Ethics and Law for School Psychologists, 8th Edition

Chapter 1 ETHICS IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION

Who are school psychologists? As Fagan (2014) observed, the term school psychologist has been defined in many different ways. For the purposes of this book, we adopted the definition developed by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). School psychologists are professionals who

apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community. (NASP, n.d.-a, p. 1)

As the decisions made by school psychologists have an impact on human lives, and thereby on society, the practice of school psychology rests on the public’s trust. To build and maintain society’s trust in school psychology, it is essential that every school psychologist is sensitive to the ethical and legal components of their work, knowledgeable regarding broad ethical principles and rules of professional conduct, and committed to a proactive stance in ethical thinking and conduct.

QUALITY CONTROL IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

Four sources of “quality control” protect the rights and welfare of students and other recipients of school psychological services. Professional codes of ethics for the delivery of psychological services are discussed ...