are valid and reliable for use in this specific population and that they are appropriate to the refugees’ language, culture, and competence (APA, 2017). The standards are nearly identical in the Florida Psychology Board’s rule 64B19-18.004 Use of Test Instruments. However, considering the circumstances of relocation and trauma, the request by the agency seems as though it’s teetering on potentially causing harm to this vulnerable population.
The APA code explicitly states that organizational demands cannot be used to justify or defend human rights violations, of which immigrants and refugees are particularly vulnerable (APA, 2017; Dash, 2020). So as a mental health practitioner, if I did not have the cultural competence or training to work with unique populations, then I would not feel comfortable being the one to review possible psychological assessments. Our assessments may be harmful in and of themselves if we do not know much about this rare ethnic group. I would need the knowledge and skills for multicultural assessment and intervention, including the ability to recognize and understand the role that culture and ethnicity/race play in the socio-psychological and economic development of ethnic and culturally diverse populations (APA, 2019). According to Dash (2020), the knowledge and skills necessary to provide culturally competent treatment extend beyond rote knowledge and empathic care, and are acquired through appropriate training. Due to the unique experiences and needs of the refugees, I would first need to obtain specific, targeted training to work effectively with this population. Therefore, my approach would be to discuss with my agency the ethical implications of administering assessments to this group, and then work to strategize better ways to assess clients that ensure respect for their culture/norms and preserve their dignity and autonomy.
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct including the 2010 and 2016 amendments.Links to an external site. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/indexLinks to an external site.
American Psychological Association. (2019). Guidelines for providers of psychological services to ethnic, linguistic, and culturally diverse populations.Links to an external site. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/policy/provider-guidelinesLinks to an external site.
Dash G. F. (2020). Ethical Considerations in Providing Psychological Services to Unaccompanied Immigrant Children. Ethics & behavior, 30(2), 83–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2019.1623031
3-Megan Shmyr
TuesdayAug 15 at 8:33pm
U6: D2: Requirements for Informed Consent and Test Interpretation: OPTION A
Fisher (2021) lays out the foundation of what a psychologist needs to have in their informed consent form when it comes to psychological assessment that aligns with the APA regulations. Informed consent for assessment and testing must include (Fisher, 2021):
The nature of the assessment. This includes categories, such as personality or occupational; testing format (written or online); and duration of the assessment.
Purpose of the assessment, such as for custody decision making.
Fees incurred or to be expected.
The inclusion of any third parties, such as lawyers for legal matters.
Confidentiality and its limitations.
In Alberta, I follow the Canadian Code of Ethics and the guidelines of the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), which provides standards of practice applicable to testing and assessment. Section I.23 of the Canadian Code of Ethics (Canadian Psychological Association, 2017) summarizes the same requirements needed within informed consent as what Fisher (2021) describes above. These expectations for informed consent also follow Section 9 of the APA Code of Ethics (2017).
Additionally, the practices for informed consent considerations in formal assessment (College of Alberta Psychologists, 2021) outlines the seven requirements that are needed:
Purpose and nature of the activity, clarifying goals and questions.
The responsibilities of both the client and the psychologist conducting the assessment.
The protection of confidentiality and limitations if the presence of harm were to come to light.
The benefits and risks of assessments including results and possible diagnoses.
Offering alternative options to assessments.
Possible consequences of not following through with the assessment, such as insurance refusing to pay until assessment is completed.
The client has the option to refuse or withdraw consent at any time.
The APA’s requirements for informed consent in psychological testing meshes almost exclusively with the practice guidelines from the College of Alberta Psychologists (2021). They are in different order and the practice guidelines of CAP offer a lot more detailed information, but they are both on point for including necessary conditions within the informed consent form. I believe the requirements are obtainable in most situations, other than an emergency or crisis, when informed consent is not the primary priority until a more stable time.
One portion of CAP’s practice guidelines that I found most interesting was they speak of the differences between General Assessment and Formal Assessment. When a psychologist goes to complete their licensing, they are to indicate which level of assessment they intend on adhering to. Most who conduct counselling or psychotherapy only hold a General Assessment license. They are still able to diagnose but are unable to answer questions for highly complex clinical cases and need to seek those with formal assessment competence (The College of Alberta Psychologists, 2021).

References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017). http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
Canadian Psychological Association. (2017). Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (4th ed.). The College of Alberta Psychologists. https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Ethics/CPA_Code_2017_4thEd.pdfLinks to an external site.
Fisher, C. B. (2021) Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists, 5th Edition. Sage Publications Inc. Retrieved from vbk://9781544362748
The College of Alberta Psychologists. (2021). Psychological assessment and testing: Practice guidelines. The College of Alberta Psychologists. https://www.cap.ab.ca/Portals/0/adam/Content/VJ7IO_ZKuUS__GH2OqV0dg/Link/Practice%20Guideline-%20Psychological%20Assessment%20and%20Testing%20final.pdf
4-Nicole Mulligan
WednesdayAug 16 at 10:25am
Option A:
Informed consent for psychological assessments is located as code 9.03 in the APA code of conduct. This code states that psychologists obtain informed consent for assessments, evaluations, or diagnostic services EXCEPT when testing is mandated by law or government, informed consent is implied, or one purpose of the testing is to evaluate decisional capacity (APA, 2017). Basically, informed consent is an explanation of the assessment being done including any fees and any additional information that must be given to leave the client feeling like they fully understand. APA (2017) also states that if a client must use an interpreter, the client must consent to the use of one before one can be used.
Law and Public Safety (2023) states that a licensee shall inform the parties about the purpose of any assessment instruments, interview techniques, and the use of any information collected and they must provide this information appropriately to a child so they can understand fully. You would find this information under 13:42-12.5 Required Disclosures. This is exactly like informed consent but it is just worded differently but it still makes sure that the client is aware of anything going on within the assessment.
They do mesh and there is a way to adhere to all guidelines given that both APA and New Jersey state laws require all information be given to a client. The only difference between APA and New Jersey is that New Jersey doesn’t specifically bring up the use of an interpreter like APA does. This would be for a client who is deaf or hearing impaired and in this case, New Jersey psychologists would adhere to APA code of ethics to cover their bases and have the client consent to the use of an interpreter.
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code