Case 2. Cultural Values and Competent
Mental Health Services to Minors
Irina, a 13-year-old girl of Arabic cultural heritage living in Boston, Massachusetts,
was brought by her parents to a hospital emergency room after an assault by a
stranger. Based on her injuries, the hospital staff suspected that the attacker had
also sexually assaulted the girl, but she and her parents refused medical evaluations
for rape. The family received a referral to see Janet Matthews, a clinical psychologist
specializing in adolescent trauma. During their initial meeting with Dr. Matthews,
the parents asked the psychologist not to discuss any sexual aspects of the assault
with their daughter but to treat the psychological trauma from the assault in general.
They told the psychologist that admitting a rape had taken place would cast a
stigma on their daughter and make her ineligible to be married to men in their
closely knit ethnic community. When asked in private, the girl also requested that
sexual issues not be discussed for the same reason.
Discussion Questions
1. Why is this an ethical dilemma? Which APA Ethical Principles help frame the
nature of the dilemma?
2. Who are the stakeholders and how will they be affected by how Dr. Matthews
resolves this dilemma?
3. How might Irina’s age and parents’ involvement in the referral affect how
Dr. Matthews can resolve this dilemma? How might state law on treatment
of minors and HIPAA rules on access of guardians to a minor’s health care
records influence Dr. Matthew’s decision? (See sections on “A Word About
HIPAA” in the Preface of this book, on parental rights under Standards 3.10b,
Informed Consent, in Chapter 6, and the Hot Topic at the end of Chapter 7
“Confidentiality and Involvement of Parents in Mental Health Services for
Children and Adolescents.”)
4. What attitudes, knowledge, and skills are required to develop a culturally
competent treatment plan for Irina (see the Hot Topic for Chapter 5
“Multicultural Ethical Competence”)?
5. Is Irina likely to benefit from the treatment if the possibility of sexual aspects
to the trauma is not explored?
6. How are APA Ethical Standards 2.01a, b, and c; 2.04; 3.04; 3.06; 4.01; 4.02;
and 10.10a relevant to this case? Which other standards might apply?
7. What are Dr. Matthews’s ethical alternatives for resolving this dilemma?
Which alternative best reflects the Ethics Code aspirational principles and
enforceable standards, legal standards, and Dr. Matthews’s obligations to
stakeholders? Can you identify the ethical theory (presented in Chapter 3)
guiding your decision?
8. What steps should Dr. Matthews take to ethically implement her decision
and monitor its effect?

Respond in 250 words with three or more scholarly references. Use citations, cite your references.
What expectations does the APA Ethics Code require of researchers? What types of activities does the code specifically prohibit? Do you agree with the prohibitions? Why or why not?

LASA: Evaluation of a Forensic Psychological Report

This course has provided you with a foundational knowledge of forensic psychological assessment. Successful integration of your skills is a significant aspect of this course. Throughout this course, you have learned about the variety of forensic psychological assessments.

In this assignment, apply what you have learned in this course to analyze a report of a recently paroled offender.

Scenario:

You are working as a forensic mental health professional in a parole outpatient clinic, which has received a forensic psychological and risk assessment report on a paroled offender. You have been asked evaluate the report and present it to the Board of Parole.

Click here to download the forensic psychology and risk assessment report.

Tasks:

Evaluate the forensic psychology and risk assessment report and create an 8- to 10-page essay in a Microsoft Word document addressing the following:

Identify and describe the role and purpose of the report. Comment on whether the evaluation was or was not necessary. State the reasons for your opinion.
Apply considerations of any information or sections that you found missing in the report as well as information that you found to be not relevant, i.e., elements that should have been omitted. In other words, what could have been added to or excluded from the report?
Discuss the ways in which cultural sensitivity and aspects of diversity were addressed in the report, including any ways in which the report could be made more culturally sensitive and include greater considerations of elements of diversity.
Identify and describe at least two additional psychological assessments or measures that you would have administered to obtain additional relevant information for the report. Feel free to list more than two as appropriate. Be sure to also consider cultural implications of the tests which you select.
Explain how you would use the recommendations in the report to assist in the development of a treatment plan.
Discuss in what capacity the report may be used in alternative venues. For example, can this report be utilized by other professionals in the future? If so, in what capacity?
Discuss the overall quality and readability of this report, including a scholarly critique of the writing.
As you evaluate the report be sure to avoid using the word “I” in formal writing. Remember, the reader of your assignment will know it is your voice since you are the author of your paper. Also, consider the difference between the following two statements, “I think the report needed to have included . . .” and “The report needed to have included . . .” The first statement has some redundancy by the writer’s use of the word “I,” whereas the second statement displays greater confidence.