Ethical Considerations in Embedded Behavioral Health

This chapter addresses ethical considerations that impact embedded behavioral health providers in the military. Specific topics include benevolence and “do no harm,” privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, dual relationships, and interruptions/terminations in treatment. Ethical codes for psychologists and social workers are referenced, along with Department of Defense (DOD) policy and regulations. The chapter closes with a first-person account of a real-world ethical dilemma in embedded behavioral health and how it was managed.