Laws and Ethics of Counseling Syllabus

AR 120: Laws and Ethics of Counseling

This course gives students the basis for formulating ethical decisions within the broad limits of professional codes and diverse theoretical positions in order to further the best interests of their clients. Introduces students to the current statutes and regulations that govern the professional practice of substance abuse counseling.
Credits 4
Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

SLO1: Explain the reasoning for legal and ethical boundaries in the counseling field.

SLO2: Analyze various situations and explain the presence, or not, of an ethical quandary for a mental health practitioner.

SLO3: Discuss the requirements of specific laws and ethical boundaries in mental health settings.

SLO4: Show understanding of the importance of confidentiality in addiction recovery and therapeutic settings (e.g., ACA Code of Ethics, HIPPA).

General Education Objectives: When the course is completed you will be able to:

  • Students will be able to use Critical Reasoning (Analyzing of information).
  • Students will be able to make ethical decisions. 
Instructional Materials

Berton, Jennifer D. Ethics for Addiction Professionals. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2014.

Course Policies

Incomplete Policy: Students will not be given an incomplete grade in the course without sound reason and documented evidence as described in the Student Handbook. In any case, for a student to receive an incomplete, he or she must be passing the course.

Cheating: Cheating is an automatic failing grade and expulsion from the class. No exceptions!

Need for Assistance: If you have any condition, such as a physical or learning disability, which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as I have outlined, or which will require academic accommodations, please notify me as soon as possible.

Student Evaluation: Points are accumulated for tests and quizzes. A final comprehensive exam must be taken to complete the course. Failure to take the final exam will result in a failing grade for the course.

Participation: (10% of total grade)

Beginning Week 2, students will submit various mini-assignments to gauge involvement in class. Students must be present in order to participate and receive credit. These assignments may not be turned in at a later date.

Assignments: (20% of total grade)

  • You will receive various assignments throughout the quarter.
  • Some assignments will be completed in class while others will be given as homework.
  • All assignments must be submitted within required time frame. For example, Week 1 assignments must be submitted during Week 1.
  • Missing assignments due to absence must be submitted within 2 weeks of absence.
  • Failure to submit missing assignments within 2 weeks of absence will result in an F on the missed assignments.
  • It is your responsibility to ask about missed assignments.

Exams: (70% of total grade)

  • Exams will consist of 15-25 multiple-choice, matching, and/or essay questions.
  • All exams are timed: 30-minute maximum.
  • If you miss an exam, please contact instructor immediately.
  • Missing exams due to absence must be submitted within 2 weeks of test date.
  • Failure to take missing exams within 2 weeks of test date will result in an F on the missed exams.
  • The final exam will be comprehensive (covering all topics).

 

Grading Scales

A = 90% - 100%                   

B = 80% -  89%         

C = 70% -  79%           

D = 60% -  69%         

F = below  60%   

Student Expectations
  • Please respect yourself, your instructor, and your classmates.
  • Please turn off cell phones or set to vibrate before class. Use of cell phones in the classroom is restricted to instructional purposes.
  • Please come to class having read the corresponding chapter(s), and please be prepared to discuss topics covered in the textbook.
  • Please attend class regularly and be punctual. Please read official attendance policy in the Huntington Junior College Catalog.
  • Only work on and view materials related to class.
  • Please do not speak while someone else is speaking.
  • If you must leave class early, please do so without distracting others.
  • Please refrain from making distracting noises.
  • Please be kind to others.
  • Please act professionally.

 

Course Outline

(tentative and subject to change)

Week

Subject Matter

Assignment

One

Introduction to Ethics, Protecting the Client

Activity 1

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

Activity 1

 

Two

Your Strengths & Weaknesses, Client Welfare

Discussion 1

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

Discussion 1

 

Three

Cultural Diversity, Counseling Relationship, Conflicted Agendas

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

 

Four

Exam 1: Protection the Client

Protecting the Clinical Information; Discussion 2

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

 

Five

Respect the Tiers of Ethics, Proper Use of Written Material;

News 1

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

News 1

 

Six

Proper Use of Spoken Clinical Material, Confused Roles

Exam 2: Protecting the Clinical Information

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

Exam 2: Protecting the Clinical Information

 

Seven

Protecting Clinician, Continuous Learning, Responsibility;

News 2

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

News 2

 

Eight

Competency, Clinical Burnout

GE Assignment Due

Exam 3: Protecting the Clinician

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

GE Assignment Due

Exam 3: Protecting the Clinician

 

Nine

Protecting the Community, Make the Rule, Workplace Standards

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

 

Ten

Professional Rapport, Societal Obligations, Cutting Corners

Exam 4: Protecting the Community

 

See Participation & Assignments on following page.

Exam 4: Protecting the Community

 

Eleven

Comprehensive Final Exam

Comprehensive Final Exam

 

Communication

Emails will be responded to no later than 48 hours or by the end of business on Monday for mail received over the weekend.

College Policies

Academic Honesty Policy
The college has a firm policy against academic dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism. Students guilty of academic dishonesty will be administratively dropped from the course with a grade of ‘F’ and subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension and dismissal. 

Please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy for detailed information.

Late Assignment Policy

Meeting deadlines, being dependable, and applying appropriate time management are all foundational elements of professional behavior. These same attributes are also required while participating in college courses because the skills, knowledge, and student learning outcomes must be obtained in a specific order and within a certain amount of time.

We at HJC understand that sometimes students encounter circumstances that make it difficult to always meet the required course deadlines. This Late Work Policy is in place to accommodate that. In all circumstances, whenever possible, contact your instructor when you anticipate that you will be submitting work late.

The deadlines for most courses typically follow the pattern below, but it is your responsibility to confirm this and be aware if there are any assignments that may have different deadlines for one reason or another.

The first post in each Discussion Board is usually due on the Wednesday night of each module/week.

Most other assignments are due by 11:59 pm on Sunday evening of each module/week.

  • All assignments must be submitted by the required due date.
  • Missing assignments due to absence must be submitted within 1 week of return.
  • Late submissions of assignments will result in a reduction of 10% of the total points possible per day (e.g., 1 day late = -10%, 2 days late = 20%, etc.) up to one week. Anything over 1 week late will result in a grade of 0.
  • To receive full credit for late work, students must provide documentation for an excused absence, or it will be subject to the same treatment as any other late work. Documentation examples include court documents, hospitalization, etc.

Instructors may also choose to deduct less points at their discretion.

If for some reason a student temporarily loses the ability to connect to Canvas due to technical issues it is the student’s obligation to submit assignments by the original due dates. Temporary remedies can be connecting via a public WiFi spot, using school facilities to connect, or use of private networks through friends and family.

In extreme cases, when none of these solutions are available, the student may contact their instructors through other means and ask permission to submit their work directly, in a method that can be received by the instructor. Under no circumstances can methods of delivery outside of Canvas be used without explicit instructor permission. (If this ever happens the instructor should somehow note it).

Minimum Technology Requirements

Having access to a reliable desktop or laptop is required for HJC online courses. This requirement ensures students have the essential technologies to complete online courses successfully. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablets may be utilized as additional tools to assist with completing online courses.

Online video conferences and calls are often the best way for instructors to assist students in many situations. A web camera and microphone are necessary for successful online conferences. 

Safari and Chrome: Office 365 is designed to work with the current version of the Safari and Chrome browsers. Microsoft Edge: Office 365 is designed to work with the latest version of the Microsoft Edge browser.

Internet Explorer: Office 365 is designed to work with Internet Explorer 11. We recommend that you upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 if you are using an earlier version. Office might continue to work with versions of Internet Explorer other than Internet Explorer 11, but Office can’t provide any guarantees.

Firefox: Most Office 365 apps are designed to work with the current version of Firefox.

Some courses may have additional technology requirements beyond those listed here. Additional requirements will be listed in your Canvas course room.

Basic Office 365 apps are free and available to students with their HJC Outlook account. For additional questions and help with the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Minimum Technical Skills Requirements

 To complete online courses successfully, you must be able to perform the following basic technical skills before starting the class

  • Use the learning management system, Canvas
  • Use HJC email with attachments
  • Download, save, and upload files in Canvas

For additional questions regarding the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Technology Support
To be a successful online learner, certain technologies are necessary.  Please keep in mind that certain classes may have additional technical requirements. You should be able to find additional technical requirements in your syllabus or your canvas course room. If you have any questions about the technology requirement, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or support@hjc.edu

Accessibility Information
Huntington Junior College is committed to full compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For additional information, please access accessibility policy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or pjustice@hjc.edu if you have any additional questions.

Copyright Policy
As an institution of higher education, Huntington Junior College strongly believes in intellectual property. As such, Huntington Junior College respects intellectual property and has made it a priority to ensure all employees and students respect the copyrights of others. If you have any questions about our copyright policy, please access the copyright policy

Privacy Policy
The college understands the importance of protecting your information and privacy. Our Privacy Policy provides additional information on the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act. 

Third party privacy policies:

Zoom

VitalSource

Labyrinth Learning

Canvas

McGraw-Hill

Cengage

Pearson

Poptential

YouTube

Canva

Archive.org

Quizizz

Other Student Success Services
Please access Student Success page for other student success services information, such as financial aid, lab hours, parking, library, transcripts, and career services on the college

If you need to speak with a person regarding any college policies and guidelines, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the college at 304-697-7550 

This information is standard for each course but specifics may vary based on the delivery method of the course you are taking. Please follow the information provided by your instructor.

This syllabus is subject to change.