ABSTRACT
What should I expect from the mental health professionals (MHPs) to whom I refer parishioners? Should they tell me anything I want to know about the case? Is it normal for a professional to insist that he or she can treat any mental health problem with 100 percent success? Should I be concerned to hear that a parishioner has been seeing her therapist “socially”? Is it OK for a counselor to recommend that his or her clients use Benadryl to help them sleep at night? Each of these questions raises important issues regarding professional behavior and adherence to ethical principles. As a minister who refers parishioners to MHPs, you have a vested interest in ensuring that the MHPs with whom you do business are personally healthy and adhere to the highest standards of their profession—including the code of ethics relevant to their professional group. Although it is also ideal to find a practitioner who is theologically competent and spiritually mature, this may not be feasible in many small communities.
