Required Text & Materials

• Pope, K. S. & Vasquez, M. J. T., Chavez-Dueńas, N.Y., Adames, H.Y. (2021). Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide, 6th ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct can be downloaded free from the American Psychological Association website, apa.org/ethics

Student Learning Outcomes

• 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 about right and wrong human conduct, 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 50 points (10 Quizzes x 5 points each)

There will be at least 10 quizzes throughout the course. Each quiz contains five 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. Keep in mind that these quizzes will contain material similar to what you will find on the midterm and the final. 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 topics will vary depending on the content in the course. Specific instructions will be posted within each discussion board. When assigned, be sure to complete the discussion board activity by the deadline.

Ethical Dilemma Discussions 30 points

For this simple assignment, you will respond to ethical dilemmas posted on Canvas. These dilemmas represent realistic scenarios that therapists encounter when working with clients. You will respond to the ethical dilemma with a brief analysis of the issue that includes reference to the relevant ethical codes. You will include additional information that you would want to know. Lastly, you will provide a solution or potential solutions that would be the best course of action to take.

Self-Reflection Assignment 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 cumulative final. 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.

Practicum Placement Identification Sheet 10 points

For this brief assignment, you will provide information about where you will complete your practicum hours. You will list contact information for the agency, a brief description of the services provided, and describe activities you will participate in as part of your practicum role. Additional details are provided on Canvas.

Practicum Experience: Service-Learning Project

Service learning is an important activity that will enrich your education and promote early professional development. Each student is required to complete 20 hours of service-learning to receive a passing grade in the class. An incomplete practicum will result in a failing grade. Do plan to begin your practicum as early as possible and discuss any concern over accruing sufficient hours as early as possible. Students are encouraged to find a service-learning activity that aligns with their interests. Service-learning activities need to include engagement with individuals in a service-oriented agency. Hours must be voluntary (i.e., unpaid). Contact information for a site supervisor or coordinator need to be available to the instructor.

Practicum Journal 50 points

Keeping a record of your service-learning experience provides excellent professional development and training. These journals should be typed. To protect confidentiality – no identifying data about other staff, clients or agency consumers should be presented in the records.

Each day the students attend their practicum site, they should write an entry that consists of a professional service record and a clinical process journal (description below). At the end of the journal, students will include a summary of their experience.

• Objective record of daily activities. This part of the journal is to be written as if you were an actual employee at the agency. The objective record is a description of the activities that you completed in a shift. Each entry will need a recording of the date and the time spent.
• Clinical process journal. Unlike the previous portion, this much more subjective. It is a record of your speculations, thoughts, feelings and experiences working with the clients and at the agency. For example, this is a great place to identify areas you may seek further professional training –or not.
• Summary. At the end of your journal, include a 2-3 page summary of your experience. This portion is an overall reflection of the experience. Be sure to include strengths and challenges of working in the setting, as well as ethical dilemmas that are likely to be encountered in this setting. Also include how this experience informs your future career plans.

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.

Deadlines, Makeup, and Communication Policies

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

Exams: 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).

Assignments: 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.

Netiquette Guide

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.
• Please allow Dr. Grimes 48 hours to respond to your email message. If you haven’t received a response by then, you are welcome to send a follow up message or prompt.
• 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.

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.

For this course, you need access to a computer with a reliable internet connection. Also, students with access to a webcam or smartphone can participate in videoconferences with the instructor and their peers. Be sure to save assignments frequently and submit them early; technology lapses are not generally accepted as an excuse for late assignments unless there is a widespread system outage documented by the SUU IT department. It is also important you feel comfortable using Canvas and are knowledgeable about assignment submission. Using Google Drive is a great way to store assignments in-progress. However please download and submit these as a Word or PDF document so I can grade them using the Canvas grading tools.