Abstract
Crisis situations can create serious legal and ethical issues. This chapter provides guidance to service providers and parents or guardians for dealing with potential situations that may give rise to legal and ethical concerns when serving individuals with developmental disabilities. Persons being served in treatment programs have certain basic constitutional rights, including the right to reasonably safe conditions of confinement and freedom from unreasonable bodily restraint. Additionally, consumers have a right to be free from aversive procedures and involuntary servitude. People with developmental disabilities also have the right to refuse treatment, the right to treatment in the least restrictive setting, and the right to choice in their treatment and everyday lives. Legal liability issues can arise in any treatment program, and staff should be aware of the necessity to properly supervise, maintain equipment, keep living premises safe, and provide appropriate medical care. Protective mechanisms such as human rights and peer review committees offer additional protection for treatment programs.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge Jamie Price, James Sherman, and Michael Strouse for their valuable contributions to this chapter.
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Sheldon, J.B., Sheldon-Sherman, J.A.L. (2013). Legal and Ethical Issues. In: Reed, D., DiGennaro Reed, F., Luiselli, J. (eds) Handbook of Crisis Intervention and Developmental Disabilities. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6531-7_15
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