American Psychological Association Legal Advice

Our lawyers are very familiar with psychologists` questions and are available to APA members for questions on practical law issues. Contact us for advice on issues such as: The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for all aspects of legal advice and representation of the APA. She is also responsible for the selection and follow-up of external legal advisors. APA Legal Counsel advises the APA`s Board of Representatives, Board of Directors, and all other government agencies of the APA on business and political matters that have legal implications, as well as on the law that governs non-profit corporations such as the APA. The firm also provides legal services in all legal matters involving departments. If you have any questions or complaints about a psychiatrist, social worker or other non-psychologist, please contact the admissions office or the appropriate association for this profession: the OGC works with psychology experts and external legal advisors to prepare Amicus briefs in cases that raise issues for which psychology has relevant knowledge or information, which he can share with the court. The Office conducts legal risk management activities to avoid legal exposure to the APA and its employees and governance members, and is available to all APA employees and governance members to advise on legal issues or matters that arise in the course of their work for the APA. 11. October 2012 – Each year, our Legal and Regulatory Affairs (LRA) staff receives hundreds of calls and emails from members of the APA Practice Organization (APAPO) on a variety of legal issues. Do you have any questions? While our lawyers do not provide legal advice, the Office of Legal and Regulatory Affairs only provides advice to APA members. While LRA`s lawyers are unable to provide legal advice, they do provide information and insights into the unique legal and regulatory issues faced by practicing psychologists. LRA lawyers also assist members by directing them to appropriate resources from the extensive collection of documents found on the APAPO Practice Centre website. The OGC provides legal advice on a variety of topics including: The OGC works with and assists the Legal Affairs Committee with staff who advise the Council on legal/policy issues, evaluate Amicus` proposals, and address a variety of psycho-legal issues.

In addition, the OGC fosters the interface between psychology and law through interdisciplinary collaboration with other professional groups such as the American Bar Association and the supervision of related working groups and conferences that promote work in areas of common interest to both professions. Please check, ask questions and provide feedback on the Code of Ethics Working Group website. Please contact your state licensing authority through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. APA membership gives you access to expert employee consultation services on issues that affect your work. For more information about filing complaints against licensed psychologists (APA members and non-APA members), contact the psychology accreditation board of the state where the person works. Information on state agencies can be found at the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Councils. Psychologist who is not a member of the APA: We do not advise individuals who are eligible for APA membership and who are not members of the APA. If you are interested in becoming a member of the APA, please contact the APA Members` Bureau at (202) 336-5500. APA members who wish to receive advice can contact our office by email; When contacting us, please include your membership number in the subject line and explain the problem (please do not send patient information) Are you not an APA member? Click here to join APA and use this important service! The APA only accepts complaints against an individual APA member if there is no other forum for the complaint. Thank you for contacting the APA Ethics Office. The Ethics Office answers questions from members and the public.

If you have not already done so, please read the important information on our Getting Ethics Training and Support page, including our goal of guiding members on relevant ethical standards. The Ethics Office is unable to take action against records that are not under its direct control. Please contact the publisher or webmaster of the site. Please review our process and procedures regarding complaints against APA member psychologists. APA Member, Associate or Affiliate (APA membership number required): Please fill out our online form. The online compilation contains a number of articles that are often sent to members. The ever-growing collection of nearly 70 documents written by LRA lawyers for APAPO publications such as PracticeUpdate and Good Practice provides simple practical steps for practitioners. Articles followed by a padlock icon on the Practice Central website are only available to practice assessment payers.

Some of the most popular articles and documents are: 10 Tips for Resolving Problems with Insurance Companies Your obligations to report alleged child or elder abuse stem from your state law. If you are not sure whether you should come forward, you should contact your state agency that is responsible for receiving and investigating reports of this type of abuse. Explain the situation in general without confidential information. The agency can tell you if it will accept a report in this situation and how to create a formal report if necessary. In the event that you are responsible and unable to obtain appropriate patient consent, Standard 4.05(b) of the APA Code of Ethics allows you to disclose confidential information without such consent if you are required to do so by law. This page has been archived and is no longer updated regularly. Individual from the public (does not include anyone eligible for APA or affiliate status and is not a member or affiliate): Please complete our online form. A range of other topics ranging from antitrust law to corporate, tax and labour law. If you have any questions after reading the articles, members are encouraged to call LRA lawyers for further discussion of the particular situation. Ethics Office 750 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002-4242.

If you didn`t find an answer to your question after visiting the Receive Ethics Training and Support page, please read our information on how to get help on specific topics. Processing of subpoenas and statements (PDF, 198 KB).