Whose advice are you hearing as you develop your policies for clinical practice? Who are your ethical models for deciding how to handle such important things as billing for third party reimbursement, clinical boundaries, or informed consent? What policies protect your clients in the “dual/multiple relationships” of couple/family cases? What is your policy about disclosing information if you don’t have the client’s explicit consent?
OUTLINE
I. What Are Your Problematic Practice Areas?
A. Intakes & Informed Consent
B. Billing for Third Party Reimbursement
C. Confidentiality
D. “Double Relationships” in Couple & Family Cases
E. Confusing Roles & Rules in Child & Adolescent Counseling + Parents
F. Child Custody Cases – Court Involvement; Ethical & Clinical Issues
G. Practicing Outside Your Area of Competence
H. Termination (including financially-created “premature terminations”)
I. Other
II. What Are Your Sources of Reliable (and Unreliable) Recommendations?
A. Professional Resources
B. Colleague Resources
C. Supervision/Consultation Resources
D. Online Resources
E. Other
III. What Steps Do You Follow in Developing Your Policies?
A. Balancing the Interests
B. Considering the Implications/Consequences
C. Obtaining Ethical, Legal, and/or Clinical Consultation
D. Writing a Clear Draft of Your Policy Statement
IV. Are You Testing Your Proposed Policies For Yourself?
A. Is Your Policy Ethical? – Testing Your Policy Against Your Ethics Code
B. Is Your Policy Legal? – Testing Your Policy Against Virginia Law
C. Does This Policy Have Clinical Implications?
D. Are You Comfortable Describing Your Policy to Colleagues? Clients?
E. Do You Need Further Ethical, Legal, Clinical Consultation? From Whom?
Educational Goals:
1. To list areas of clinical practice most likely to create ethical or legal problems.
2. To name potential sources of reliable guidance in establishing policies in these areas.
3. To plan how to develop ethical policies that match your own preferences and practices.
4. To use a structured approach for testing those policies.
The Center for Ethical Practice is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The Center for Ethical Practice has been approved by National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 6768). The Center is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.
The Center for Ethical Practice (provider 1287), 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: 3/21/2021-3/21/2024.