Code of Ethics

Unit 4 Assignment 1
Codes of Ethics and Synopsis of State Laws
Marriage and family therapists are governed by the statutes of the states in which they practice. The laws, rules, and regulations governing mental health practice are determined by each state. Therapists are also guided by the ethical codes of the primary organization representing their profession: The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). These standards, statutes, and codes help to protect both therapists and clients.

Read the Codes of Ethics and Synopsis of State Laws Scoring Guide to learn how this assignment will be evaluated and to ensure you have addressed the assignment’s grading criteria. Refer to the Unit 1 Studies for resources regarding state statutes.

For this assignment, review the following documents:

The AAMFT Code of Ethics, linked in Resources. This document represents the framework that guides professional relationships of marriage and family therapists.
The Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) website, linked in Resources, is another potential resource for your state’s statutes and rules.
You may also find links to states’ rules and statutes on their official state board websites.
Write a short paper that addresses the following:

What is the process you need to follow to obtain licensure in your state?
Discuss the state’s limits to confidentiality. Discuss what the AAMFT Code of Ethics state about confidentiality based on the licenses that you are obtaining?
How could you use the AAMFT Code of Ethics to advocate change for the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy?
Using the AAMFT Code of Ethics, evaluate how you see your value system and how it might conflict with what you are ethically bound to do as a therapist.
Compare the AAMFT ethical codes with your state’s statutes governing the practice of marriage and family therapist; how is privileged communication defined?
How is a duty to warn or protect defined by your state, and what are the limitations? How are ethical complaints handled in your state?
What is the scope of practice in your state for the LMFT license? That is, what are the limitations of practice for a registered intern or licensed marriage and family therapist in your state?
Identify ethical and culturally relevant strategies for establishing and maintaining in-person and technology-assisted relationships.
Organize your paper according to the Unit 4 Assignment scoring guide, making sure to address all Distinguished Criteria.
Refer to the AAMFT Code of Ethics and the statutes governing the practice in your state.

Paper Components
Include the following components in your paper:

Title page.
Body.
Reference list: Cite the codes and state statutes, along with any other resources you incorporate in your paper.
Structural Requirements
Written communication: Writing must be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: Resources and citations must be formatted according to current APA style and formatting.
Length of paper: Be concise. The length of the paper must be limited to 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages.
Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.