Professional Considerations for the Clinician

A focus upon competent and ethically appropriate care is essential for the effective and comprehensive delivery of mental health services to elite athletes. Competent and ethically appropriate care ensures the clients’ well-being, needs, and safety remain at the forefront of the working relationship. This chapter addresses a number of professional issues pertaining to mental health service provision in elite sport settings. More specifically, this chapter will highlight relevant legal issues pertaining to this work, as well as associated ethical standards and principles stemming from governing bodies within the discipline of sport and performance psychology (e.g., Association for Applied Sport Psychology, American Psychological Association, International Society for Sport Psychology). Areas of focus will include a) competence and appropriate use of referrals, b) confidentiality and informed consent, c) multiple role relationships, and d) the provision or receiving of supervision for applied work in this environment.