Theme 1B · THW Continuing Education
Professional Ethics & Boundaries
Ethical Practice in Peer Support & THW Work
Duration
2 Hours
CEUs
2.0
Competencies
2, 4, 16, 18, 25
Peer support work is built on a foundation of shared experience, mutual respect, and authentic connection. What makes it powerful — the use of your own story, the mutuality of the relationship, the deep empathy you bring — also makes it ethically complex. The same boundaries that protect a clinician may not fit your role; the same flexibility that builds trust can also become a source of harm if not held with care.
This course explores the ethical principles that guide Traditional Health Worker practice, the difference between helpful boundary flexibility and harmful boundary violations, the navigation of dual relationships in small communities, and a practical framework for working through the ethical dilemmas that arise in real practice.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
| 1 | Articulate the 12 Core Ethical Principles for peer supporters from the National Practice Guidelines. |
| 2 | Distinguish between helpful boundary flexibility and harmful boundary violations. |
| 3 | Apply the Three P’s of strategic self-disclosure: Purposeful, Brief, Processed. |
| 4 | Navigate dual relationships and small-community challenges with intentional planning. |
| 5 | Identify Oregon’s mandatory reporting obligations and the limits of confidentiality. |
| 6 | Apply the ETHICS framework to work through complex ethical dilemmas in practice. |
Course Sections
Section 1 — Foundations of Peer Support Ethics
The 12 Core Ethical Principles, Oregon THW requirements, and the values that anchor ethical practice.
Section 2 — Understanding Boundaries
Clinical vs. peer support boundaries, strategic self-disclosure, and the difference between boundary crossings and violations.
Section 3 — Managing Complex Relationships
Dual relationships, small-community challenges, and social media boundaries.
Section 4 — Confidentiality & Mandatory Reporting
HIPAA basics, Oregon’s mandatory reporting requirements, and ethical documentation.
Section 5 — Ethical Decision-Making in Practice
The ETHICS framework: a step-by-step approach to working through dilemmas.
A Note Before You Begin
Ethics work asks you to look honestly at the choices you make and the relationships you hold. Some of what you encounter in this course may bring up memories of your own experience as someone receiving support, or of moments in your THW practice where you weren’t sure what to do. That is not a sign that you’ve done something wrong — it is a sign that you take this work seriously.
Take your time. The goal is not to memorize rules but to build the judgment you’ll rely on when no rule fits perfectly.
Dharma Consulting LLC | Salem, Oregon | findingdharma.org
