- Joined
- Feb 11, 2020
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Hi all. I'm having a bit of an issue with a supervisor over psychological testing and what I can and can't/won't do. I am looking for guidance or tips on how to navigate professional boundaries. If asking for this kind of guidance is appropriate on this board, please let me know.
So, bit of back story. I do psychological testing for 2 psychologists at a practice in my town. I usually do WISC, WAIS, WRAT, WIAT, NEPSY, WMS, RBANS, MMPI, PAI, etc... a whole variety, depending on what they come in for of course. Well, this practice also does a lot of Autism testing, which I have made absolutely clear that I am not competent in so those cases usually go to an intern who is trained in the ADOS. One of my supervisors is totally accepting and understanding of the fact that is something I am not trained in.
The other supervisor, however, has had me attend a "training" (it was a formal training, however, he scheduled me over the training and I only caught the last 15 minutes of it...). He has had me observe a total of 2 whole ADOSs, and believes that I am "trained" enough to be administering and scoring it. I have told him multiple times, no, that I am not comfortable with it, I am not competent in this, and it goes against APA standards and my state's regulatory standards/ethics to do something you're not competent in. I also mentioned that it is crossing a professional boundary and he laughed it off. He also won't provide formal training, and just keeps telling me to read the manual (which I have done), but this is a big thing (to me) and I don't feel that this "training" has been enough - but that isn't the point.
Well, not next week (I alternate weeks between which psychologist I work for) but the week after, he has two ADOS clients on my schedule. I'm trying to navigate how to professionally say, "hey, no, I won't do it." My fear is that he'll say, "I pay you to do testing, do as I say" or something of that sort. I know that testing is my job, but me not doing ADOSs has never been an issue until recently, as he has blatantly ignored my set boundaries.
Also, we all have our "areas" of things we are good at/not good at, and things we want to do/don't want to do. I'm comfortable with literally anything else, any other tests we do, except the ADOS. We even have 2 people on staff that are adequately trained and can do them, why try and have me do something that they can do? To note, as well, it may seem that I'm throwing a fit but I know what I'm competent in and this is not it, and my other supervisor respects this completely and has me do things he knows I'm good at.
Also, not sure if important, but the interns are not licensed and work under the supervisors license. So if they mess up and do things they don't know how to do, cool, that's his problem. But me, I'm licensed and am working under my own license and am not willing to go against ethical standards to do something to make him happy.
So, bit of back story. I do psychological testing for 2 psychologists at a practice in my town. I usually do WISC, WAIS, WRAT, WIAT, NEPSY, WMS, RBANS, MMPI, PAI, etc... a whole variety, depending on what they come in for of course. Well, this practice also does a lot of Autism testing, which I have made absolutely clear that I am not competent in so those cases usually go to an intern who is trained in the ADOS. One of my supervisors is totally accepting and understanding of the fact that is something I am not trained in.
The other supervisor, however, has had me attend a "training" (it was a formal training, however, he scheduled me over the training and I only caught the last 15 minutes of it...). He has had me observe a total of 2 whole ADOSs, and believes that I am "trained" enough to be administering and scoring it. I have told him multiple times, no, that I am not comfortable with it, I am not competent in this, and it goes against APA standards and my state's regulatory standards/ethics to do something you're not competent in. I also mentioned that it is crossing a professional boundary and he laughed it off. He also won't provide formal training, and just keeps telling me to read the manual (which I have done), but this is a big thing (to me) and I don't feel that this "training" has been enough - but that isn't the point.
Well, not next week (I alternate weeks between which psychologist I work for) but the week after, he has two ADOS clients on my schedule. I'm trying to navigate how to professionally say, "hey, no, I won't do it." My fear is that he'll say, "I pay you to do testing, do as I say" or something of that sort. I know that testing is my job, but me not doing ADOSs has never been an issue until recently, as he has blatantly ignored my set boundaries.
Also, we all have our "areas" of things we are good at/not good at, and things we want to do/don't want to do. I'm comfortable with literally anything else, any other tests we do, except the ADOS. We even have 2 people on staff that are adequately trained and can do them, why try and have me do something that they can do? To note, as well, it may seem that I'm throwing a fit but I know what I'm competent in and this is not it, and my other supervisor respects this completely and has me do things he knows I'm good at.
Also, not sure if important, but the interns are not licensed and work under the supervisors license. So if they mess up and do things they don't know how to do, cool, that's his problem. But me, I'm licensed and am working under my own license and am not willing to go against ethical standards to do something to make him happy.