Ethics: Life is Messy is a three-hour, self-paced online course that explores ethics in the middle of a real life practice.

If asked, nearly all clinicians would say that they behave in an ethical way. But what does this mean in the face of difficult work situations, difficult clients, and all that goes on in a person's life? Think of those 'thick files' cases - the cases that feel as though there will never be an adequate resolution. What is ethical behavior in the face of these cases? How do you behave in a defendable ethical way in the face of difficulty? How does supervision play into ethical behavior? Is self-care part of ethical behavior? What can you do when the workplace is untenable? All this and more is covered in this course.

After successful completion of the three-hour online portion of the course, Ethics: Life is Messy, participants will have the option to earn 1 additional contact/training hour by participating in the Ethics Afterthoughts live webinar offered through AdCare Maine on a quarterly basis. More information on how to participate in this optional webinar will be provided to participants upon completion of the three-hour online, self-paced Ethics: Life is Messy course. Please note: Participants must complete the Ethics: Life is Messy online course before they can participate in Ethics Afterthoughts. Participants are given the opportunity to submit their comments, questions, and thoughts to the presenter who will develop the follow up webinar to personally address your interests and answer your questions. For webinar dates, see the tabs at the top of the page for additional information.

This course was designed for clinicians and counselors. The course is a reminder/refresher of what is expected of practicing clinicians and counselors. The course focuses on practical ways to think about and problem solve ethical situations. It provides pathways for solutions that work and ways to carry those issues that are most difficult and don’t have ready solutions. This course is helpful to both the new practitioner as well as practitioners who have much experience.

This course is sponsored by the Maine Behavioral Health Workforce Development Collaborative, a partnership between AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine, and Muskie School of Public Service with funding from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHS), Department of Health and Human Services.