MCCCD Program Description

Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Behavioral Health and Social Service

Course: BHS160

First Term: 2019 Spring

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3.0 Load
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: S - Standard Load

Description: Explores relevant ethical, legal, and professional issues inherent in the behavioral health and social services field, including expectations of and limitations on providers. Key areas of inquiry include boundaries and dual relationships, mandated reporting, confidentiality, scope of practice, beneficence and non-maleficence, rights and responsibilities, professional relationships, and credentialing/regulating agencies.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Identify the unlicensed and licensed professional regulating bodies, laws, and codes of ethics that govern the behavioral health fields. (I) 2. Identify governing bodies that oversee the practice of behavioral health. (I) 3. Define the ethical, legal and professional responsibilities of helping professionals. (II) 4. Identify the role of supervision in the development of professional practice. (II) 5. Describe clients` rights to confidentiality and situations in which confidentiality cannot be assured, including minors and vulnerable adults. (II) 6. Explain ethical issues related to professional competence and scope of practice. (II) 7. Demonstrate accurate documentation of legal and ethical issues. (II) 8. Identify the role of attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and personal and professional values that underlie ethical decision making. (III) 9. Demonstrate the ability to apply concepts of ethical decision making to address common issues in social and behavioral services. (III) 10. Predict ways to effectively manage and avoid boundary issues and dual relationships in behavioral health counseling. (II, III) 11. Explore diversity issues that are relevant within ethical decision making. (III) 12. Identify and describe the unique ethical issues in working with minor clients, including ages of consent in mental health and substance abuse treatment, consent vs. assent for minors, and the involvement of significant others in the treatment process. (III) 13. Demonstrate the ability to apply concepts of ethical decision making with specialized populations, including integrative care. (III)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Ethical codes, legal mandates and professional credentialing A. Professional ethical codes 1. Applicable at undergraduate level a. Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) b. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) c. Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) d. Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) e. National Association for Human Services (NAHS) f. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) 2. Applicable at graduate level a. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapist (AAMFT) b. American Counseling Association (ACA) c. American Psychological Association (APA) d. Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) e. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) f. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) B. Legal mandates 1. Federal a. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 b. 42 CFR (Code of Federal Regulation) Part 2 2. State a. Arizona b. Common differences with other states C. State licensure and credentialing authorities 1. Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners 2. Arizona Board of Psychology Examiners 3. Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) II. Licensed and non-licensed behavioral health professionals A. Roles and responsibilities 1. Role and function 2. Issues and focus 3. Expectations 4. Limitations 5. Documentation, reporting requirements, and record-keeping 6. Supervision B. General ethical concepts 1. Client rights and informed consent 2. Confidentiality a. Laws and regulations b. Limits c. Ways to protect 3. Duty to warn 4. Helper/helpee relationships a. Exploitive, boundaries, and multiple relationships b. Managing personal and professional values, attitudes and beliefs c. Multicultural considerations and diversity issues d. Case management and collaboration 5. Professional competence and scope of practice 6. Beneficence and non-maleficence a. Care with welfare and good intention b. Avoid harm c. Practicing with compassion 7. Termination/abandonment III. Ethics in social and behavioral services A. Decision making and professionalism 1. Personal values 2. Beliefs and assumptions 3. Attitudes 4. Intentional fidelity to ethical behavior B. Unique considerations with special populations 1. Substance abuse a. Federal regulations b. 42 CFR Part 2 2. Minors and elderly 3. Couples and family 4. Integrated care a. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) b. Quality service organization agreements c. Business associate agreements

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: June 26, 2018

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.