COUN 510 Professional Ethics and Law *

This graduate-level course provides a comprehensive overview of professional ethical codes and legal responsibilities as they relate to the practice of counseling and the development of a professional identity as a counselor. Areas of focus include professional boundaries, fiduciary responsibilities, confidentiality, dual relationships, ethical decision making, professional disclosures, power differentials, and professional communication. Methods of instruction primarily feature in-class face-to-face learning, with some additional asynchronous online work.

Credits

5

Prerequisite

Admission to the MAC program.

Outcomes

1. This course will prepare students to:
2. a) Write a disclosure statement that describes the rights and responsibilities of both the counselor and the client.
3. b) Interpret ethical codes in response to the intricate and ambiguous nature of the counseling relationship, to recognize and apply professional ethical standards, including clear and appropriate relationships with clients, colleagues, and the community.
4. c) Apply an ethical decision-making model to complex scenarios in counseling practice.
5. d) Gather information to assess needs and next steps in the counseling process, including evaluation for suicide/homicide risk and reporting requirements for abuse or neglect of children and vulnerable adults.
6. e) Understand Washington State’s Law related to the counseling profession’s ethical and other issues.