Presented by:

Sonja A. Sutherland, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, DCC, CPCS is an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Georgia, an NBCC Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC), an NBCC Approved Counselor Supervisor (ACS), and a Certified Compassion Fatigue Therapist and Trainer. Dr. Sutherland is also the Founder and CEO of The Legacy Consortium, Inc (TLC), Executive Director of the Legacy Changers Counseling Centers, a division of the TLC, and also hosts a local Atlanta radio show focusing on family relationships and mental wellness. In the field of counseling since 1998, and licensed since 2001, Dr. Sutherland has provided therapeutic services in the private practice, psychiatric residential, in-home, and outpatient mental health settings, for adolescents and adults, through individual, group, couples, and family therapy. Dr. Sutherland has specialized in working with adolescents and families for the last 15 years. During the last decade, Dr. Sutherland has also served as a Director of Mental Health and Clinical Services for mid-large sized outpatient mental health organizations providing therapeutic intervention in the Cobb, Atlanta, and Stone Mountain areas. Dr. Sutherland’s areas of research interest include counselor supervision & cultural competence development, and evidence-based treatment & residential models of care for at-risk adolescents (commercially sexually exploited youth, family relationship restoration, and integration of spirituality in treatment).

Topic:

How should clinicians respond when confronted with ethical dilemmas in the field? How are the ethical codes best used for guiding and informing decisions? When separate culturally diverse groups’ attempts to protect their rights, results in a conflict of interest (i.e. for the rights of one group to be upheld, the rights of the second group must be compromised), how should clinicians address the subsequent ethical questions regarding one form of diversity taking priority/supremacy over another form of diversity? How can spiritual/religious diversity and sexual diversity co-exist and be treated respectfully (even when not always in agreement)? How can clinicians determine answers to questions surrounding beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice in our interactions with all individuals regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation and gender? Some of the biggest issues facing clinicians surround ethical practice. Knowing the codes is not enough. Many times we are put in such complex positions with clients that decision-making can provoke varying levels of anxiety. A highly interactive group format and thought-provoking case vignettes will challenge clinicians to think through diversity-related ethical dilemmas that are occurring in the field today. Related sections of the 2014 ACA Codes of Ethics will be incorporated.

Learning Objectives

Within the context of this 6-hour workshop, participants will be able to:

Define cultural diversity
Develop and demonstrate cultural self-and-other awareness
List components involved in worldview development
Apply understanding of worldview development to clinical case conceptualization
List ethical considerations for working with culturally diverse clients
Explain use of ethical decision-making models in working with culturally diverse others.
List and discuss components of multicultural counseling and social justice counseling and apply using case vignettes
Practice use of the ACA Codes of Ethics as applied to case conceptualization, along with an evidence-based decision-making model towards demonstrating beneficent and justice-driven applications of ethical guidelines in counseling.

Continuing Education

6 NBCC CE Clock Hours Awarded

6 CE Hours Awarded to Psychologists

GAMFT Approval Pending

Partial attendance is not awarded.

Target Audience:

This is an intermediate level training for clinical professionals.

Fees:

Richmont Graduate University Legacy or Founding Alumni Members, Hope/Henegar Supervisors, Faculty & Staff: FREE (We regret that Site Supervisors do not qualify for free entry to this particular training event.)

Richmont Students: $25

Basic Alumni Association Members: $50

Guests: $125