HUMCTR 345: Professional Responsibility & Ethics

This course will address value conflicts and ethical issues human service professionals encounter in a range of human service settings: It explores ethical issues and practices in direct service work- -focusing on moral values, ethical principles/dilemmas, decision-making frameworks, client confidentiality, informed consent, client safety/autonomy, professional boundaries, conflicts of interests, and mandated reporting. We will critically examine cases of consumers at risk, and seek to construct ethical interventions best matched with these case studies. We will explore unethical human service interventions and their determinants. Students will gain specialized knowledge and skill in applying ethical theory to practice in human services.