Legal and Ethical Issues for Mental Health and Social Services Providers Working with Foster Youth in the Community

Rachel Michaelsen, LCSW

Training Description

There are numerous legal and ethical issues specific to working with foster youth in the community based organizations and school settings. They range from consent to privacy; use of electronics to dual relationships; rights for reproductive health care to minor consent for mental health treatment; and mandatory reporting to documentation. Through case vignettes, discussions and lecture, participants will explore the intricacies of these issues.

Learning Objective

• Understand when and who can consent for minor’s mental health treatment and when working with system involved youth;
• Explain foster youth’s rights to reproductive health care;
• Explain how to maintain client privacy while using technology in work with system involved youth;
• Determine when they are required to make mandatory reports;
• Explain who to contact when making at least two types of mandatory reports and at least two ways to make mandatory reports;
• Describe how to determine at least two times when it is considered inappropriate to have dual relationships when working with system involved youth;

Agenda 

9:30am – 9:45am Overview of Course and Introductions

9:45am – 11:00am Consent for treatment

11:00am – 11:15am Break (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

11:15am – 12:30pm Privacy Issues

12:30pm – 1:00pm Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

1:00pm – 2:30pm Mandatory reporting

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

2:45pm – 4:00pm Dual relationships

4:00pm –  4:30pm Foster youth’s rights to reproductive health services and information

4:30 pm Adjourn

Meet Our Trainer

Rachel Michaelsen, LCSW, is a clinical social worker who has worked in HMOs, public agencies, and private practice as both a mental-health provider and a supervisor for more than thirty years. She has taught courses in clinical supervision, law and ethics, diagnoses, childhood psychopathology, vicarious traumatization, trauma informed care and energy psychology at universities, conferences, and mental-health agencies. She provides consultation and supervision to agencies, and maintains a private practice.

This course meets the qualifications for (6.0) 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.