AUTHORITY, AUTONOMY, RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORIZATION - WITH SPECIFICREFERENCE TO ADOLESCENT MENTAL-HEALTH PRACTICE

Standards for professional training and practice are defined by accred iting organisations or statutory bodies. These describe the arena in w hich the practitioner may speak with authority. The sphere of authoris ed authorised practice is further delineated by the external resources available. Within this explicit framework, unconscious mental process es can affect the professional response in potentially adverse ways. T his is particularly important in mental health practice. Professionals must be prepared to examine their own responses on this basis in orde r to enhance their knowledge of the patient and minimise the possibili ties of the patient becoming the victim of the professional's own psyc hopathology. The maintenance of such a position in an institution or o rganisation requires a similar process within its structure in order t o provide the necessary setting and define the limits of good practice . In this paper, the field of adolescent mental health is specifically examined.