Ethical and Legal Issues in Mental Health Treatment

Date course created: November 2021

This course will provide discussion regarding the importance of ethics in our world and specifically the practice of behavioral health care. It provides an overview of ethics versus the law, the difference between civil and criminal law, challenges that arise when ethics and the law collide, and how to respond to subpoenas and prepare for court testimony. This course will challenge learners to consider the gray areas of ethics, ideally resulting in each learner developing a decision-making model to use in work with clients. 

**This is a 3-CE noninteractive, self-paced online video course delivered in home study format via an industry-standard online learning platform**

Agenda:

00:00 – 01:00: Understanding Ethics and Law

01:00 – 02:00: Legal and Ethical Considerations in Counseling Practice

02:00 – 02:40: Roles and Boundaries within the Therapeutic Relationship

Objectives:

This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:

a). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe how ethics guide and govern our professional behavior and the importance of this.

b). After completing this training, participants will be able to distinguish between ethics and the law in the practice of mental health.

c). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe the difference between the law and ethics, criminal versus civil law, and circumstances when ethics and the law may collide.

d). After completing this training, participants will be able to identify three areas of consideration when responding to a subpoena.

e). After completing this training, participants will be able to name two areas of consideration when preparing for court testimony.

f). After completing this training, participants will be able to identify the major ethical/legal areas encountered in mental health practice (to include 8 major areas of focus and 5 moral ethical principles).

g). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe what you need to know to practice ethically in the technology age.

h). After completing this training, participants will be able to explain how technology has changed our industry and practice.

i). After completing this training, participants will be able to create your own ethical decision-making model(s).

j). After completing this training, participants will be able to demonstrate mastery of the information in this course by applying it to case examples.

k). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe how will this training assist you in your future work.

Target Audience:

Professional counselors, professional social workers, professional school counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychologists, professional case managers and medical staff.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Jodi Ann Geis-Crowder, MS, LPC, ACS

Material Author(s): Jodi Ann Geis-Crowder, MS, LPC, ACS  

A native of Wyoming, Jodi holds an Associate of Science Degree in Education from Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Sciences with areas of emphasis in psychology, economics, political science and anthropology, and a Master of Science Degree in Counselor Education and Human Development with an emphasis in Leadership from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming.  She holds professional counseling licenses in good standing in Colorado (LPC-2476, March 2000) and Wyoming (LPC-1602, September 2016), is an Approved Clinical Supervisor, a certified Solution Focused Brief Therapy practitioner, is a trainer for Professional Case Management and Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling, holds a certificate in the Human/Animal Bond from the Denver University Graduate School of Social Work, has studied and gained numerous continuing education credits in the area of the human/animal bond, has been registered with three therapy dogs (2005, 2010 and 2019) and is a tester/observer for Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a national credentialing organization for therapy dog teams headquarter in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Jodi’s passion for culturally meaningful human/animal bond and agriculture related services in rural areas resulted in her developing animal assisted therapy programs for two community behavioral health centers: Centennial Mental Health Center in Northeast Colorado and Peak Wellness Center in Southeast Wyoming.  She also developed a therapeutic horticulture program while at Centennial Mental Health Center.   Jodi has held positions as a clinician, clinical coordinator, clinical supervisor, regional clinical director, telehealth clinical supervisor and education and training coordinator in her years in community behavioral health.  In addition to the program development mentioned above, Jodi was the architect for and developed a centralized telehealth clinical supervision model for Peak Wellness Center.  

For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.

Course Materials & Delivery Method:

• Course materials – The course is composed of a recorded presentation and written materials (e.g. a slide deck and/or other worksheets, manuals, or handouts as provided by the instructor). The slide deck and any additional worksheets or handouts (as provided by the instructor) are made available inside the Lesson module after a course is purchased.
• Delivery Method – this course is a recorded asynchronous, self-paced webinar training, and there is no access time limit or due date to complete it once enrolled. The enrolled learner will stream the recorded presentation and view the materials from their internet connected device via an industry-standard online learning platform.

CE Approvals:

Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not quality for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2024 – July 23, 2025. Social workers completing this course receive [see advertisement] asynchronous distance learning continuing education credits.

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