ETHICS FOR THE ADDICTION COUNSELOR PSYC 389/PSYC 289 INSTRUCTOR: Cindy Hay, M.S., MDE, MBA PHONE: Work - 304-687-4079 E-MAIL: chay@frostburg.edu OFFICE HOURS: To be arranged, as needed. Please feel free to email me anytime this is the best way to contact me. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course will address legal and ethical considerations for addiction counselors. Differences and similarities among addiction and other helping professionals will be discussed. Required course for Maryland Addictions Counselor certification. 1 Credit. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will introduce the student to issues related to the worker, competence, patient rights, exploitation, economics and funds, and professional relationships. Widely help universal values related to the treatment of alcohol and other drug problems will be reviewed. Additionally, the ethical principles of the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) will be addressed. Please remember to attend online on day 1 (January 3, 2011) as it is expected and mandatory. Prior to this date, you will want to be sure your FSU email is working, as this is the same user name and password you will be using for Bb. If your email is not working or if you are unsure about how to check your email, please contact the helpdesk immediately at 301.687.7777 and they will assist you. I will be corresponding with you through your FSU email account so please be sure to check it. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A 1-CREDIT COURSE. WE FINSIH THIS COURSE IN ABOUT 6 WEEKS. OVERALL COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Describe typical ethical issues for the addictions counselor 2. Describe 17 widely held universal values 3. List and describe the nine ethical principles of the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) 4. Using your knowledge about ethical issues, universal values, and ethical principles, apply the ethical decision making model to various ethical dilemmas BLACKBOARD: All assignments will occur on Bb. In other words, group discussion, assignment posting, exams, etc., will be conducted in the online environment. POLICIES: TEXTBOOK: Having a textbook by the start of the class is required. Not having a textbook does not excuse you from completing the work. ATTENDANCE: Since this class is online, physical attendance is not required. However, participation in online discussion is graded. FSU requires an orientation program for each online course - Our orientation is the first day of class. This means that you attend class "online" and complete an online assignment. PREMODULE ASSIGNMENT - ORIENTATION: This assignment is to be completed by the due date. Failure to complete the orientation will result in: a. Deduction of 5% of grade if not completed on time. b. Removal from the course if not completed within 4 days of the first day of class DISCUSSION PARTICIPATION: Online discussion is where most of our interaction occurs. The due date listed in the syllabus schedule is the final due date. To gain more understanding about the final due date, please read the 1
information listed below carefully. The basic policy regarding earning points is: No points are earned if you participate after the due date. Points are earned for both, responding to the questions I post and responding to peers. Since a discussion involves discussing a topic, points are deducted if you: o Do not participate throughout the week and/or o Do not participate with first responses or answers by due date. See syllabus for due dates. New topics will GENERALLY appear on Friday @ noon and are available for participation until Friday @ noon of the following week (the final due date). This provides for 7 full days that discussion topics are available. Note: ALL DUE DATES ARE AT NOON ON A GIVEN DAY. o To ensure we have time to discuss a topic, your first response to all questions should be made by noon on date listed in syllabus schedule. o If you wait until after date listed in the schedule to make your first response to all questions, your score will be reduced. You will lose up to 30% depending on the day you participate. o The number of responses to peers that is sometimes indicated is considered a minimum; if you do the minimum, you earn an average grade of 70%. If not listed, the minimum number of responses to peers is two. o This policy is necessary to ensure we actually discuss topics. If everyone waits until the last day, we cannot discuss anything. If you wait until the last day and you have computer problems and cannot contribute to the discussion, you will not earn points as the discussion has been available for a number of days already. This is not an optional activity. In other words, if you do not participate in the discussions, you will not pass the course. PAPER: Please complete your paper on time to avoid a point deduction of up to 15% for each day the paper is late. Sometimes, you may encounter a problem with the assignment feature of Bb. If the assignment feature is not working when you try to submit your paper and the deadline is near, please email it to me as an attachment and explain this in your email. After you submit a paper, please be sure to double check that it worked (if you need a review about how to do this, please read over the orientation instructions for submitting assignments). Also, late papers will not be accepted without prior notice. Details about the papers will be posted in the in the lesson module section of Bb. The assignment icon looks like a paper tablet and pencil. (Where you find you assignment is the same place you submit your assignment when completed). WHEN SUBMITTING PAPERS, PLEASE USE THE FILE EXTENSION.RTF. IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR PAPER USING A FILE FORMAT THAT I CANNOT OPEN, YOUR PAPER CANNOT BE GRADED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE. EXAMS: If you miss an exam on Bb, you will earn O points. They cannot be taken at a later time/date. They are designed to reinforce reading course material and also sometimes coincide with Bb discussion. Exams are posted with sufficient time to complete; therefore, technology excuses will generally not be accepted. Some personal computers do not handle exams well and you might need to go to FSU campus to take them. Please arrange to have access to a computer and a backup at the institution should something happen to yours. If you are going on vacation etc. and are enrolled in an online class, you are expected to meet course deadlines for all work. Although this may seem inconvenient, it is not realistic to change due dates to meet many students' schedule. Many students manage to check their courses while out of town or on vacation - this is the benefit of the virtual classroom. If you have a documented medical emergency, you must contact me and provide evidence. We will then discuss it. This is not an optional activity. In other words, if you do both of these papers, you will fail the course IMPORTANT: If you have any problems with technology, please report it to the helpdesk. If you use technology as an excuse for exams or assignments, you must have a record of a report with the helpdesk. When you contact the help desk, please get the "job number", time, and name and of the individual to whom you spoke. Additionally, it is expected that you follow up on your concern. This means you check back in with them. Upon realizing you have a problem, contact them and then email me with the information. If you are having trouble with them, I will try to help. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty is defined to include any form of cheating and/or plagiarism. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, such acts as stealing or altering testing instruments; falsifying the identity of persons for any academic purpose; offering, giving, or receiving unauthorized assistance on an examination, quiz or other written or oral material in a course; or falsifying information on any type of academic record. Plagiarism is the presentation of written or oral material in a manner which conceals the true source of documentary material; or the presentation of material which 2
uses hypotheses, conclusions, evidence, data, or the like, in a way that the student appears to have done work which he/she did not, in fact do. This includes using information from the Web that is not cited. I tend to see copying and pasting in my online courses note that if you do this, you could be removed from the class and you will earn an F in the course. DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM: Although this policy was developed for the face to face classroom, much of it is relevant here. The University will not tolerate disorderly or disruptive conduct which substantially threatens, harms, or interferes with university personnel or orderly university processes and functions. A faculty member may require a student to leave the classroom when his/her behavior disrupts the learning environment of the class. A student found responsible for disruptive behavior in the classroom may be administratively withdrawn from the course. (Student Code of Conduct). Disruptive student behavior creates a negative and distracting environment. For this course, students engaging in disruptive student behavior will have a 10 point deduction for each occurrence. If the behavior occurs only one time, there will be no point deduction. Students will be made aware of such behaviors. As noted above, students may also be administratively withdrawn from the course. In case of our online classes, this would be relevant regarding our discussion activities where we are interacting with one another. Respect is considered of utmost importance in the online environment and use of offensive language etc., is considered disruptive and I will address this. REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE: Please be aware that according to law in Maryland, educators are required to report past child abuse and neglect even when the former victim is now an adult and even when the former alleged abuser is deceased. If you disclose past abuse/neglect in class, in papers, or to me personally, I am required by law to report it. See me if you want more information about this law. EMAIL: If you want to be sure to receive a response, please use email as I do not go to the University for online courses. Email is the best way to communicate with me; however, if you've emailed me and have not received a response within approximately 24 hours (unless it is the weekend responses may be longer), please email again. When using email, please keep in mind that I have many students per semester and you will need you to identify the course number and topic of email in the subject line. Please use proper grammar and punctuation in your emails, e.g., capital letters where appropriate and complete sentences. The same is expected in Bb discussions. In order to ensure a response from me, please follow the presented guidelines just provided for email correspondence. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS ARE LISTED ON THE FSU WEBPAGE: Please be sure to review them and ensure that you have the proper equipment. If you continue to have problems taking exams due to "technology" problems, you will be required to come to the campus to take exams. TAKING TRIPS: Sometimes students leave for long weekends or vacations during the course. If you are going on vacation etc. and are enrolled in an online class, you are expected to meet course deadlines for all work. Although this may seem inconvenient, it is not realistic to change due dates to meet many students' schedule. Many students manage to check their courses while out of town or on vacation - this is the benefit of the virtual classroom MEDICAL ISSUES: Some times we fall ill during the semester. If this occurs, it is your responsibility to contact me when you become sick to inform me condition. Also, you will want to provide medical documentation of your illness (you can mail it to me @ 101 Braddock Rd., Psychol Department, Frostburg State University, Frostburg MD, 21532. We will then determine your eligibility to make up missed work. While the previous section described the policies related to various aspects of the course, this sections describes a few descriptions to help you along. ASSIGNMENTS DESCRIPTIONS: (more details for the written assignments are provided in other documents at a later time) 1. Pre-Module Orientation Assignment: This assignment is to be completed early in the course (see schedule for date). 3
As this is an online class, typical face to face interaction is missing. As such, to familiarize everyone with each other and the technology of Bb, there will be a few online activities related to Bb. This also ensures student accountability regarding the use of Bb. Please read the details on line. 2. Discussion/Conferences - Online discussion are meant to facilitate interaction among us and to discuss topics about issues, critical incidents, ethical principles and other topics. Participation in discussion forums will be graded and involves student participation. To earn maximum points, contribute consistently and expand upon the course content and your peer's contributions without merely repeating what others have said. When posting a comment, please cite your information by using a page number from the text. If you get information from elsewhere such as a website, be sure to cite the website and evaluate it for accuracy. Without page number information, points might not be earned. Your responses will be evaluated for critical thinking, references, detail, appropriateness, integration of information, etc. In other words, just because you post 30 responses to the discussion, you may not earn full credit if they do not meet the above noted criteria. Please also keep in mind when participating in discussion forums -- please use proper grammar, spell check, punctuation, sentence structure etc. It is quite difficult to read and understand poorly written responses. Some people like to create their comments in a word document and then "copy and paste" them into the discussion forum; this is a good practice. NOTE: STUDENTS SOMETIMES SUMMARIZE INFORMATION AS THEIR ANSWER. NOTICE, HOWEVER, THAT I DO NOT ASK FOR SUMMARIES OF COURSE MATERIALS. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU ADD TO THE DISCUSSION AND TO WHAT THE BOOK HAS NOTED. IT MOST OF YOUR WORK IS MERELY SUMMARY, YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOT SCORE VERY HIGH. 3. Self-Assessment paper: Using the universal values, students will conduct a self-assessment in which they evaluate their strengths and areas of concern in a professional capacity. This document is not meant to be merely a personal account of your life, rather a thoughtful reflection of the universal values and how they relate to you as a professional. You will post your completed papers to the assignment folder for grading and to the discussion board forum for comments from peers (your peers do not see your grades). In this way, each person contributes to their peers understanding of the universal values. (Specific details are in the appropriate module). Guidelines for this assignment can be found in Module 2 scroll down to where the pad and pencil icon is located. WHEN SUBMITTING PAPERS, PLEASE USE THE FILE EXTENSION.RTF. IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR PAPER USING A FILE FORMAT THAT I CANNOT OPEN, YOUR PAPER CANNOT BE GRADED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE. 4. Exam: This is an online exam consisting of multiple choice and true/false questions. GRADE DETERMINATIONS: A=90% and above, B=80-89.9%, C=70-79.9%, D=60-69.9%, F= 59.9% and below. Points are approximate and are subject to change with advance notice or if I notice a mistake and need to correct it. If changes occur, you will be notified. To see the percentage that each assignment contributes to your grade and the due dates for all work, continue to the next two pages of the syllabus. See table below for grading details PLEASE GO TO NEXT PAGE 4
This table illustrates point value for various activities in this course. It is not the course schedule with due dates. Please see the "course schedule" to determine due dates of all assignments. Item Points Total Points % Rationale Pre-Module Orientation Syllabus & sending email Submitting Assignments Practicing Discussions Removal from course if not completed (see policy) To orient you to Blackboard and create a sense of community by facilitating you and your fellow classmates getting to know one another. Introductions Sample exam Module 1 Discussion of Ethical Issues and Critical Incidents Points are earned by responding to all posted questions and by responding to peers 18 18% To allow for more analysis of the readings and preparation for quizzes/final exam. Module 2 Selfassessment paper 20 pts 20 20% To explore yourself, strengths, areas of concern. Module 2 Discussion of Self-assessment Module 3 Discussion of Ethical Principles 4 pts per student reflection (need to do 2) 5 pts per principle (need to do 2) 8 8% To share with others your insights and suggestions. 10 10% To allow for more analysis of the readings and preparation for quizzes/final exam. Module 4 Discussion-Applying the Ethical Decision Making Model 14 pts 14 14% To allow for more analysis of the readings and preparation for final exam. To apply decision making model to ethical dilemma Module 4 Final Exam 30 pts 30 30% To assess your understanding of course materials. Total 100 100 % 5
Class Schedule (Changes may be made with advance notice) Date Module(s) Activities Ori: access syllabus and email Week 1 Start Here module: Ori Assignment Feature Getting started Orientation Ori: discussion (Dis.): introduction Plagiarism Ori: exam Plagiarism Assignment Week 2 Module 1: Ethical Issues Module 1: Critical Incidents Class Discussion: Module 1: Ethical Issues Class Discussion: Module 1: Critical Incidents Week 3 Module 2: Universal Values Universal Values Self-Assessment paper Class Discussion: Module 2: Universal Values Self-Assessment Week 4 Module 3: Ethical Principles Class Discussion: Module 3: Ethical Principles Week 5 Module 4: Ethical Decision Making Model Class Discussion: Module 4: Ethical Decision Making Model Week 6 Final Exam Final Exam Brainteaser: What goes up and down the stairs without moving? 6
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