Can I Do This or That? Understanding the Prevention Professional’s Scope of Practice (Mid Morning Course)

Description: Many professions have a defined “scope of practice,” meaning, those procedures, actions, and processes that a practitioner is permitted to undertake under the terms of their professional certification or license. That particular scope of practice is limited to that which the law allows for those with specific education, experience, and demonstrated competency. This fact is also true for those of us working as a prevention professional. Whether you hold a credential or certification as defined by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board (meaning, an RA, OCPSA, OCPS, or OCPC) there are certain services, strategies, or activities that we are – and are NOT – permitted to perform. Yet, without a thorough understanding of the preventionist’s scope of practice, it is fairly easy to inadvertently practice outside of our scope, opening ourselves up to risk, up to and including certification suspension or removal, and even litigation. Further adding to this confusion is the delineation between those activities defined as “health promotion” versus those that are deemed – by law – as prevention. This session will not only inform participants of the differences but will utilize active examples and experiential learning opportunities to further hone their understanding of the prevention professional’s scope of practice. 

CEUS: Prevention, CHES
Hours: 4
Domains: P6: Professional Growth & Responsibility

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the prevention professional’s scope of practice.
2.  Explain the risks to working outside of the prevention professional’s scope of practice. 
3. Delineate the differences between promotion and prevention. 
4. Delineate the differences between prevention populations, and treatment and recovery populations. 
5. Describe the differences between Universal, Selective, and Indicated prevention populations.

Presenters:  Andrea Hoff MPA, GPC, OCPC, ICPS & Ashley Mack MPA, OCPC, ICPS