Shelly Chabon

Ethical Deliberation: A Foundation for Evidence-Based Practice

Infusing evidence-based practice (EBP) into the clinical setting implies that professionals use evidence that is relevant and credible, maintain their pursuit of best current knowledge, respect their clients preferences and values, and keep these clients and their families appropriately informed about their treatment options. Thus, rational and judicious EBP must be guided by speech-language pathologists or audiologists ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and autonomy. In this article, we will affirm the centrality of ethical reasoning in EBP by describing what it means to be a professional as reflected in our Code of Ethics, reviewing the principles of ethics that underlie clinical decision making, and demonstrating how an ethical framework can and should provide the context in which EBP is conducted.

Facilitating those dreaded discussions on diversity, through threaded discussions: An inter‐institutional, internet‐based model

This article presents an inter‐institutional, Internet‐based model for promoting discussions about diversity among graduate students and faculty, developed collaboratively by Hampton University (Hampton, VA) ‐ predominately African American ‐ and Rockhurst University (Kansas City, MO) ‐ predominately Euro‐American. While these institutions are demographically and geographically different, their similarities in size, institutional missions, and departmental objectives facilitated the inter‐institutional development and delivery of the course. We present the rationale behind the development of the course, describe its content and format, and consider the benefits and risks of utilising the Internet to better prepare all students for living and working in a diverse society.

Ethics at Work: Issues and Insights across Employment Settings

The beginning of my Clinical Fellowship happened to be the same year that the Watergate scandal was exposed, and public sentiment had become sensitive to and enlightened by the need to ensure ethical conduct at all levels of society. I was working for a well-known, notfor-profit agency. I had just moved to the city where the job was located and did not yet own a car. On my first day as a speech-language pathologist, the director of the facility offered to drive me home. Along the way, he pointed to a gated community and informed me that this was an area in which individuals of certain ethnic backgrounds (including my own) were not permitted. On the second day, he stopped at a bar. Although he invited me to join him, I waited in the car. That night, I purchased my first car, and shortly thereafter I contacted the national association and eventually resigned from my position. My boss was twice my age, had served in his position for 20 years, and had an authoritarian demeanor. In my opinion, his actions violated accepted practices. I felt the balance of power was unequal. I perceived discriminating views and felt his actions devalued the organization and challenged my personal and professional integrity. I considered whether this was an example of an ethical dilemma, a legal issue, an interpersonal communication problem, or just ‘‘one of those things that happens.’’ I felt then, and to some degree still do, that the answers to these questions are controversial, complicated, and confusing. Upon reflection, I recognize that early in my career I learned that ethical predicaments can appear at any time, in any setting, and can pose personal and professional challenges. I also realized that, as complex as the topic of ethics in the workplace is, we all have the training and skills necessary to assist us in making sound, ethical choices. Waggoner comments, ‘‘In a purely technical sense, all professionals are trained or educated to solve problems. The primary motivation to do so derives from a commitment to serve and an obligation to maintain professional integrity in situations involving co-workers, clients, employers, and, ultimately, society itself. Thus it is critical that professionals maintain a sensitivity to the need for strong moral and ethical judgment that translates into ‘principled professional conduct.’’’ The process of ‘‘thinking ethically’’ is a 24/7 endeavor. Ethics is not something that gets turned on or off when we arrive at or leave our workplaces. How our decisions are influenced by or intersect with the policies, practices, and procedures of various employment settings is examined in this Seminars issue. In this time of extensive access to information, we are fortunate to have many resources from which to draw. It is my hope that readers will find the articles herein useful to their clinical decision making. They highlight the intricacy of our work with different individuals across settings. The authors examine the utility of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Code of Ethics across multiple decision-making frameworks and evidence from best practices, and they encourage and support readers in their efforts to ensure that the workplace fosters an environment of