[Adta] getting permission for DMT group videotaping

[Christine Hopkins]

Hi Lora--

Regarding your preparation for obtaining permission to videotape dance therapy sessions for supervision purposes:

Does your facility ever have Psych PhD interns?  In psychologist training it is usual and routine to videotape sessions and/or use the one-way mirror for live observation by supervisors and other interns.

The American Psychological Assoc. web site may have something about this that you might want to include as supporting documentation for your request.  Also, some professional codes of ethics may mention how to proceed properly or the HIPAA legislation may include some guidelines for videotaping sessions.  Any supporting documentation you include both legitimizes and supports your request.

If you can formulate how such a videotaping would benefit the facility--could be used for orientation for new staff?  for interns?  for quality assurance/program evaluation purposes?  for orientation for new patients?--if you can define some self-interest/benefit for your setting, that would support your request.

Do you have the support of your direct supervisor and can they represent your request to management?  Has anyone else there ever videotaped sessions?

Best wishes in your project,
Christine Hopkins


Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 07:49:13 +0000
From: "Lora Wilson" <writelora at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Adta] videotaping patients?
To: adta at adta.org
Message-ID: <BAY142-F35C29D2740E9F648FDC499A2E30 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hello all. Hoping you might have some advice for me.

I need to videotape two sessions for long distance supervision. I work in a 
private psych hospital where I am pretty sure the administration will be, 
shall I say, less than eager to accomodate my request.  I'm hoping that if I 
submit the request armed with the knowledge of examples of other 
professionals and facilities that have allowed this, along with a clear cut 
protocol for obtaining consent, etcetera, that I will be able to persuade my 
boss to permit this.

If I go in without this knowledge, I feel quite confident my request will be 
denied as "unfeasible."

I work in psych, some younger adults (30-50) some geriatric.  How do you 
obtain consent in these situations? Would I need to obtain consent from pts 
or from conservators, family etcetera?

Also, any words of wisdom from DMTs who have also experienced resistance 
(but overcame) in doing videotaping... I'd appreciate hearing how you 
articulated your request.

Help?!

Thanks in advance for your assistance,
Lora Wilson, MA, DTR