Collaboration and Consultation in Ethical Problem-Solving

An ethical dilemma occurs when a situation may be resolved in various ethical and unethical ways. School psychologists have previously reported experiencing ethical dilemmas in practice, particularly around administrative pressures, unsound educational practices, assessment, and confidentiality. The current study queried school psychologists’ experiences with ethical dilemmas, their training, as well as how they typically respond to ethical dilemmas and their perspectives on the options for problem solving. A sample of 69 school psychologists completed the online survey and were included in analyses. Findings indicate school psychologists report more formal training on ethical problem-solving than in past surveys yet maintain low levels of use of formal ethical problem-solving models. Instead, school psychologists report using high rates of collaboration and consultation with other school psychologists and professionals when they encounter an ethical dilemma.