Institute for Psychological Advancement

Professional ethics for mental health clinicians is an essential part of all aspects of our work. Managing ethical situations is common and complex. Because there is often not one single correct response, many professional codes of ethics require use of an ethical decision making model.  In this course, we will review the steps to help you define the problem, collect the facts, conduct an ethical analysis, consider legal responsibilities, make a decision, and follow through with your decision. We will also explore confidentiality as it is often one of the most persistent ethical challenges for clinicians.  This course will also help you be proactive in planning for temporary or permanent catastrophes by creating a professional will.  Lastly, we will explore cultural considerations related to practicing ethically.  Note - This course is not a review of specific codes but instead a discussion of ethical considerations and guidance that apply to mental health clinicians.

Facilitator:  Kathryn Brewer, PhD, LPC, LCPC

Dr. Brewer is a licensed professional counselor in Missouri and a licensed clinical professional counselor in Kansas.  She has earned a PhD in psychology, a Master's degree in professional mental health counseling, and a Master's certificate in healthcare leadership and management. Dr. Brewer is also a national certified counselor, certified clinical trauma professional, licensure supervisor for professional counselors in Missouri, and a board approved clinical supervisor for professional counselors in Kansas.

Learning Level: Basic to Intermediate

Target Audience: This course is designed for professional counselors, school counselors, social workers, marital and family therapists, psychologists, addiction counselors, case managers, nurses, and other health care professionals.

Continuing Education:  To obtain the certificate of completion for the 3.5 hours associated with this course, the participant will need to complete the online course and earn a passing score on the post-test.

Each course offered designates the number of clock/contact hours.  Be sure to check with your professional board as they will specify how many CE/CEU hours are equal to one clock hour (e.g., 1 CEU = 50 minutes). 

This course is approved by the Missouri State Committee for Social Workers for 3.5 hours of continuing education.

Institute for Psychological Advancement has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider™, ACEP No. 7124. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Institute for Psychological Advancement is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This course qualifies for 3.5 NBCC hours. 

The content of this course may meet requirements for continuing education for most national, state, and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Many boards and professional organizations will accept continuing education that is relevant to each profession (i.e., for professional counselors content must be primarily related to counseling, for psychologists content must be mostly psychological, and so on) and/or that has been approved by another professional association in the human services field.  Be sure to print the course description and submit with your certificate of attendance to your professional board for consideration.  For rules governing continuing education and to confirm whether this course qualifies for continuing education, participants should contact their respective regulatory boards.  Participants may also contact IPA and we will do our best to answer your questions.

CEs by Profession and State (ipa-kc.com) 

Course Access:  You will have access to the course and materials for 120 days from the time of registration. Completion certificates are immediately available with a passing score of 75% on the post-test. 

Registration:  Registration for online courses is available on our website. For manual registration or payment by check, please contact IPA. 

We strive to represent diverse experiences thoughtfully and inclusively through the language we use. However, we recognize that language can be imperfect and may sometimes feel biased or hurtful. Please know this is never our intention, and we greatly appreciate your feedback on how we can improve. Your suggestions are always welcome as we continue to learn and grow.