E-7: Identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable ©
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Definition: Multiple relationships are when someone holds more than one role in our lives (like being a sister and also a coworker, or a client’s parent and also our barista). Multiple relationships can, but don’t necessarily always, pose ethical problems. A related term, conflict of interest, is something that can happen within a multiple relationship. A conflict of interest is when we’re being pulled in two different directions based on different incentives or roles we have in our lives (for example, maintaining a friendship versus giving an employee some hard feedback). (It’s smart to totally avoid getting ourselves into conflict of interest situations as professionals. Those cloud our judgement and can have other risks for ourselves and others.)
Some multiple relationships clearly pose a serious risk of impacting our judgement, like being someone’s intimate partner and also their clinical supervisor. (Noooooooooo!) Some multiple relationships may be potentially manageable and not necessarily harmful with planning – for example, providing clinical services to a client whose dad works the front desk at a dental office we go to twice a year. Ultimately, we cannot give you a list of “okay” versus “not okay.”
The whole point of guarding against multiple relationships is so that clients get good services and people don’t feel pressured or coerced in a way that interferes with our professional services.
Here are some helpful considerations: (1) know the Code expectations, (2) avoid multiple relationships proactively, (3) talk about it and make a proactive plan when multiple relationships do exist, and (4) be ready to adjust the plan if something that seemed like it would be okay ends up not being okay! (This is just a partial list to get you started. Work with your supervisor.)
Please note some super important FAQs about the Ethics part of the TCO:
Is the Ethics Code part of the Task List or Test Content Outline? Well..not really. Unlike the rest of the TCO, which is its “own thing,” Part E is really a highlight reel of a separate and longer document. That document is called the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (link here). Remember that the TCO reflects the parts of the Ethics Code that will show up on the certification exam.
If I go through the TCO items in section E, do I really need to read the actual code? Seems long and boring. YES, you totally and absolutely DO need to read the entire Ethics Code for our profession. Prepping to be a professional is not just about passing a test.
How do I interpret the Ethics Code in specific situations? That’s not for us to tell you. The ethics sections were trickier for us to put together than the other items in the review section. That’s because the items having to do with the science of behavior are straightforward, in a factual sense. Ethics codes are subject to interpretation, cultural influence, and changes over time. We have done our best to help you understand without telling you what to think. Our best advice? Become familiar with ethical problem solving models, and talk to colleagues, supervisors, and mentors.