Frederick Community College

HS 204 – Ethics and Practice Issues in the Human Services

Online

Summer 2009

 

Instructor Information:

 

Name: Katherine Helfrich

Office:   B 201

E-mail: khelfrich@frederick.edu

 

Phone Number: (301)846-2557 (FCC)

(410) 531-0694 (Home)

Office Hours:  During the month of June, I will be in my FCC office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9-4:30.  During July I will be available online Monday-Friday.

Campus Mail Box Number: 170

 

 

 

Course Information:

 

Credits:  1

Last Day to Drop: July 8

Prerequisites:  HS 203

Co-requisites: INTR 102 or work in field

Meeting Day(s): NA

Meeting Time(s): NA

 

Course Description:

         

Integrates a study of ethical and practice issues in the human service field with the student’s experience in the cooperative education practicum.  Special attention will be given to the special ethical issues in the addictions field.

 

 

Core Learning Outcomes:

 

By the completion of the course students will:

1.    Describe the Federal, State, agency, and professional code of ethics governing his or her work;

2.    Describe the client rights and responsibilities;

3.    Demonstrate understanding of professional standards and scope of practice;

4.    Discuss boundary issues between client and counselor;

5.    Differentiate the role of the professional counselor and a peer counselor or sponsor;

6.    Demonstrate beginning skills in critical writing;

7.    Identify appropriate referral sources for the agency in which the student works;

8.    Develop several case presentations;

9.    Describe the degrees/certification in the human service profession

 

 

 

Instructional Methods: 

 

1.    Papers

2.    Class discussions online through “discussion board”

3.    Case presentations

 

 

Text(s) for Course:

 

Corey, G. et al, Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, 7th edition.

 

 

 

 

Evaluation Methods: 

 

Tests / Papers / Projects

Point Value

Final Grade Scale

 

1.  Ethics paper (4-6 pages)

100

 

2.  Two case presentations

200 (100 each)

 

3.  Self-Reflection paper

100

 

4.     Discussion Board participation

80

 

 

 

Progress Report:  

 

Students will receive weekly feedback on papers and discussion board participation.

 

Attendance Policy:  

Weekly participation in the class discussions and posting of papers is required.

 

 

FCC provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified students with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and amendments.  Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations must contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at 301-846-2408 (A Building, Room 106A) in order to request and apply for services.  The SSD office will require appropriate documentation of a disability.  Questions related to accommodations or services can be directed to the SSD office.  Additional information related to services can be viewed at the following FCC web page:  http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/disability.aspx.  
If you currently receive services from the SSD office, please submit your Student Success Plan to me and make an appointment with me to discuss your accommodations and needs in class.  I will hold any information you share with me in strict confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise.

 

 

TOPICAL OUTLINE

Week

Date

Subject

Content

1

June 1

An Introduction to Professional Ethics

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 1

Self Assessment (pp. 25-32)

Online discussion

2

June 8

The Counselor

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 2

Online discussion

3

June 15

Values and Helping

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 3

Online Discussion

Ethics paper due

4

June 22

Client Rights

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 5 & 6

Online Discussion

First case presentation

5

June 29

Boundary Issues in the Helping Field

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 7

Online Discussion

6

July 6

Multicultural Perspectives & Diversity Issues

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 4

Online Discussion

Second case presentation

7

July 13

Issues in Supervision and Consultation

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 9

Online discussion

8

July 20

Professional Competence and Training

Reading:  Corey, Chapter 8

Online Discussion

Self-Reflection Paper due Reading: 

 

Details of Assignments:

 

Online Discussion:  We will have a weekly online discussion of either a question that I will post or a case that I will post.  Please post at least one response to my question or case and a response to each of the other members of the class.  Hopefully, we will get a full discussion going around these very challenging ethical questions.  You should have all your discussion board postings completed by midnight on Sunday (June 7, 14, 21, 28, July 5, 12, 19, 26). You will get a participation grade of up to 10 points each week on your discussion board activity.

 

Ethics Paper:  After reading the ethical guidelines and Chapters 1 - 3 and the professional guidelines governing your agency, study the way that those ethical guidelines are implemented in the agency in which you are either an intern or employee.  Write a 4-6 page paper on the guidelines for work in an agency like the one where you are doing your internship experience and then describe how those guidelines are actually implemented within the agency. This assignment is worth 100 points.

 

Case Presentations:  Develop two cases for presentation.  Discuss the issues that bring the client to the agency, the history, the goals for work with the client, and progress to date.  Include any issues that you as a human service worker might want to keep in mind as you work with this particular client.  These two case presentations are each worth 100 points.

 

Self-Reflection Paper:  At the end of the course, prepare a 3-5 page paper that is a reflection of your own skills for human service work.  What strengths do you have as a human service worker?  What areas will need particular work?  What is your education and career plan?  How does that fit into the specialties within the field and the licensing/credentialing in the field? Where will you go from here?

How has the discussion of the ethical issues in this course impacted your work?

 

Grades: Grades will be determined by a point system as follows:

A = 432-480 points

B = 384-431

C = 336-383

D = 288-335

F = below 288

I = in accordance with FCC policy.  Arrangements must be made prior to July 25.