This workshop equips mental health professionals to navigate the complex interplay of ethical codes and legal mandates. We'll explore confidentiality, duty to warn, conscience clauses, and boundaries, ensuring you meet both legal and ethical requirements.
| Series | Ethics and Boundaries |
|---|---|
| Next Session | Jan. 10, 2025 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. |
Legal Standards and Professional Ethics
All mental health professional organizations have standards defining ethical practice. These include guidelines about boundaries, principled decision-making, and professional behavior. At times, government also weighs in, setting certain legal requirements that mental health professionals must adhere to. Sometimes these standards are consistent with professional standards (confidentiality.) Sometimes they add new expectations (Tarasoff duties.) And sometimes they conflict (conscience clauses.) This workshop is about the relationship between legislative and professional ethical and practice standards. We will investigate the following legal principles in this context: confidentiality, Tarasoff standards, conscience clauses, and boundary issues.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the basic components of confidentiality and Tarasoff standards
- Describe the difference between a privacy standard and a confidentiality standard
- Describe how conscience clauses may conflict with professional codes of ethics
- Assess themselves for risks of boundary crossings and ask for consultation if necessary
This program meets Wisconsin Ethics and Boundaries continuing education requirements for human service professionals.
Who should attend
Human service professionals such as social workers, professional counselors, therapists, and psychologists.
Instructors
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Dr. David Mays (MD, Ph.D.) is a forensic psychiatrist and directed the forensic program at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, WI for 13 years. He serves on the clinical faculty at UW–Madison. Dr. Mays is the recipient of the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, The Distinguished Service Award from the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Dane County, and the Exceptional Performance Award from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. He has treated patients in hospital and outpatient settings with co-morbid substance use problems for 20 years. He is a seasoned clinician and highly sought-after presenter.