The CPA Ethics Committee

The CPA Ethics Committee provides education and support services that will aid in addressing questions regarding the professional practice of psychology. The CPA Ethics Committee focuses on addressing questions of ethics and professional conduct in an educative and consultative manner.
The primary role of the CPA Ethics Committee is to promote ethical conduct by psychologists and other mental health providers at the highest professional level through consultation and education. This Committee follows the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and will aid in the application of these principles in day-to-day practice. This Committee will not provide legal advice, but will recommend that the caller receive legal advice from an attorney if appropriate. Over the years this Committee has received many calls regarding confidentiality, dual relationships, child and elder abuse, sexual boundaries, payment issues, termination, telehealth, conduct of colleagues, competence, questionable practice issues and others. In addition, the Ethics Committee submits E-mail blasts and articles for the CPA newsletter as well as leading symposia and seminars on subjects of current ethical concern. 

The CPA Ethics Committee no longer serves an investigatory or adjudicatory function (i.e., subsequent to change enacted 1/1/2014.) If a call to the on-call member of the CPA Ethics Committee involves a serious legal or ethically problematic issue, the CPA Ethics Committee member will recommend that these calls be forwarded to DORA (the Department of Regulatory Agencies) who will, if necessary, serve in an investigatory and adjudicatory manner. If the call has aspects pertaining to State law, the caller is referred to the list of Committee-vetted mental-health-practice-specializing attorneys in Colorado for issue interpretation based on the law. 

The CPA Ethics Committee is composed of nine licensed Psychologists who serve four-year terms with a limit of two consecutive terms. An attorney with mental health law specialization is a consulting member of this Committee. Call is rotated among the nine members on a monthly basis. To contact the Psychologist on call for the month, please call the Colorado Psychological Association at 303-692-9303. 

The CPA Ethics Committee is committed to remaining a valuable resource for CPA members as well as others in the community with consulting needs related to the ethics of mental health services delivery.

Ethics Committee Chair: Mary Ann Watson, PhD