The Ethics Exam
Chris Warren; Southwest Airlines
Spirit Magazine, 4/03
Ethics in Groups
Groups – H76
The Law Test: Is what you’re
considering doing illegal?
There’s very little nuance to this question;
if it’s illegal, don’t do it.
The Smell Test: Does what you’re
thinking of doing smell?
Even if you’ve asked yourself all the other
questions, there still might be something
that makes you feel uneasy. If there is,
you should consult someone else.
The Child Test:
Ask yourself what you would tell your
child or a friend to do if he or she
were in your situation.
The Newspaper Test:
Would you want to
read about your actions on the
front page of your local paper?
If not, you should reconsider.
The Harm Test:
Who gets hurt if you do this?
“One way of boiling down a lot of complex
ethical principles is that you ought not do
anything that causes unjustifiable harm.”
Michael Hoffman, Executive Director of the Center for Business
Ethics at Bentley College.
Ethics
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“Ethics comprise the principles of morality, including
both the science of the good & the nature of the
right, and they constitute the rules of conduct in
respect to a particular class of human actions, such
as medical ethics.” (Myers & Salt, 2000)
Primum non nocere - First, do no harm
Legality does NOT equate to ethics
Ethics is the science of right moral conduct derived
from an analysis of human nature by the light of
reason (Myers & Salt, 2000)
Ethics
See CAADAC/CAADE Code of Ethics
 State regulations for AOD counselors
 Scope of practice v scope of
competence
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You
Pay attention to your impact in group
 Listen to your gut
 Model
 Know your values
 Be aware of your motivations
 Deal with being seen as a superhero
 Use techniques mindfully, w/purpose
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Group Member Preparation
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Disclosure statements
– Informed consent
• Academic training & supervision
• Relevant experience
Goals of group
 Qualifications to join
 Taping

– Allow member to view
JoeAnn the Plumber,
or“Fixing” things
Avoid members’ confrontations
 Never let them see you sweat
 Ignore the wisdom of the group
 Silence is scary, not golden

The Pressure Cooker
Allow members to pass
 Pressure from other members
 Being harshly confrontational
 Forced touching (yuck!)
 Emotions out is not = success
 Freedom to leave w/explanation
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– Referrals are mandatory!
Using Physical Techniques

Don’t!
– Recent research shows increase in hostility
after hitting balls, pillows, yelling, etc.

Different from drama therapy
Competence

Do you have solid training?
– Taking courses; supervision workshops;
professional consulting groups
Keep up with changes in the field by
reading professional journals?
 Are you a participating member of a
group?
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Summary
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Techniques can be harmful
Ethical “itch” when techniques used to
accommodate the leader
Group can suffer from these “parlor tricks,”
losing focus and identity
Remember: You ‘re not responsible for fixing
members, just for giving a bit of guidance
(leading, directing) so they can find their own
inner abilities to fix themselves.