Ethics Issues and Decision Making in Occupational Therapy, 3rd Edition

Course Description: This course will help readers answer this question and many others by increasing their ability to use ethical reasoning and decision making to address ethical issues.  Although occupational therapy practitioners learn about ethics – including values, attitudes, principles, and standards of conduct – during their academic preparation (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education [ACOTE®], 2018), they often fail to grasp the true complexities until ethical dilemmas arise during their direct work with clients or during their performance of other work-related responsibilities. The American Occupational Therapy Association’s AOTA 2020 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (“the Code”; AOTA, 2020a) is a public statement to all AOTA members regarding the philosophy, principles, standards, and procedures used to promote and maintain a high quality of conduct within the profession. The Code is designed to inform and protect current and potential consumers while safeguarding the integrity of the profession. Ethics is considered a cornerstone  of the fourth edition of the “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework” (AOTA, 2020c).