Asynchronous online course, Ethics, Law, and Professional Issues for Behavioral Health Technicians helps prepares students for functioning in a professional role. This includes professional, ethical, legal and clinical issues relevant to becoming a successful human service professional. 3.0 Credits. Prerequisites: PSY 1010.

Psychology 2030 prepares you for employment in the human-services field. It accomplishes this by teaching you foundational ethical principles within behavioral health, with an emphasis on ethical guidelines that are consistent across professional organizations (i.e., APA, ACA, NASW, etc). This course will also focus on the application of ethical principles in the clinical employment setting.

• Corey, G., Schnieder Corey, M., Corey, C. (2023). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions 11th Edition. Cengage.

• Ethical Reasoning – By the end of the semester you will learn basic principles of appropriate legal and ethical practice. By the end of the semester, you will be able to describe and analyze positions on ethical issues, apply reasoning skills, demonstrate ethical decision-making, and demonstrate an evolving ethical self-identity.
• Integrative Learning – By the end of the semester you will be able to make connections between what you are learning in the classroom and apply it to the real world.
• Personal and Social Responsibility – Making a difference in the lives of others in a professionally competent and responsible manner constitutes the theme of the entire course. As a result of this course, you will acquire and implement knowledge and skills to work with and serve others.

Quizzes 100 points (10 Quizzes x 10 points each)

There will be at least 10 quizzes throughout the course. Each quiz contains approximately 10 questions that are either multiple choice, true/false or essay questions. If more than 10 quizzes are given, your lowest quiz score will be dropped. Unless you have a university approved absence, you cannot make up the quiz.

Discussion Boards 20 points

There will be discussion board activities frequently throughout the course. The main purpose of this assignment is to help you apply your ethical knowledge and reasoning skills. This assignment will also provide an opportunity to interact with other students in the class and learn from their perspectives. The topics will vary depending on the content in the weekly modules. Specific instructions will be posted within each discussion board. When assigned, be sure to complete the discussion board activity by the deadline.

Self-Reflection Assignments 15 points

In this assignment, you will compare your knowledge of ethics before the course (part 1) and after the course (part 2). This is a brief written assignment where you will respond to a set of prompts. Additional information will be provided on Canvas.

Exams 150 points (50 points for each exam, and 50 points for the final)

There will be 2 exams during the semester and a final exam. These exams are all available online and students must complete the exam by the deadline. The exam will be open for approximately one week, students must take the exam within this timeline. No late exams are offered. Exams are timed; students must complete the exam in one session; be sure to take the exam during a time you will not face interruptions. Students must complete exams independently. Students who provide information about exam material, or receive information about exam material, will be subject to procedures outlined in the Academic Integrity Policy (SUU 6.33). Students with disabilities who are eligible for accommodations are encouraged to contact the instructor to make arrangements.

Grading Policy

Assignments will be carefully assessed and given a letter grade. Work that exceeds expectations will receive an A grade; work that is competent and correct, a B; work that meets the minimum requirements, a C; and work that is poorly executed or incomplete, a D or lower. Assignments are due by the deadline displayed in Canvas and are not accepted after the deadline. Exceptions may be granted for students who experience emergency circumstances. If such a situation occurs, the student should contact the instructor as soon as possible.

Unless you have a university approved absence, you cannot make up the quiz.

There will be 2 exams during the semester and a final exam. These exams are all available online and students must complete the exam by the deadline. The exam will be open for approximately one week, students must take the exam within this timeline. No late exams are offered.

Assignments are due by the deadline displayed in Canvas and are not accepted after the deadline. Exceptions may be granted for students who experience emergency circumstances. If such a situation occurs, the student should contact the instructor as soon as possible.

This is an online course with no formal meeting schedule. No attendance will be taken. However, this course is not self-paced and students are expected to consistently participate in order to maximize their ability to learn the content. In general, the course follows a weekly format and modules are opened at the beginning of the week, similar to an in-person course.

It is important to recognize that the online classroom is in fact a classroom, and certain behaviors are expected when you communicate with both your peers and your instructor. These guidelines for online behavior and interaction are known as netiquette.

General Guidelines:

When communicating online, you should always:

• Treat your peers and the instructor with respect, even in email or in any other online communication. Many professors prefer their professional title like Dr. or Prof. If you don’t know your professor’s preference, it is best to use their formal title unless specifically invited to address them differently.
• Use clear and concise language. Remember that all college level communication should have correct spelling and grammar. Avoid slang terms such as “wassup?” and texting abbreviations such as “u” instead of “you.”
• Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Ariel.
• Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT CAN BE INTERPRETED AS YELLING. When using humor or sarcasm, be cautious as tone is sometimes lost in an email or discussion post and your message might be taken seriously or offensive. When in doubt, please make it known your intent is to be humorous.
• During online course communications, consider asking yourself “would I say this if I were communicating in-person”? That is, if you wouldn’t say something during a regular classroom interaction, you probably shouldn’t say it online.

Email Netiquette

When you send an email to your instructor, teaching assistant, or classmates, you should include the course number and a brief descriptor in the subject line. Be sure the text of your email clearly communicates the purpose of your message. Sign your message with your name. When sending the instructor an email, please follow this guide:

• When asking a question, be sure the information isn’t already provided in the syllabus or other course materials. Once you’ve established the information you need isn’t there, feel free to reach out with a question.
• Be sure you regularly check the email address you have on file with SUU. I frequently email the class as a whole, and I assume you have access to that information. If necessary, please update your email with SUU so you do not miss any important communications.

Discussion Boards

When posting on the Discussion Board, you should: Make posts that are on topic and within the scope of the course material. Take your posts seriously and review and edit your posts before sending. While you don’t need to write a lengthy post, be sure to make a thorough comment. Always give proper credit when referencing or quoting another source. Be sure to read all messages in a thread before replying. Don’t repeat someone else’s post without adding something of your own to it. Avoid short, generic replies such as, “I agree.” You should include why you agree or add to the previous point. Always be respectful of others’ opinions even when they differ from your own. When you disagree with someone, you should express your differing opinion in a respectful way. Do not make personal or insulting remarks. Please review SUU Policy for further information.