On-Demand Course

at your pace for only $12.95.

Earn 1.5 continuing education hours and build confidence navigating Oregon laws, administrative rules, professional ethics codes, and licensing board disciplinary procedures relevant to behavioral health practice. Gain access to downloadable resources, including practice briefs, handouts, and infographics that you can save and revisit any time.
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Why Take This Course

Practicing ethically is not just about knowing your professional ethics code. It also requires understanding how state laws, administrative rules, licensing boards, professional standards, and disciplinary processes interact.

  • This course is designed to strengthen your ability to locate, understand, and apply relevant legal and ethical resources.

  • Rather than attempting to cover every law or code in full, the course focuses on helping you know where to look, what resources matter, and how to approach ethical and legal questions with greater clarity.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this course, you will be better able to:

  • locate relevant statutes and administrative rules required for engaging in behavioral healthcare in Oregon;

  • identify state-adopted codes of ethics and the professional boards governing your licensure, certification, or professional role;

  • navigate the sometimes confusing and conflicting territory of state and national laws;

  • demonstrate a working knowledge of Oregon disciplinary procedures for behavioral health professionals.

Who Developed This Course

Senior Instructor Teresa McDowell

Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT is professor emerita at Lewis & Clark, where she served as department chair and co-founded the college’s Problem Gambling Services. With over 40 years of experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant, Teresa focuses on workforce development, equity-based clinical practice, integrated treatment for problem gambling, and clinical supervision. She is a social researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with Partners in Social Research and Senior Instructor for ACORN. Dr. McDowell has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and is lead author of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Applying Third Order Thinking to Theory and Practice (3rd Ed., 2026).

What About CE Hours

A certificate of completion will be available on the Student Dashboard after you complete all required course activities and the course evaluation survey.

ACORN is approved by the Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), Provider ID: 26-0044, to provide continuing education courses. Additionally, ACORN is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7274. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACORN is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Who This Course Is For

Behavioral health professionals practicing in Oregon or seeking a better understanding of Oregon-specific legal and ethical practice considerations.

  • mental health counselors (MHC / LPC), marriage and family therapists (MFT / LMFT), art therapists (AT / LAT), social workers (SW / LSW / LCSW), psychologists;

  • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs) and Certified Gambling Addiction Counselors (CGACs);

  • Qualified Mental Health Associates (QMHAs) and Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHPs);

  • peers and behavioral health supervisors.

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Important Disclaimer

The information provided in this course is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Laws, rules, regulations, and professional codes may change, and information presented in this course may not reflect the most current requirements at the time it is reviewed. You should not act, or refrain from acting, based solely on information provided in this course without reviewing current laws, administrative rules, professional codes, and board guidance, and seeking legal advice from qualified counsel in the relevant jurisdiction when appropriate.
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