PSY 545 Ethics and Diversity Essay

PSY 545 Ethics and Diversity Essay

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PSY 545 Ethics and Diversity Essay

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PSY 545 2-2 Milestone One.docx

1. a) Assess the forensic psychologist’s role relative to the potential ethical implications or ramifications in the scenario. For instance, what is the importance of maintaining objectivity or maintaining professionalism? Substantiate your claims, referencing the Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
2. b) Assess the potential risks associated with implementing forensic psychology practices specific to the scenario. For example, are there personal biases that would impact the forensic psychologist’s ability to be objective and fair in this scenario?
3. c) What is your recommended course of action regarding the risks you identified, demonstrating your adherence to high ethical standards in working with all relevant parties in the scenario? i. For instance, how does a forensic psychologist still work clinically with a defendant when the psychologist would be required to release information obtained in an individual therapy session? Or what would be the ethical implications for a forensic psychologist working on a case in which the psychologist is privy to unethical behavior being engaged in on the part of other court officials?
4. Implications of Diversity
5. a) What are the implications of diversity (e.g., race, gender) on the effective delivery of forensic-related services relative to the scenario? Overall, what are the drawbacks to being insensitive to and not culturally aware of differences when working with clients?
6. b) How would you address issues of diversity in your selected scenario? In other words, what are your recommendations to the assigned forensic psychologist, ensuring that the psychologist will maintain the integrity of practice and high standard of professionalism?
7. c) What steps are needed to ensure that best practices in addressing cultural competency are considered when providing services to clients of varying cultures and backgrounds?

Please address a, b, and c for both Ethics and Diversity. The rubric is attached as is the case scenario and breakdown (Milestone One). Any questions, please ask. Thank you!

PSY 545 Ethics and Diversity Essay

Capital Punishment Sentencing

The final project proposal will be focusing on analyzing the case of Capital Punishment Sentencing: Competency Evaluation. All key factors in this case will be analyzed in order to develop a good testimony to support the defendant and his competence and emotional stability at the time of the crime. The chosen case involves Mr. Davis, a Muslim man who immigrated to this country five years ago.

Mr. Davis has a long history of psychiatric hospitalizations related to his diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia. He reports having delusions that revolve around the belief that uniformed spies have been sent to execute him. When he does not take his medication, he reports auditory and visual hallucinations. Mr. Davis was found sleeping in the delivery shed of a warehouse and subsequently arrested and sent to jail.

During his time in jail, he was put on antipsychotic medications and he was released after 45 days. Following his release, Mr. Davis returned to living on the streets and was unable to continue taking his medication. Mr. Davis was sleeping on a park bench when he was assaulted by several youths who beat him but left him with no serious injuries. Mr. Davis was convinced that these youths were a part of the uniformed spies he believed were going to return and assassinate him. Fearing for his life, he found a 17-inch pipe and hid for the rest of the evening

The next morning, Mr. Davis saw two kids in uniforms approaching him, a pair of brothers who were 14 years old and 12 years old who were on their way to a Boy Scout meeting. Mr. Davis then ran up behind the boys and started swinging the pipe he had in his possession, screaming that they would never take him alive. The 12-year-old boy was struck in the head, causing severe head trauma, while the 14-year-old boy received a blow to the face but was able to flee.

Mr. Davis then returned to the 12-year-old boy and bludgeoned him to death with the pipe and was still hitting the lifeless body when police arrived. When the police came. Mr. Davis dropped the pipe and sat in silence after he was subdued. Mr. Davis was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to a state hospital. After eight months of pharmacological treatment, he was found competent, and tried and convicted of capital murder.

PSY 545 Ethics and Diversity Essay

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The assigned forensic psychologist will need to investigate the aggravating and mitigating circumstances at the time of the crime. In Mr. Davis’s case, the aggravating circumstances are that the crime was committed in an atrocious and cruel manner, and that the offender has the probability of committing future criminal acts. The mitigating circumstances of this case are that the offender, at the time of the offense, was under extreme emotional or mental distress and that he was unable to understand the wrongfulness of his act or confirm his behavior to the requirements of the law.

Mitigating factors do not lessen the crime committed however they are extenuating circumstances for which the punishment may be lessened (Miley, Heiss, Cochran, Heide, Fogel, Smith, & Bejerregaard, 2020). Aggravating factors increase the defendant’s culpability and therefore could lead to a more severe sentence.

When it comes to the needs of the client, one of the most important things to discuss is making sure that Mr. Davis can and will take his medication on a regular basis. This would include helping him obtain insurance and making sure he is able to continue taking his medication in order to avoid the auditory and visual hallucinations. The needs of the defense team are to make sure that they have a strong case as to why Mr. Davis should be placed in s psychiatric facility and not prison. The defense team must have strong evidence-based support for why this is needed.

By placing him in a psychiatric facility, they will be able to focus on his mental health needs and lifelong treatment. The role of the court is to decide, based on the evidence presented, if Mr. Davis should be sent to prison or to a psychiatric facility for his offense.

In a study done on the effects of mental disorders as mitigating factors on capital sentencing outcomes, the found that “the capital jury’s acceptance of various mental health conditions does not effectively mitigate against a capital sentence” (Miley et al., 2020). They also found that just rejection of a mental illness diagnosis as a mitigating factor has a counter-mitigating factor and significantly increases the odds of a death penalty recommendation (Miley et al., 2020).

In an article about psychiatric evaluations in capital cases, the authors discuss the roles that psychiatrists have during a capital punishment case. They can testify to the mental state of the defendant at the time of the offense and testify to aggravating and mitigating circumstances. This article also discusses “evaluations of competence, criminal responsibility, mitigating and aggravating factors, and absolute bars to executions, such as those based on age or intellectual disability” (Kapoor, Michaelsen, & Prabhu, 2015).

References

Miley, L. N., Heiss, M. E., Cochran, J. K., Heide, K. M., Fogel, S. J., Smith, M. D., & Bejerregaard, B. J. (2020). An examination of the effects of mental disorders as mitigating factors on capital sentencing outcomes. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 38(4), 381–405. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1002/bsl.2477

Kapoor, R., Michaelsen, K., & Prabhu, M. (2015). Psychiatric evaluations in capital cases. Psychiatric Annals, 45(12), 603–609. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.3928/00485713-20151030-04

PSY 545 Ethics and Diversity Essay

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