Client-centered practice is empowering, strengths-centered, and fits within the professional and ethical responsibilities of self-determination. Despite the many positive attributes of this approach, ethical dilemmas still occur. For example, it can be challenging to maintain a client-centered approach when clients are making decisions that put them at risk.

Attendees will explore the ethical challenges of putting clients’ goals, needs, and wants in the center of practice. Participants will participate in several activities to get hands-on experience in client-centered ethical decision-making.

This is a recorded asynchronous distance learning course.

Note: This lecture was developed to address the licensure requirement for 3 hours of continuing education in ethics per licensure period.

• Approximate duration: 3 hours
• Registration: $50
• CEs: 3 ethics
  (contingent on passing a  post-test, score of 70% or higher)

Following registration and payment, you will receive an email with a link to view the lecture, print off handouts, and take the post-test. Complete viewing and the post-test at your convenience at any time over the next 30 days. We recommend having your copy of the NASW Code of Ethics available during this lecture. You can view a free online copy here.

Questions about online lectures? Please email us at brownprofdev@wustl.edu.

Return to our list of On-Demand Lectures

Course Outline

Agenda and Timing:

• Introduction – 7.5 min
• Foundational Ideas: Why Focus on Client-Centered Practices and Self-Determination – 22.5 min
• Self-Determination Concepts – 11 min
• Challenges to Self-Determination – 21.25 min
• Identifying Ethical Challenges in Client-Centered Work: Scenarios – 32 min
• Self-Determination and Client-Centered Practices – 28.5 min
• Duty to Warn – 23 min
• Collaborative Client-Centered Tools to Use – 38 min

Learner Outcomes

• Participants will be able to analyze difficult choices faced by clients and apply an ethical approach to client centered practice.
• Participants will be able to define, compare, and contrast client centered practices, paternalism, and self determination.
• Participant will be able to identify client characteristics and decisions that make honoring client self-determination difficult and implement strategies to increase collaborative decision making.
• Participant will be able to utilize three clinical tools to implement when clients are struggling with difficult decisions.

Notes

Target Audience: Social Workers and other Mental Health Professionals

Date Recorded: Dec. 19, 2023

Course Completion Requirements:

The Brown School is an approved provider of Social Work CEUs in Missouri and Illinois.

The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Professional Development, provider #2130, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/24/2024 – 9/24/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 ethics continuing education credits.

To earn CE credit, registrants must watch all videos in their entirety, pass a post-test with a score of 70% or higher, and complete and evaluation with in 30 days of registration. Partial credit is not available.

Missouri and Illinois CE Certificates will be available online within 10 business days of course completion by visiting your learner profile at https://ce.wustl.edu/portal/logon.do?method=load&parentSite=brown. You will receive an email notification with specific instructions for accessing the online certificate when it is available. ACE CE Certificates, if requested in your evaluation survey, will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion.

For more information about CEs, accessibility, refund/cancelation policy, our grievance policy, or other inquiries please visit our About Us page or email brownprofdev@wustl.edu.