Ethics and Healthcare

ETHICS AND HEALTHCARE Each student is expected to write an Issue Brief of 1000-1500 words, typewritten, double-spaced, no smaller than 10-point sized type and dealing with a topic of ethical or legal importance in behavioral healthcare. It is expected that the Brief will discuss an issue from a cross-disciplinary perspective and will critically analyze the issue while asserting a position on the selected topic. A typical format for the Brief is: 1) state a position; 2) give a short background on the issue so that readers have a basic understanding of the issue; 3) provide support/arguments for the position taken (this may include addressing potential opposing arguments to your position); and 4) conclude with a restatement of your position and summary statement as to why the arguments you presented lead one to conclude that your position is the correct ethical/legal stance. Here is a short, helpful guide to writing position briefs/papers: http://web.archive.org/web/20070316023144/homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/~writing/position.htm. Examples of position papers are also available on the web (just google “position paper examples”).  You need to be persuasive (remember this is not just an informational paper, but rather a position brief where your advocate/argue for something to happen), and try to convince the reader that your position is correct in only a few pages – so you need to select what you include carefully. Examples of possible position statements