HS 420 - Professional Ethics in Human Services

(3 Credits)

This course is designed for Human Service students and others pursuing careers in Human Services. The purpose of this course is to provide a depth of understanding to relevant ethical issues, guidelines, and practices. Students will know the codes of ethics for National Association of Human Services (NOHS), National Association of Social Work (NASW), American Psychological Association (APA), and International Certification for Drug and Alcohol Counseling (ICADC), and how to apply the codes to a variety of situations common in the field. Through reading and discussion of case studies, students will develop competence in utilizing a range of decision-making models. Such models will be applied to salient issues confronting groups and individuals struggling with a range of issues including but not limited to; interpersonal relations, grief, sexuality, addiction, non-clinical mental health issues, unemployment, and end-of-life issues. The course also will help students understand ethical best practices in regard to supervision, termination, mandated reporting, boundaries, informed consent, confidentiality, and the rights of clients.

Prerequisite(s): HS 160