COURSE NUMBER: PP7100
COURSE NAME: Professional Issues: Ethics, Conduct, and Law
TERM: Summer 2010
Professor: Kathleen O’Brien, Ph.D.,
ABPP
PHONE:
312-777-7691
708-507-4216
EMAIL:
kobrien@argosy.edu
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title
Author(s)
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions:
Standards and Cases
Gerald Koocher and Patricia Keith-Spiegel
2008
Oxford University Press
978-0-19-514911-1
2nd Edition
Title
Ethical Conflicts in Psychology
Page 1
Author(s)
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
Bersoff: D.R.
2008
APA Press
1-59147-050-1
4th edition
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: NO
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Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
PP 7100
Professional Issues: Ethics, Conduct and Law
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: Kathleen M. O’Brien, Ph.D., ABPP (forensics)
Campus: Chicago
Contact Information: 312-777 -7691on campus
708-507-4216—leave a message and I will return your call.
Kobrien@argosy.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Course description: This course addresses ethical and legal issues related to professional conduct, including topics such as ethical
reasoning, APA Ethical Principles, state regulations with respect to licensure and rules of conduct, complaint resolution procedures,
confidentiality, release of information, record keeping, and the duty to warn. The course addresses ethical issues in such areas as
assessment, therapy, forensics, consultation, and supervisory relationships. (3 credit hours)
Course Pre-requisites: None
Required Textbooks:
Koocher, G. & Keith-Speigel, P. (2007) Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions: Standards and Cases. Oxford
University Press.
Bersoff, D. R. (2008) Ethical Conflicts in Psychology. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Required Documents:
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Illinois Licensing Act for Psychologist-- available through Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation website: State
of Illinois, go to IDFPR (two parts: requirements for licensure and protocol for handling violations) (Master’s students should also
obtain and read a copy of the licensing act for their discipline available at the same site)
American Psychological Association Ethical Principles and Standards-- available through APA.org-- link to ethics (also in text)
(Master’s students should also obtain and read ethical standards for American Counseling Association.)
Handbook for Mandated Reporters-- available through State of Illinois website—link to DCFS
Model Informed Consent—available through APA website, go to Trust Insurance, go to Resources, go to Informed Consent
Record Keeping Guidelines—available through APA website, go to ethics
Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act—available through State of Illinois website
All of the above may also be accessible by directly googling their titles
Recommended Books and Articles:
APA Committee on Legal Issues. (2006). Strategies for private practitioners coping with subpoenas or compelled testimony for client
records or test data. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice: 37 (2) 215-222.
APA (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice and organizational change for psychologist. Amercian
Psychologist: 58 (5) 377-402.
Benefireld, H., Ashkanazi, G., Rozensky, R.H. (2006). Communication and records:HIPPA issues when working in health care
settings. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice: 37 (3) 273-277.
Donner, M.P., Vandecreek, L., Gomsiorek, J.C., Fisher, C.B. (2008). Balancing confidentiality:Protecting privacy and protecting the
public. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice: 39 (3) 369-376.
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Jobes, D.A., Rudd, M.D., Overhoisex, J.C., Joiner, T.L. (2008). Ethical and competent care of suicidal patients: Contempporay
challenges, new developments, and consideratiosn for clinical practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice: 39 (4) 405413.
Koocher, G. P. & Keith-Spiegel, P. (1998). Ethics in psychology. (2nd ed). New York: Oxford University Press.
Other APA Ethical Guidelines available at APA website, eg. forensics, telecommunications, child custody
Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office: Acrobat (full version); Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.
Course length: 15.0 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Course Requirements
*read all assigned material by specified date and come prepared to discuss and apply what you have read
*active class participation each week (see class format below)
* development of an informed consent for your practice (take home)
* objective midterm examination I (in class, closed book)
* essay midterm examination II (take home)
*class presentation
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Description of Assignments
Class Five: An informed consent, unique to your practice goals and population due
Class Eight: In class, closed book, objective exam on principles, standards, and guidelines
Class Ten: Take home essay exam requiring ethical decision making in several clinical situations due
Class Thirteen and Fourteen: Your final assignment will be a scholarly presentation. Each person will choose a topic in the area of
professional issues. In the past, students have chosen topics such as prescription privileges, legislative involvement by psychologists,
euthanasia, peace psychology, life coaching, or new methods of delivery as their topic. You will develop a half hour presentation to
the class, thoroughly covering the research and theory in your area, followed by your own, well thought out opinions on the subject.
You will be responsible for using examples or cases where applicable. Your presentation must elicit class participation. You will
provide the class with at least a bibliography and outline of your presentation.
Grading Criteria
The course objectives will be measured using the following grading policies.
Informed consent will be graded based upon technical accuracy and thoroughness, eg. must address salient issues for your type of
practice
Essay portion of the mid term exam will be graded on the thoroughness of the written discussion, eg. whether the salient points have
been covered, and the clarity of thinking about the issue.
Presentations will be graded on the range and depth of the data presented to justify your conclusions or refute them, the adequacy of
the implications derived from your analysis, the quality of your handout material, and the thoroughness of preparation evident in your
class presentation.
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Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Grading requirements
100 – 93
92 – 90
89 – 88
87 – 83
82 – 80
79 – 78
77 - 73
72 – 70
69 – 68
67 – 63
62 – 60
59 and below
Informed Consent
Mid-term Examination I
Mid-term Examination II
Final Presentation
Class Participation
5%
30%
30%
20%
15%
100%
Class Format
Much of this course will be conducted in an informal atmosphere conducive to discussion and debate. I will lecture each week except
for class presentations, but your active participation is required, both to allow you to make the course most meaningful to you and to
give you experience thinking about and discussing the issues presented. In your professional life in the future, you will (and should)
find yourself consulting with your colleagues often on these matters in a similar fashion.
You will be expected to contribute to class discussions, both by sharing your knowledge of the readings, offering your opinions, and
by sharing case examples from your own practicum experiences. Class discussion at all times will be held in a professional, collegial,
constructive manner. Differing opinions are welcomed and respected if conceived in a scholarly way and supported with relevant
literature.
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General Course Outline
Class One: introduction, assessing your needs, course requirements, ethical reasoning and decision making, moral conduct, and legal
requirements
Readings: Koocher, Ch. 1Bersoff, Ch. 2 & 3
Class Two: models of training, licensing, guidelines and principles, resolving issues, enforcement and educational function of ethics
committees
Readings: Koocher, Ch. 2, Bersoff, Ch. 1, APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct—available at APA.org.,
Illinois Licensure Act for Psychologist—available at State of Illinois Government, DPR website
Class Three: ethical complaints, confidentiality
Readings: Koocher, Ch. 3
Class Four: the concept of informed consent (your informed consent due next week)
Readings:
Koocher, Ch.8, 10
Class Five: competence, abuse and neglect reporting
Readings: Mandated Reporter Handbook (obtain from Internet), Koocher, Ch. 4, Bersoff, Ch. 4,7
Class Six: continued from previous class if needed, record keeping guidelines, Koocher, Ch.8
Readings: as above
Class Seven: midterm review, assessment, forensics
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Readings: Koocher, Ch.9, 17, Bersoff Ch. 6, 9
Class Eight: in class midterm I, objective exam
Class Nine: research, teaching, supervision
Readings: Koocher, Ch. 13, 16, 19 Bersoff Ch. 8
Class Ten: midterm II due, multiple relationships (video)
Readings: Koocher, Ch. 10—12, Bersoff Ch. 5
Class Eleven: psychology as a business, insurance panels
Readings: Koocher, Ch. 14
Class Twelve: other professional issues, student choice
Class Thirteen and Fourteen:
Final presentations by students
Course Objectives:
Course Objective
Program Goal
*articulate the Ethical
Goal 2 Intervention
Principles of Psychologists
and their application to
contemporary practice,
Method of Assessment
Presentation
Essay Exam
Objective Exam
*to apply the ethical
Case Examples-participation
Goal 2 Intervention
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principles to ethical
decision-making in
everyday clinical problems
*to become aware of the
application of APA
practice guidelines
regarding diversity issues
*to understand how
psychology can contribute
to issues of public policy
Essay Exam
Presentation
Goal 3 Diversity
Objective Exam
Essay Exam
Goal 4- Historical Context
Goal 5: Evaluation of
Literature
Presentation
Library Resources
Argosy University’s core online collection features more than 21,000 full-text journals, 23,000 electronic books and other content
covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering &
Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. All electronic resources can be
accessed through the library’s website at www.auchicagolib.org. User IDs and passwords are distributed during orientation, but can
also be obtained at the circulation desk, calling 312-777-7653, or by e-mail at auchilibrary@argosy.edu.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials
searchable in the Library Online Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students
can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance
from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach fundamental and transferable
research skills, including selecting sources appropriate for academic-level research, searching periodical indexes and search engines,
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and evaluating and citing information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the
conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20
minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosyu.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University
requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be
documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please
refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format.
Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult
the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and
ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources.
You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help
educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to
billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common
information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director
of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be
provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing
via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her
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discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the
accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been
approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both the
academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential
to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
It is recommended that you retain a copy of this syllabus for licensing purposes.
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