Legal and Ethical Issues Specific to Working with System Involved Youth in Outpatient and School Settings

Rachel Michaelsen

Training Description

The legal and ethical issues specific to working with system involved children and adolescents in outpatient and school based mental health setting include consent for treatment, privacy issues including ethical use of technology, mandatory reporting, privacy issues, dual relationships. Through case vignettes, discussions and lecture, participants will explore the intricacies of these issues.

Learning Objectives

This Course will help participants to:

Determine when a mandatory report is and is not required; 

List who to contact when making at least two types of mandatory reports and at least two ways to make mandatory reports

Practice maintaining client’s privacy while using technology in work;

Identify who can consent for minor’s mental health treatment;

Distinguish between psychotherapy and social/emotional interventions;

Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate dual relationships with clients.

Agenda

9:00 Overview of Course, Intros

9:15 Consent for treatment

• Minor consent

• Parental/Caretaker consent

• In cases of divorce

• Psychotherapy versus Social Emotional interventions

10:30 Break (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

10:45 Privacy issues

• HIPAA versus FERPA

• Confidentiality

• Ethical use of technology while maintaining privacy

o Texting

o Email

12:15 Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

1:15 Mandatory reporting

• Child abuse

• Elder abuse

• Sexual Activity

• Duty to Warn

• The Patriot Act

• Self-Harm

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

3:00 Dual relationships

• Social media

• Teachers/school staff

4:25 Course eval

4:30 Ajourn

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 outpatient mental health services in schools, hospice and clinics for more than twenty-five years. She has taught course in law and ethics for direct service providers and supervisors. Ms. Michaelsen has a private practice in Berkeley, CA and is the Chair of the Association of Energy Psychology’s Humanitarian Committee.

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.