HSL 613Leading Ethically

Catalog

This course considers various styles of leadership and its ethical impact on constituents. Too often in the field of human services, leaders make decisions that are not in alignment with the best interests of the populations they serve. When this happens, individuals, families, and communities are harmed due to unethical practices and policies of providers. Moreover, sometimes policies that intend to help are injurious due to leaders who are neglectful, disengaged, or who engage in self-serving behaviors. With consideration given to intersectionality (i.e., persons with multiple oppressed identities), leading ethically requires leaders to be socially agile, humble, courageous, and visionaries for community change and growth. When conceptualizing and developing strategies and interventions, leaders must be able to consider the multiple oppressive identities that impact social navigation for those who have been unheard or invisible during moments of important decision making. The course involves the application of ethical and legal standards to complex cases. Finally, a cross-cultural examination of emerging ethical issues and models are assessed in this course.