Ethics and Legal Regulations for Behavioral Health Professionals

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How to Take This Course:

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• 2 Read the Course Material -  As you read through, mark your answers on the course worksheet to be prepared for the exam
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CE Course Description

Behavioral health providers are responsible for much more than just providing mental health services to patients. They are responsible for protecting the patient, their communities, the ethics of their profession, the confidentiality of everyone involved, and much more when providing care. Therefore, it is essential for behavioral healthcare professionals to understand and apply the ethical and legal requirements in behavioral health federally and in their local areas. This course will review information regarding the ethics and legal obligations for behavioral health professionals. 

Author: Sara Amundson, MSW

CE Course Objectives

1. Explore the ethical responsibilities for a variety of common behavioral health providers
2. Review the boundaries involved in behavioral health to immediately apply in practice
3. Recognize dual relationships and know when to remove self from a dual relationship
4. Examine laws regarding confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and duty to warn
5. Review case studies that explore ethical dilemmas in behavioral health

CE Course Outline

Introduction (5 mins)

1. Introduction (5 mins)

Who are behavioral health professionals? (10 mins)

1. Overview of behavioral health professionals (10 mins)

Professional Ethics (25 mins)

1. Psychiatrists (3 mins)
2. Mental Health Counselor (5 mins)
3. Marriage and Family Therapists (5 mins)
4. Social Workers (6 mins)
5. Registered Psychiatric Nurses (3 mins)
6. Substance Use Therapists (3 mins)

Boundaries (15 mins)

1. Successful boundary-setting case study (8 mins)
2. Unsuccessful boundary-setting case study (7 mins)

Dual relationships (15 mins)

1. Successful dual relationship case study (7 mins)
2. Unsuccessful dual relationship case study (8 mins)

Confidentiality (5 mins)

1. How to protect confidentiality (5 mins)

Mandated reporting and limitations (30 mins)

1. Benefits and difficulties with mandatory reporting (10 mins)
2. Mandatory reporting case study of a child (5 mins)
3. Mandatory reporting of a person with a disability (5 mins)
4. Mandatory reporting for an aging individual (10 mins)

Duty to warn and the Tarasoff case (15 mins)

1. Duty to warn case study that is necessary (8 mins)
2. Duty to warn case study that does not apply (7 mins)

Additional Resources

1. References (not timed)

Total Time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
Course Level: Introductory

Course Date: 2020-05-14

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