This document outlines a workshop on rural research focusing on ethical issues for rural Canadian psychologists. It discusses interviewing 20 rural psychologists on their experiences with ethical issues. Key factors identified include competition from other providers, government influences on the field, debates around prescriptive authority and registration/mobility, and the need for advocacy. The research supported understanding rural practice and ethics in context. It recommended developing generalist practice, involving psychologists in discussions of prescriptive authority, consistent regulations, and addressing shortages through considerations of rural needs.

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Dr Judi L Malone
Athabasca University
05 May 2011
Rural Research Workshop, Ottawa
OUTLINE
Introduction to the Rural Context
Research Overview
Key Socio‐Historical Considerations
Competition
Government Influences
Prescriptive Authority
Registration & Mobility
Professional Advocacy
Policy Implications
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What ethical issues arise for practising
rural Canadian psychologists & how
do they deal with those issues?
Sociohistorical Context
Professional
Policy Implications
Struggles
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Research Focus
Psychological phenomena
should be understood &
interpreted within
sociohistorical context.
Practice oriented purpose
Practice‐oriented purpose
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20 Rural
Psychologists
Doctoral Research
2
• Direct
Experiences
4
1 3
1
• Reflections
3 4 • Contextual
2 Considerations
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Research Methodology
• Describe &
E l
Explore Qualitative “What current
Research
factors in
• Relate to Canadian
existing psychology
literature Hermeneutic make ethics
Phenomenology
relevant to rural
• Place within psychologists?”
h l i t ?”
context
Socio‐
Historical
• Consider Context
influences
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Government
Influences
Prescriptive Sociohistorical Registration
Authority? Context & Mobility
Professional
Advocacy
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COMPETITION
How many people are going to their GP
yp p g g
for counselling? & the GPs are billing &
are the GPs trained for that? ….I have a
lot of concerns about how mental
health is actually being paid for & cared
for in the main health system.
ESTHER
Services that are psychological in nature are not delivered
exclusively by psychologists
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GOVERNMENT
When I went through graduate school,
g g ,
there was very, very, little attention paid
to the impact of the socio‐political
system on the discipline of psychology.
&, I think psychologists have to step up
to their knowledge about that….these big
systems out there really affect how our
discipline is able to work. KEN
Government decisions & funding influence the provision of
professional psychology
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PRESCRIPTIVE AUTHORITY
I think prescriptions, right, would
I think prescriptions right would
come in there. Because, that’s
broadening the scope of practice &
creating…a slightly different view of
what psychology is. A very different
view potentially. MORIAH
Prescription privileges could fundamentally alter the course
of training & delivery of psychology
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REGISTRATION & MOBILITY
The mutual recognition debate.… It s
The mutual recognition debate It’s
not working….There are lots of
psychologists who still get stuck on
degree versus competency….for some
rural communities it’d be very hard to
have a PhD [psychologist]. JOANNE
As registered health professionals, psychologists are only
licensed to practise in the province in which they have
secured registration.
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ADVOCACY
I think there’s just lots of press around
j fp
just mental health & mental wellness &
stigma & all sorts of things that I do
think play into ethical issues as well. I
think a lot of that is intertwined. I think
it’s just the general press in the field
that’s, ah, emphasizing ethics.
BARBARA
The need to advocate for the sake of consumers of
psychological services & for the profession itself
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Policy Implications
• Develop generalist
Develop “generalist
Competition
Concerns
practice”
• Psychology has a role
Government
Influences
in funded medical care
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Policy Implications
•I
Involve rural
l l
Prescriptive
Authority
psychologists
• Consistent regulations
g
Registration
Levels • Consider shortages
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Policy Implications
• Public Awareness
• Canadian Psychology
• National mental health strategy
• Psychology within healthcare
Advocacy • Rural needs
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Benefits Limitations
• Participant‐focussed • Insider‐researcher
• Policy • Self‐report
recommendations • Context bound
• Actual experiences • Generalizability
• Transferability
T f bilit
This research supported the need for
greater understanding of rural practice
& professional ethics in that context
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General Recommendations
General Practice
psychology
Involvement considering
prescriptive authority
Future Research
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Conclusion
Socio‐Historical
Policy
Context
Research Science
Clinical Professional
Practice Psychology
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Dr Judi L Malone
Registered Psychologist, Alberta & Australia
Certified Canadian Counsellor
judim@athabascau.ca
j di @ th b
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