ABSTRACT
Mental healthcare is rife with ethics issues such as access, coercion, confidentiality, and therapeutic boundaries; however, the topic of transitional mental healthcare has received little attention in the literature. Transitional mental healthcare involves time-limited care that aims to bridge services during periods of change. Clients can experience change when moving between mental health services, from inpatient to outpatient programs, and among different healthcare providers. This chapter discusses ethical principles in the context of therapeutic relationships, with a focus on ethical principles that apply to times of transition. In particular, boundaries to the therapeutic relationship are explored and guidelines to assist in maintaining appropriate boundaries are outlined.
