Legal and Ethical Issues for Mental Health and Social Services Providers Working with System Involved Youth

Rachel Michaelsen, LCSW

Training Description

There are numerous legal and ethical issues specific to working with foster and/or system involved 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 foster youth’s rights to reproductive health services and information. 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

• Minor consent
• Parental/Caretaker consent
• In cases of divorce

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

11:15am-12:30pm Privacy issues

• Ethical use of technology while maintaining privacy
• Privacy – Communication
• Privacy – Electronic Interventions
• Subpoenas

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

1:00pm-2:30pm Mandatory reporting

• Child abuse
• Elder abuse
• Sexual Activity
• Duty to Warn
• The Patriot Act
• Teacher/School Staff
• Self-Harm

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

2:45pm-4:00pm Dual relationships

• Ethical Standards
• Protecting Clients
• Determining What is Appropriate and What is Not
• Regarding Social Media

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

• AB 89
• Youth’s

4:30pm 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 over thirty years. She  has taught courses in DSM-5, clinical supervision, law and ethics, childhood psychopathology,  time management, boundaries, vicarious traumatization and energy psychology at universities,  conferences, and mental-health agencies. She has a private psychotherapy practice, provides  sound healing sessions and is also the Chair of the Humanitarian Committee for the Association  for Comprehensive Energy Psychology

This course meets the qualifications for (6.0) BBS CEUs 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.