Law and Ethics for Social Workers and Behavioral Health Care Professionals

Daniel O. Taube, JD, PhD

Training Description

Professional mental health and addictions services ethics codes, case law, and regulations are ever changing. With the busy schedules most MHPs have, it can be difficult to keep up with these changes. As a result, licensing boards require regular updates for practicing professionals (e.g., the Board of Psychology and the BBS), and malpractice insurers are encouraging their insured members to regularly engage in continuing education on the topic. The purpose of this course is to meet and exceed the requirements of regulatory organizations, assist mental health professionals in maintaining competence in this vital area, and in better managing the risks of mental health practice. It will do so by providing a review of key ethical and legal concepts, and delineating recent ethical, regulatory and other legal changes that affect professional practice in community behavioral health services. The course will be taught at an intermediate level, and is appropriate for currently licensed professionals. It meets and exceed the Board of Psychology's mandated ethics and law update requirement, and the Board of Behavioral Sciences 6 hour update requirement.

Learning Objectives

On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe four elements of a malpractice case
• List three ways to improve multicultural service delivery for people with disabilities
• Describe three aspects of prediction of violence
• Describe the current status of SB 1172, the sexual orientation change efforts prohibitions regarding minors
• Name two changes in the Child Abuse reporting standards.

Agenda

8:50 Sign in

9:00 - 10:00 Introduction; Lessons from malpractice claims, data, and literature; Developing Standards of Care

10:00 - 10:15 Break (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

10:15 - 12:00 Liability for suicidality: Review cases and implications; Establishing standards of care in cases of violence: cases, research, and steps; The duty to protect & threats to others: Review cases and implications; Ongoing debates

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

1:00 - 2:30 Other samples of standards of care: EBPs; Ethical and legal responsibilities of supervisors; Consent and supervision: review cases and implications; Structuring the supervisory relationship; The duty to maintain confidentiality/privacy and negligence: cases and standards of care

2:30 - 2:45 Break (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

2:45 - 3:50 Technology and privacy; Increasing pressure in our digital time; Cultural diversity considerations: the case of people with disabilities; Updates on Child Abuse and Neglect; Conclusions and general lessons informed by case law; three steps to meeting standards of care

3:50 - 4:30 Remaining questions and completion of evaluation

4:30 Adjournment

Meet Our Trainer

Daniel O. Taube received his J.D. from Villanova University in 1985 and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University in 1987, as a member of the Hahnemann/Villanova Joint Psychology and Law Graduate Program. He is a Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco at Alliant International University, past Psy.D. Program Director, founder and coordinator of the Forensic Family Child Track and member of the Child/Family Track. His areas of professional focus include ethical and legal issues in professional practice, child protection, addictions, and disability and parenting. 

This course meets the qualifications for (6) BBS CEUs for LCSWs and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.