For social workers, an Ethics course is not only necessary for keeping your license to practice valid or complying with your State Board requirement for Continuing Education; more than this, you need to take Ethics courses to reduce the risk of being the recipient of a malpractice lawsuit, among other things.
You have two options on where to take your Ethics courses: online or offline.
A lot of practicing social workers opt to take the first option since it affords them the convenience of taking their classes after work or whenever they have free time.
Classes conducted in offline facilities have specific schedules and you either have to follow the schedule or you risk paying for a course that you will never complete.
Ethics Online Courses for Social Workers
There are several Ethics courses for social workers provided online. You can look these up from links provided by search engines online or you can also go directly to online schools that offer courses for Continuing Education.
You may also check your state’s official website to get links or recommendations on which online schools provide Ethics courses that can be credited towards your licensing or Continuing Education requirements.
Ethics Courses: Online Selection
Among the online Ethics courses that are available online is a course that deals with laws and regulations on ethics for social workers. There is a three-hour course that is available online and there is also a six-hour course on the same for a more extensive discussion of laws and ethics.
There is also an Advanced Ethics Studies Certification course that you can take. This course deals more with the practical applications of being a social worker, i.e. patient care, critical thinking and moral conduct.
There are likewise courses that help social workers deal with patients suffering from specific conditions such as life-threatening diseases, substance abuse, physical abuse and also psychological conditions.
For example, there are Ethics courses that provide social workers with the knowledge and skill to properly handle patients suffering from HIV or AIDS, drug or alcohol abuse, and child abuse or neglect.
Other Ethics courses for social workers are also those that discuss fees and billing issues, communications and confidentiality issues.
Depending on the course, credits generally range from 1 to 1.5, 2 credits up to 4 credits per course. There are also a few extensive Ethics courses that give you up to 6 credits per course.
Now, some states only require you to complete a 3-credit Ethics course while others require more Ethics credits.
It is essential that you check with your state as to the number of Ethics course credit you need to complete in order to maintain the validity of your license or to fulfill the Continuing Education requirement.