Interprofessional Collaboration: Ethical Considerations for School Psychologists

To meet the diverse needs of school-aged children, school psychologists often must collaborate with other professionals within and outside the school setting. Despite potential benefits, challenges exist related to interprofessional collaboration, including ethical challenges. This article explores some of the most salient ethical dilemmas that school psychologists are likely to face when collaborating with other professionals. Specifically, ethical issues related to competence, multiple relationships, informed consent/assent, privacy/confidentiality, assessment, and therapy are examined. Using vignettes, recommendations for navigating common ethical issues that may arise when engaging in interprofessional collaboration are offered. Suggestions are contextualized within the ethical principles and standards outlined in the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2017) and the National Association of School Psychologists Professional Standards (2020), which includes the Principles for Professional Ethics. Impact and Implications This article explores ethical considerations for school psychologists engaged in interprofessional collaboration, either with other professionals in the school setting or with professionals outside the school setting. Relevant ethical principles and standards from the American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists Ethics Codes are described and applied to situations in which school psychologists might find themselves. School psychologists are encouraged to use an ethical decision-making model when encountering ethical dilemmas within the context of interprofessional collaboration.