BPH320 Documentation, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Community Health Work (3 cr.)

This course focuses on the legal and ethical dimensions of the Community Health Worker’s (CHW) role. Included are boundaries of the CHW position, agency policies, confidentiality, liability, mandatory reporting, and cultural issues that can influence legal and ethical responsibilities.

This course also focuses on the importance and ability of the CHW to gather, document and report client visits and other activities. The emphasis is on appropriate, accurate and clear documentation considering legal and agency requirements.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Conduct a needs assessment, identify, and evaluate community resources for an individual’s or group’s needs.
2. Demonstrate the proper writing of documentation guidelines, using medical terminology when appropriate.
3. Recognize and classify ethical concepts of malpractice (liability, negligence, scope of practice).
4. Assess the value of agency policies and recognize confidentiality practices such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
5. Explain the protocol and process of Mandatory Reporting.