As I entered the Human Service Program at Western Washington University I realized

the importance of ethics among human service professionals. Several of the courses plus my
experience working in the field addressed the Council for Standards in Human Services
Education Standard 19: the curriculum shall incorporate human services values and attitudes and
promote understanding of human services ethics and their application in practice. In Portfolio
Learning in Human Services 304 we were introduced to the Council for Standards for Human
Service Education (CSHSE). We learned how the CSHSE standards would be incorporated in the
program curriculum. In this class we learned reasons why people want to help or become human
service professionals. Because I learned so much about the standards in this class I was prepared
for the rest of my classes that addressed the CSHSE standards.
In Practicum I HSP 340 we had the opportunity to explore areas where we might want to
do our field work and we addressed the ethics of direct service work. We addressed the National
Organization for Human Services (NOHS) ethical standards. We discussed safety, professional
boundaries, and confidentiality and at the end of the quarter we had a benchmark exam on those
topics. This class allowed me to grow and understand client relationships and how they grow and
develop. We would do this through discussion forums and scenarios that were set up by the
professor. Also in Practicum and Seminar I we were given a hypothetical situation, we were then
put into groups on-line and asked to give brief, concise and clear statements on how to respond
to the ethical case. We were asked to name the issue, match standards to the issue, write a
statement and finally give our behavior or action we would take to minimize or prevent risk (file
below). This was a great exercise on gaining knowledge about ethics and values.

Standard 19 was also accomplished through my learning as I completed all Practicum I
HSP 340, Practicum II HSP 341 and Practicum and Internship HSP 440. The practicum and
internships provided learning experiences out in the field. We found how much each of us had
grown and gained knowledge through our discussion forums. Our discussions included conflicts
with field supervisors, client needs, and all areas from all the different internships we
participated in. We were also assigned written work which included reflections on our field
experiences. This type of writing allowed us to explain our experiences through feelings and
emotions and it helped us to track of our learning. As the class came to a close it was evident that
Standard 19 was addressed through the practicum and internships. And while in my internship I
was to uphold complete confidentiality on all students and families that I worked with. This
required me to continually reflect upon my ethics and values and how they shape me as a human
service professional. I learned quickly that I needed to see the individuals and families as a
whole, using the strength based perspective that I learned in junior core. I realized I wanted the
families to see me as a support system for them, and that they can trust me.
I found that the Council for Standards in Human Services Education Standard 20: the
program shall provide experiences and support to enable students to develop awareness of their
own values, personalities, reaction patterns, interpersonal styles, and limitations was in line with
Introduction to Human Services HSP 302 where we learned about ethical dilemmas in the human
service field. We had discussions in the forums that ranged from funding for programs,
developmental theory and meeting the needs of infants and children. We learned about concepts
pertaining to culture such as cultural diversity, homogenized culture, McDonaldization, media
gorillas, color line, and new racial domains. Every week we were asked to write a 2-3 page paper
as a reflection of our knowledge. Our final paper (file below) was to create an Ethical Scenario
Project; this was meant for us to examine the application of Ethics in Human Service delivery. In
this class we also studied the origin of the welfare system and the idea of universal health care. I
was forced to evaluate my personal views and how they react to my professional views. This
class also gave me the knowledge needed on the CSHSE standards as I progressed in the human
service program.
As I continued through the human service courses I realized that it was held together
through the CSHSE standards. I feel that standards 19 and 21 address the ethics and values as
they relate to the human service curriculum. I feel that standard 19 was also represented in
Human Services Case Management HSP 345 where we discussed the importance of cultural
understanding and differences. We formed groups and in those groups we each played the role
client and case manager. We each created a hypothetical case then exchanged them and
developed a service plan where set goals, activities and services. Because of this I was able to
understand the role of case workers and how they interact with the diverse population in varied
settings. This fits well Standard 19 for the reason that case workers should adhere to
confidentiality, and to maintain respect to the client.
Another example of how human service ethics and values have been addressed is through
the junior and senior core courses HSP 301,303, 305, 402, 404 and 406. In these classes we
learned that the human service curriculum will cause us to re-evaluate our views regarding
professional ethics and values. In these courses we were required to write papers that would
address the subject matter. One example of this was from HSP 305, where I wrote a paper on
leadership. The paper was about the various roles a leader takes in the human service field and
understanding how to connect to staff, clients while in the leadership role. I feel the leadership
role addresses the importance of ethical decision making and values when it comes to human
services leadership.
As I went through the Human Service Program I discovered who I am and that I can
express my values and opinions. Overall, I feel that curriculum along with the discussions of
human service ethics and values have given me opportunities for growth. I found myself in
challenging situations out in the field and in class discussions that forced me to think critically
and to act accordingly through the values that I have developed. Because of these experiences, I
now feel more confident and ready to enter the field and working with all populations, and no
matter the population I will use my values while interacting with future staff and clients. And I
feel I have grown as a professional and I am aware of the ethics that are necessary to go forward
in the human service field.