(Couple, Family, Group, Child+Parent, Individual With Collateral Participant)
When providing multi-client therapy — couple, family, or group therapy; child therapy with parent consultation; or collateal participant in an individual adult therapy — certain ethical, legal, and/or clinical dilemmas often arise. Are you avoiding the predictable dilemmas and preparing clients for the “unpredictables”? Do you remember that “clinically interesting” is not synonymous with “ethically appropriate”? This workshop is designed to help clinicians anticipate, prevent, and/or minimize the risks to clients — and thus to themselves — when providing therapy in multiple-client configurations.
OUTLINE
I. Ethical Standards About Wearing Multiple Clinical Hats
II. Legal Standards Affecting Multiple-Client Therapy
III. Practical Issues About Informed Consent
A. First Session Issue: Informing All Clients
1. Your Rules About Confidentiality
2. General Policies
B. First Session Issue: Obtaining Consent from All Clients
1. Formal Contract With Client(s)
2. Formal Contract With Collaterals
C. Ongoing Issue: Who is the Client Now?
1. Clinical Implications of the Answer
2. Ethical Implications of the Answer
3. Legal Implications of the Answer
IV. Third Party Payer Contracts & Reimbursement Issues
V. Anticipating Ethical/Legal/Clinical Pitfalls
A. Inevitable Dual/Multiple Relationship Issues
B. Potential for Changes in Roles/Boundaries
C. Potential for (or Perception of) Conflict of Interest
D. Potential for (or Perception of) Coercion/Harm
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 to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The Center for Ethical Practice maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/21/2021-3/21/2024.