Everybody’s Doing It: How to be Safe About Technology In practice Communications and Technology Committee Marc Dielman, Ph.D: Ken Drude, PhD; Audrey Ellenwood, PhD; Ky Heinlen, PhD, LPCC-S; Nick Joyce; Michael Lichstein; Mary Mills, MBA, MAOA, Paule Steichen Asch, PhD

How It Began…..

Based Upon and Extensions of  APA 2002 Code of Ethics and,  The 1997 APA Ethics Committee statement on electronic services 3

New Technology Guidelines Approved by OPA Board on April 12, 2008 Revised in to include: Assessment Distance Supervision Approved by OPA Board in April, 2010

What is Social Media? Facebook LinkedIn MySpace  Landline telephones  Cell phones  Video conferencing  Instant messaging  Use of internet services via  Internet meetings  Facsimile  Chat rooms  Web pages

Think About………….. Where does professional begin and where does professional end? Blurred Boundaries

OPPS!!!!!

Facebook - evidentiary information

Implications for psychologists? Facebook Texting

Self-disclosure – intentional or unintentional What do we discuss? What do we avoid?

Psychological Voyeurs?

Effect on Therapeutic Relationship Client’s perception of the therapist Therapist’s perception of the client How does this affect therapeutic outcome?

Some guidelines on social media Never access without client’s permission Recognize that social media information affects client’s and therapist’s perception Ask yourself – what is in the best interests of the client? Talk about the issue of social media in the first session

Guidelines (cont.) When appropriate, utilize social media information as part of the therapy Reexamine your Facebook page in terms of what you want to disclose Google yourself!