Breach with mental health or other supports?

Breach of ethics or conflict of interests (abuse)

A different type of cheating that takes hold.

I applaud the many professionals who have worked in improving this world, and I have personally grown to respect them as well as call some friends. What I have also found was the gradual reality of not being able to trust that all people in positions of trust and authority will be ethical in their practices. Being educated and writing essays on ethics may get a person a top grade or job position, but nothing stops anyone from closing the door and doing the opposite in private. Recently the news has been reporting a high school principal, elementary teachers, and vice principal were caught with porno on the schools computer.

Timescolonist.com April 12, 2011 -   A former outreach worker who worked with vulnerable members of the street community has been charged with sex offenses.

Four members of the RCMP, are charged in connection with the ‘Surrey Six’ homicide case that took place in a Surrey highrise in October 2007."The alleged behaviors are absolutely unacceptable and show poor decision making. What is alleged to have occurred was a breach of policy, protocol and the law. And fundamentally, it was an abuse of the trust the public places in police."

On Teachers and Healers

 By Demian E Yumei, on January 27th, 2012

 

On the internet anyone can set up shop — anyone. From the incompetent to the skilled, from the toxic to the whole and healthy, from compassionate teachers to predators on the active hunt, all are found on the Web.
The incompetent can hurt you, but predators can tear your world apart.
We shouldn’t be alarmed it can be this dangerous online. Predators live in the physical world as preachers, priests, teachers, doctors, psychologists, police officers, coaches and scout leaders. They can be found prowling in any type of human services. They go where the prey is.
The people they come into contact with, potential victims, are usually vulnerable either through their age or circumstances. And because of the role they play and the trust their image engenders, the odds are stacked in the predator’s favor.

Please read more at http://covertabuse.com/a-word-or-two-of-caution/on-teachers-and-healers/

Why we keep silent. Do you have similar principals and ethics?

 

A doctor in Campbell River B.C. had a bad reputation for doing questionable pap tests, I thought it was just a rumor from a new friend, I kept this in mind when this doctor was assigned to me when I had a replacement for a routine visit. Then I received a phone call from the front desk of the busy office stating that the doctor looked into my file and found out I was overdue for a pap test and he wanted to schedule me in. Now, this was not my regular doctor and I said No, that I would attend to this matter myself. I was so upset I was called, I was disgusted the receptionist would put people at risk, didn't they know? How do we know if or when a professional is crossing the line?
Years later all the women's voices were finally heard, and the friend who told me about this doctor was upset that no one from her family or congregation ever supported her. She still kept her silence just as she was taught so as to not distract her from Gods service, she was still labeled as over reacting but I guess they still thought it was for attention. I personally think her silence was conditioned, the history of this woman was that she had been violated by her father, which silenced her and later married a man who was molesting her children. No one ever believed her but she divorced her husband to protect the kids. The only grounds for scriptural divorce was adultery/fornication so this action caused problems for her. Of course later on it was  inevitable  someone gave the other scriptural grounds so that they both could look for another mate within the faith, without displeasing God or being cut off from the congregation. Once again she was the bad guy because this meant she forced this issue by divorcing him.  He would never let her know if he was with someone so she was lonely many years until he finally found someone else, and she was free to marry again.  I encouraged her to come forward about her ex to protect her Grand children that were now being left with the abuser, and the fact he drove a school bus, also a minister. I felt she was just as accountable as he was for not protecting those children. The family was divided, and people twisted her intentions for speaking out. The longer a person keeps silence, the more credibility another can build for themselves while others are conditioned with nothing resolved. Time can cause an open wound to fester rather than be closed as it should have been. 

Why they get away with it.

“They tried to wash away the guilt. Drown it in a lifetime of good deeds and a sea of respectability. It almost worked, too. But inevitably, the further you run from your sins, the more exhausted you are when they catch up to you. And they do.” Taken from the inside man movie. This quote stuck with me because I saw people in trusted positions or that have authority abuse others and get away with veiled abuse. I can relate to you a lot. And hope the problems of covering up gets not just exposed but some accountability that in my opinion won’t wash away their abuse with generic apologies as meaningless as generic prayers (meaningless to them) I compare to a pedophile who apologizes for his 6th rape. I feel that any of the many kinds of predators don’t quit what they will do to others unless they truly face people they had hurt and show they know the damage they have done by their actions to the victims after the fact. I believe in natural consequences, which has nothing to do with being unforgiving. Profiling is not judging, it is a acknowledging a pattern and being wise so go ahead and profile!  Speaking up for yourself when others won’t listen is not rebellious; you are brave because you’re opening yourself up to be vulnerable again, and speaking out for all the right reasons… that only you may understand. To feel upset is an emotion that protects us and gives us boundaries just like other emotions help us. My opinion only of course… people who have used religion for control is a personal trigger for me. Spirituality can keep us together or tear us apart. Your spirituality is personal or else you can get lost in the ever growing opinions of what truth is or even if there is a God. Embrace what you know is true to you, not everyone else... again just my thoughts. Hold on, your time in the driver’s seat now. Remember, some are exploited and don’t even know it!

 Do Mental Health Supports Harm clients when they sleep with consumers?

What if you knew many people from the mental health field in various roles and positions of trust and authority, (married and some not) that have a history of sleeping with a person with a mental illness while on duty or through environments set up for supporting the mentally ill individuals. Is this practice ethical? Should it matter if it is a male or female? What if this person is to represent (be in charge of) the rights and dignity of the mentally ill, and they influenced the flow of money for the mentally ill? Depending on the roles, what is the impact? Does it matter if other people are aware yet say or do nothing thus enabling people in positions of control to go on silencing others with mental illness? What are the consequences, or rights of people caught in the center of the triangle? Who do you trust or go to for help if you wanted to stay safe from the head games and advances? I have cut and copied information from various resources.

People with mental illness frequently become vulnerable and easy targets of physical and mental abuses. Many of these incidents don’t get reported for a variety of reasons. A multitude of barriers come in to play, including discrimination, accessibility, fear of retaliation.

Stigma and discrimination are also common barriers and many victims with mental disorders fear they will be perceived as not being credible.

It is well documented that one of the most common features of a manic episode is hyper-sexuality.And this, combined with all the other vulnerabilities of their mood disorder, makes easy targets for predators and also for being exploited.

A person experiencing a manic episode may be flirtatious, have a high libido, and have all the sexual compulsions and poor impulse control and impaired judgment of a bipolar adult. This makes them easy prey, and so far the research indicates a higher likelihood of victim hood.

When an affair takes root between a person in charge, or any position which oversees and observes the procedures of others with a mental illness, questions that can surface are ....was (s)he fired, did (s)he quit. Could (s)he fire him, could (s)he quit? Isn’t it Illegal or a conflict of interest for anyone to make job security, pay raises, preferential treatment, or any other work related decisions, based on another person agreeing to have sex with him/her?

How does someone with a mental illness maintain a balance with someone with specialized training if they are sleeping with a person who can influence their mental health? Do you feel bad if the ‘boss’ pulls you up for a mistake — in his/her professional capacity — or do dynamics change when there’s more to your relationship than professionalism? How do other colleagues react to it? What happens if the boss is already in another relationship or has no intentions of getting into a relationship with you. Deception & Lying can cause problems in relationships and situations where trust and open communication are valued.

If sexual relations happen between a mental health client and their worker, do other workers who witness this indorse and enable the relationship by indifference? What if the mental health person sleeps with their boss, the coordinator of the mental health clubhouse? As well as students or aid workers in health care training sleeping with the member with a mental illness while doing their practical. Of course, the steady flow of female students kept the males appetite and anonymity in tact.

Professional instructors/teachers having sex with under-aged students is wrong as is sleeping with people that have known disadvantages mentally or emotionally ... its the same thing. Supervisor/ leaders/coaches/ group facilitators! Priests, and even family members can easily take advantage and silence their victims who sometimes never see the harm until the victim has had the distance and time to heal if ever. then who do they trust anymore?

Sleeping with a person who is under care or some kind of support/management, that is also a member/client with a mental Illness known to be in a crisis or vulnerable positions at times is at risk... it is WRONG!  Why should any person have to leave the resources available for their support in order to stay away from someone making advances towards them. Staying away to avoid the humiliation or control someone with special skills has over the psyche when it comes time to say no, is wrong. And what if were conditioned or influenced to keep silent about the affair. Our disclosures can be silenced in many subtle ways. There is a long damaging result from the ones we needed the most to be able to trust with our disclosures, when we surrender to silence.

Do professionals have the right to keep their secrets, keep working within the same atmosphere when they have violated the trust and harmed the people they are suppose to have represented? Canada!!!!!!!!!!! No one has the guts to stand up for the child sexual abuse, when cultures say it is their religions rights either. No... we have more workshops about love and sweep the dirt under the carpets instead of disturbing the play house.

I am quoting research from the words of professionals –

“Those who say there is no problem when sex takes place between professionals and the clients/members are underestimating the impact of such behavior both on the professionals and their clients. Consequences such as behavioral roles distorts the professional relationship, effects the thought process and puts objectivity at risk. So that the position of the professional is undermined.”” Intimate relationships, dual-role relationships, mixed modalities, advice giving, boundary behaviors, and financial transactions”.
The consequences for the client/member include ambivalence, guilt, emptiness and isolation, sexual confusion, impaired ability to trust, confused roles and boundaries, emotional liability, suppressed rage, increased suicidal risk, and problems in cognitive functioning, including concentration and memory, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, unbidden images, and nightmares.

A large percentage of studies reported that they have dual role relationships with clients ( e.g. friendships, serving on the same boards, or committees)

Another quote- "It is also considered cheating... when your manipulating to keep a person within control. Such games rob a person of their energy and creativity and prevent the person from realizing their full potential. The truth is cheating doesn’t have to be just about affairs or lovers. Cheating is deception of any kind'.

Newspaper article: Christopher Bradford, 41, was sentenced to 17 months in prison after he admitted seducing a woman who was being treated for postnatal depression. Although his victim, whose identity is protected by law, was a consenting partner, Bournemouth Crown Court was told that he had broken the law by taking advantage of her.
It started with a hug. She said: “I felt that if I didn’t carry on he would stop seeing me, as my counselor, and I couldn’t handle that. I looked at him as a kind of father figure.”

Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice - Google Books Result
Pg 146 and 147

A code of ethics also provides guidance for ethical decision making.
There are five values that inform social work practice, which have underlying principles:

Human dignity and worth (each person has the right to well being, self fulfillment and self determination, consistent with the rights of others)
Social justice (basic human needs, equitable distribution of resources to meet needs, fair access to public resources, individual/community rights, equal treatment and protection under the law, social development)
Service to humanity (to meet personal and social needs and enable people to develop their potential)
Integrity (values honesty, reliability and impartiality in practice)
Competence (proficiency in practice)

Please take some time to read these guidelines and some of the common dilemmas that social workers can face in practice. For example, the code of ethics identifies these explicitly:
Conflict of interests (Involuntary clients, multiple clients, confidentiality, workplace)
Conscientious objection

Also in non profit organizations

A solid policy concerning conflicts of interest helps to preserve one of non-profits organizations’ greatest assets - their independence. They do not have to answer to stockholders or politicians. But like other freedoms, the cost is eternal vigilance.

A quote from the president of a clubhouse, who also worked in community support/human service work before her own changes in health brought her to adjust her lifestyle. "There is a necessary distinction between staff and client/members, and they are supposed to keep separate, because of the nature of the job. One of the biggest factors is confidentiality, if the club was member run it would be a problem.  Expecting club members to be in such a demanding, often uncomfortable, challenging role is putting unfair pressure on people who are already challenged."

Not all board members have had the ability to question or bring their concerns forward in a public way. Persons with mental health challenges, are NOT given a voice or being respected when the supports are crossing ethical boundaries.

An example of Policy

The following information is from Non Profit, in BC and BC Public Service Employees who find themselves in an actual, perceived, or potential conflict of interest must disclose the matter to their supervisor, manager, or ethics adviser. Examples of conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• An employee benefits from, or is reasonably perceived by the public to have benefited from, a government transaction over which the employee can influence decisions
• An employee accepts from an individual, corporation, or organization, directly or indirectly, a personal gift or benefit that arises out of employment
  • the exchange of hospitality between persons doing business together;
  • tokens exchanged as part of protocol;
  • the normal presentation of gifts to persons participating in public functions; or
  • the normal exchange of gifts between friends; or
• An employee accepts gifts, donations, or free services for work-related leisure activities other than in situations outlined above.

The following four criteria, when taken together, are intended to guide the judgment of employees who are considering the acceptance of a gift:

• The benefit is of nominal value;
• The exchange creates no obligation;
• Reciprocation is easy; and
• It occurs infrequently.

People with mental illness have had no voice in the past or I wouldn't be speaking out.
I see dignity, and value for the consumer/ member as being invisible and kept silent if we don't speak out about the slurred boundaries. Did the members who trusted the ones put in place to oversee them, or work with them need to be protected instead?

Who do we learn to trust or to speak to when the very system that was put in place silenced us. TRUST is earned! Maybe we need the laws to change when personal boundaries are obviously interfering with anothers stability and causes harm. Yes... abuse! Don't give up just because of one bad experience, there are other supports out there.

Why Psychopaths are so hard to spot

Why Psychopaths are so hard to spot even for professionals

Dr Robert Hare mentions that its very difficult to spot a psychopath even after months of knowing them and yet in the Rosenhal case they were ready to get someone committed and put them on drugs within weeks. Both studies show that put in the wrong hands those who are normal can end up being committed as insane whereas those who are actually the most dangerous may very easily slip through the radar unnoticed.

Its no wonder that many people may potentially feel untrustworthy of the psychiatric profession when there are so many variable factors to be taken into consideration.