Practical Applications for the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards

Occupational therapy professionals fulfill a wide variety of roles, including those of educator, practitioner, consultant, advocate, researcher, and volunteer. Ethical dilemmas may arise in any of these roles and across the many contexts in which occupational therapy is practiced. Lifelong ethical education is an important part of becoming and remaining an ethical practitioner.

This book can help occupational therapy practitioners and students strive toward the aspirational principles articulated in the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards. Authors provide case studies and vignettes to illustrate each principle of the code Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy and Confidentiality, Social Justice, Procedural Justice, Veracity, and Fidelity in various settings and with diverse populations mental health; productive aging; children and youth; health promotion and wellness; work and industry; and participation, disability, and rehabilitation. Contributors also discuss ethical models, research, and institutions. Chapters emphasize a variety of important themes, including adherence to the Code and Ethics Standards, ACOTE standards, and state regulations; support of occupational therapy students academic education and professional development for ethical practice; fulfillment of state regulatory requirements; promotion of ethical reasoning and decision making through continuing education; and compliance with continuing education mandates.

Additional materials include the Code and Ethics Standards, enforcement procedures, scope of practice, NBCOT documents, ethics resources, and a glossary. This book can be used in academic settings and in occupational therapy practice to encourage learning, reflection, dialogue, and ethical behavior.

Janie B. Scott, MA, OT/L, FAOTA, is an occupational therapy and aging-in-place consultant and adjunct faculty at Towson University, Towson, Maryland. She has been Ethics Officer, Director of Practice, and Staff Liaison to the Special Interest Sections of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

S. Maggie Reitz, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is chairperson and professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. She has been elected and served as President of the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association and chairperson of AOTA's Ethics Commission.