Delegation of Work and Personal Problems and Conflicts

Standard 2.04 stresses the importance of balance between science and practice (Fisher, 2013). This standard basically says that it is acceptable to use “novel approaches” to continue the development of the field (Fisher, 2013). They do not however, allow psychologists to use techniques that do not follow the general principles.

Standard 2.05 is about delegating duties to others. It is understood that sometimes a psychologist will need to delegate their work or a client to another employee, or service. It is important that they be sure that they aren’t doing any harm by delegating the duties to someone that is not competent. (Fisher, 2013). It is also important to make sure they are not giving the work to someone who could go against the multiple relationships code. Psychologists must be sure that the person who they are delegating the duties to has had the proper training and experience. To make sure they are competently doing their job, the psychologist should monitor the activities for some time until they are positive that they are competent for the service being provided.

An example of this would be if a psychologist had a client that only spoke a foreign language. It would be the psychologists job to find an interpreter who not only knows that language, but is also familiar with the codes and rules of confidentiality, and the bases of the psychology field (Fisher, 2013).

Standard 2.06 is about personal problems and conflicts. It is common in a workplace that there will be some type of conflict. I can think of every job that I have had where someone had a conflict with someone else. Another problem is where people having personal problems, bring that anger or frustration to work. This code states that psychologist must refrain from being involved in activities which could cause them to not do their job competently (Fisher, 2013). Death of a friend or family member, depression, or any other type of mental disorder can affect a psychologist ability to do their job, just as it would anyone else. Standard 206a prevents psychologists from seeing on a client when they may not be able to effectively treat them due to their own personal problems (Fisher, 2013).

An example of this would be if a psychologist was battling depression. If they seek treatment and start to feel better, it may be best to have someone monitor their work until they are confident that they are performing their job correctly. If someone feels that their work is being affected, then it is best to take the steps to delegate the duties elsewhere.