PY722 Ethics and Professional Issues (3 cr.)

Prerequisite(s): PY613  
This course provides an orientation to the field of counseling, with an emphasis on acquiring the identity of a professional counselor within an ethical practice. The roles of and settings for professional counselors are reviewed including distinctions in levels and types of competencies and supervision requirements. Ethical principles, ethical codes, standards of practice, State of Minnesota statutes and rules, as well as emerging trends in the profession are examined.

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

1. Identify the functions and roles of counselors in various professional settings.
2. Identify professional issues for counselors, including licensure, association membership, supervision, and self-care.
3. Describe ethical dilemmas faced by professional counselors in a variety of practice settings.
4. Apply professional codes of ethics (American Counseling Association & American Psychological Association) in decision making within a variety of practice settings.
5. Apply the Minnesota statutes and rules for psychology and counseling in clinical situations.
6. Evaluate the impact of ethical considerations on the practice and conduct of a professional counselor.
7. Formulate an individual ethical decision-making process for dilemmas that arise within the counseling profession. The class will specifically cover best practices for managing suicidal or homicidal risk and mandated reporting.
8. Cultivate sensitivity to the cultural context of ethical dilemmas.
9. Analyze emerging trends in the mental health profession from an ethical perspective.