Course Title

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Course Description

This course is part of the Management and Supervision in Human Services professional certificate program, which is geared toward professionals who find themselves in a management or supervisory role at a social work agency or human services organization, yet have not had formal management training or leadership experience.

Modules 1 and 2: Clients and Service Delivery

In Clients and Service Delivery, which will be taught over the course of two 1.5-hour recorded sessions, we will consider the legal and ethical implications of client care. We will discuss the issue of disclosure, including but not limited to mandated reporting and client-counselor privilege. This portion of the training will also review the social work ethical best interest standard as it differs from that standard at law (i.e., best interest of the child; a Guardian Ad Litem representing the best interest). We will also explore legal and ethical dimensions of vulnerabilities or challenges commonly faced by our client populations; for example, housing or domestic violence.

Modules 3 and 4: Workplace and Staff

In Workplace and Staff, which will be taught over the course of two 1.5-hour recorded sessions, we will consider the legal and ethical implications of staff management and the workplace. We will explore the legal difference between employee and independent contractor, and will review the legal risks of unhealthy work environments. This portion of the training will also consider how ethical standards of consent, competence, and conflict of interest will direct operations and commitments in the workplace.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will embrace cultural humility as a foundational principle for working with and for people.

• Participants will gain familiarity with the NASW Code of Ethics.

• Participants will gain understanding of the various sources of legal obligations or directives.

• Participants will see the connection between ethics and legal obligations and directives.

• Participants will understand how the challenges and tension in practice settings often have legal and ethical implications; such that, in turn, we should look to the law and to our ethics when engaging in problem solving.

• Participants will understand that our legal and ethical commitments should inform choices about how to organize a practice setting.

General Information

You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the Management and Supervision in Human Services courses. All sales are final; we are not able to offer refunds. Registrations may not be transferred to another person or to another course, workshop, or program.

Online registration is required to participate in a course. Tuition for each certificate course is $150 to be paid by debit or credit card. Registrations will be processed upon receipt of payment. Payment is due in full in order to enroll.

These courses are approved for CEUs for Social Workers in MA, CT, RI, and VT. They meet the requirements for Continuing Education Hours established by the State Board of Social Worker Licensure in ME. If your state is not listed, please check with your local state licensing board to ensure the course meets state requirements prior to registering.

Boston College Continuing Education is required to ensure attendance to award CEUs. Participants must complete the entire program(s) they register for and all available quizzes to receive CEUs; we are not able to award partial CEUs. Those who do not attend the entire program will be unable to receive CEUs.