Professional Ethics for Counselors, MFTs, and Social Workers: Codes, Decision-Making, and Professional Standards

About this course

Most ethics courses are built around one state’s statutes. This one is built around the part of ethics that goes with you wherever you practice: the ACA, AAMFT, and NASW codes of ethics, the principles underneath them, and practical ways to decide what to do when the right answer is not obvious. It covers law versus ethics and the standard of care, ethical principles and professional values, a close look at each code (including the AAMFT Code effective January 1, 2026), decision-making models, confidentiality and the duty to protect, boundaries, competence, telehealth, supervision, and billing, with worked examples and composite cases.

State law appears only in clearly labeled sections for Texas, Oregon, Washington, and California, plus a worksheet for checking any other state. California licensees can use it toward general hours. For the 6-hour law and ethics renewal requirement, take California Law and Ethics (6 CE hours). The course was written around the four categories of acceptable ethics hours in the Texas rules (22 TAC 681.140(c), 801.261(c), and 781.501(c)), and it contains more than 36,000 words of instructional content, which supports 6 hours under Oregon’s home study word count rule (OAR 833-080-0041(1)(c)).

CE credit is awarded after you complete the reading, pass the post-test at 70% or higher, and complete the evaluation.

Learning objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Distinguish law, codes of ethics, the standard of care, and agency policy as sources of professional obligation, and explain mandatory versus aspirational ethics.
2. Name the six ACA principles of ethical behavior and the six NASW core values, and explain how they guide practice when standards conflict.
3. Describe the structure of the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics and apply its standards on informed consent, personal values, referral, and former clients.
4. Describe the structure of the AAMFT Code of Ethics effective January 1, 2026, and apply its standards on sexual behavior and confidentiality in couple, family, and group treatment.
5. Describe the structure of the NASW Code of Ethics and apply its standards on confidentiality and on colleagues' impairment, incompetence, and unethical conduct.
6. Apply the decision-making elements in ACA Code I.1.b and the seven-step Practitioner's Guide model, including the tests of justice, publicity, and universality.
7. Distinguish confidentiality, privilege, and privacy, apply minimum necessary disclosure, and explain why state law controls the duty to protect or warn.
8. Distinguish boundary crossings from boundary violations and apply the codes' standards on cultural humility, competence, and telehealth.
9. State the ethics continuing education rules for Texas, Oregon, and Washington, and use a checklist to find the rules in any other state.
10. Apply the codes to composite cases involving termination, continuity planning, and professional boundaries, and build a personal ethics practice.

Who this course is for

Instructor

John Oliver Ycaro, LPCC (also the course developer and CE provider). About 10 years of clinical experience in community mental health and private practice. Expertise relevant to this course: professional ethics, mental health law, and outpatient mental health practice.

Under CAMFT CEPA rules, the named instructor meets instructor qualifications by current related licensure and a related master’s degree (and related practice experience). A current CV is kept in the provider’s CE records.

How it works

1. Enroll through the secure Payhip checkout. You get the course right away.
2. Read the self-study text at your own pace.
3. Take the online post-test (70% to pass; retakes free) and confirm you did the work yourself.
4. Complete a short course evaluation (required for CE credit).
5. Receive your certificate by email within 1 business day after you pass and complete the evaluation.

Completion records are kept for at least 4 years.

Price

$19

$19 for 6 to 7 credit hours.

Enroll for $19

Pay securely on Payhip. CE credit is awarded after you complete the reading, pass the post-test at 70% or higher, and complete the evaluation.

CE information

Self-study course in professional ethics, offered as distance learning with a 30-question test of comprehension. 6 CE hours.

California Counselor CEUs (John Oliver Ycaro) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs. California Counselor CEUs (John Oliver Ycaro) maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

Sold on its own. It is not part of the $69 bundle. Every board makes its own final call, so it’s always good to check with your own licensing board.

Provider mailing address: 200 San Mateo Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030

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