Alabama Administrative Code › Title 536 - ALABAMA BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY › Chapter 536-X-8 - STANDARDS OF CONDUCT OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS › Section 536-X-8-.04 - Responsibility To Students And Supervisees

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
Marriage and family therapists do not exploit the trust and
				dependency of students and supervisees.
(1) Marriage and family therapists are aware
			 of their influential positions with respect to students and supervisees, and
			 they avoid exploiting the trust and dependency of such persons. Therapists,
			 recognize that potential for multiple relationships with students exist.
			 Marriage and family therapists accept that multiple relationships add to the
			 complexity of the professional relationship and work to ensure clarity of
			 professional judgment and avoid exploitation of the student.
(2) Marriage and family therapists do not
			 provide therapy to current students or supervisees.
(3) Marriage and family therapists do not
			 engage in sexual intimacy with undergraduate or graduate students or
			 supervisees during the evaluative or training relationship between the
			 therapist and student or supervisee. Should a supervisor engage in sexual
			 activity with a former student or supervisee, the burden of proof shifts to the
			 supervisor to demonstrate that there has been no exploitation or injury to the
			 student or supervisee.
(4) The
			 marriage and family therapist shall not sexually harass students or
			 supervisees. Sexual harassment includes sexual solicitation or requests for
			 sexual favors.
(5) Marriage and
			 family therapists do not permit students or supervisees to perform or to hold
			 themselves out as competent to perform professional services beyond their
			 training, level of experience, and competence.
(6) Marriage and family therapists take
			 reasonable measures to ensure that services provided by supervisees are
			 professional.
(7) Marriage and
			 family therapists avoid accepting as supervisees or students those individuals
			 with whom a prior or existing relationship could compromise the therapist's
			 objectivity. When such situations cannot be avoided, therapists take
			 appropriate precautions to maintain objectivity. Examples of such relationships
			 include, but are not limited to, those individuals with whom the therapist has
			 a current or prior sexual, close personal, immediate familial, or therapeutic
			 relationship.
(8) Marriage and
			 family therapists do not disclose supervisee confidences except by written
			 authorization or waiver, or when mandated or permitted by law. In educational
			 or training settings where there are multiple supervisors, disclosures are
			 permitted only to other professional colleagues, administrators, or employers
			 who share responsibility for training of the supervisee. Verbal authorization
			 will not be sufficient except in emergency situations, unless prohibited by
			 law.
(9) Marriage and family
			 therapists providing clinical supervision shall not enter into financial
			 arrangements with supervisees through deceptive or exploitative practices, nor
			 shall marriage and family therapists providing clinical supervision exert undue
			 influence over supervisees when establishing supervision fees. Marriage and
			 family therapists shall also not engage in other exploitative practices of
			 supervisees.
Author:
The Alabama Board of Examiners in
				  Marriage and Family Therapy
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, §§
										34-17A-1 thru
				  34-17A-26.