Law & Ethics for Professionals who Support System Involved Youth

Daniel O. Taube, JD, PhD

Training Description

The past few years have brought significant changes in federal and state statutes and case law relevant to the provision of behavioral health services for system involved youth. This update and review of ethics and law will assist those who support system involved youth in maintaining currency regarding such changes, while keeping a focus on foundational ethical principles, guidelines, and methods of enhancing decision-making and judgement. The workshop will begin with a discussion of challenges to and methods of addressing the quality of ethical decision making, with an emphasis on steps to reduce judgements in decisions, generally. The course then will turn its focus to a particular kind of bias-- racism and barriers to equity for traditionally marginalized communities in mental health care--and will present models to help increase access and equity. Confidentiality, it’s limits (e.g., case law and statutory developments in the California duty to protect (e.g., Turner v. Rivera, 2021) and our child abuse reporting law and elder/depending adult abuse reporting developments) will be discussed, as will the implications of the Information Blocking rule and the No Surprises Act Issues related to privacy and it’s limits in providing substance abuse services will also be addressed. Issues regarding the (one hopes) post-COVID impact on remote care will also be explored. This workshop will conclude by assisting professionals in navigating work with high conflict, system-involved families, whether with individual adults embroiled in, or children and adolescents affected by, such situations. If time permits, we will discuss preventing and managing licensing board complaints.

Learning Objectives

· Identify three strategies to address cognitive/affective decision-making errors and two models for challenging racism and bias within efforts to support system involved youth.

· Identify two techniques for reducing the potentially negative impact of “Open Notes” on system involved youth and three aspects of navigating remote support for system involved youth.

· Identify two developments in California child abuse reporting standards and duty to protect and two key steps in addressing risks when working with high conflict system involved families.

Agenda

9:00-10:00am

   · Introduction

   · Purposes and structure of workshop

   · Ethical standards, power and decision-making

10:00-10:07am

   · Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

10:07-11:10am

   · Ethical standards, power and decision-making (continued)

   · Ethics, oppression and diversity

11:10-11:18am

   · Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

11:18-12:30pm

   · Ethics, oppression and diversity (continued)

   · Privacy/confidentiality (limitations due to technology; breach notification, Tarasoff standards; background and issues from Biakanja, 1958, to Rosen v. UC    

     Regents, 2018 to Turner v. Rivera, 2021; practical steps).

   · Child abuse reporting updates/changes; AB 1775 and Matthews v. Bercerra (2019, rehearing August 2022); AB 1145 (September, 2020); immunity and   

     related cases).

12:30-1:30pm

   · Lunch break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

1:30-2:30pm

   · Completing privacy/confidentiality issues (Tarasoff and Child abuse reporting);

   · Remote practice

2:30-2:37pm

   · Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

2:37-3:30pm

   · Remote practice (continued)

   · Working with high conflict system involved youth and families

3:30-3:38pm

   · Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

3:38-4:30pm

   · Working with high conflict families, and child/adolescents (continued)

   · Preventing and managing licensing board complaints: ethical and risk issues (time permitting)

Meet Our Trainer

Daniel O. Taube earned his JD/PhD from Villanova University and Hahnemann University (1985 and 1987, respectively), as a member of the Joint Psychology and Law Graduate Program. He is Professor Emeritus at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Francisco, is currently a member of The American Insurance Trust’s Risk Management team, and regularly consults across the country with a wide range of practitioners and community agencies regarding standards of practice and ethical concerns. His areas of professional focus include ethical and legal issues in professional practice, child protection and addictions.

This course meets the qualifications for (6.0) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.