BBS- Legal and Ethical Issues: Telemental Health and Consent, Privacy and Mandatory Reporting- 6 CAMFT & RN CE Credits

*This training fulfills the 3-hour Telehealth BBS requirement, 3 hours law and ethics requirement for a total of 6 hours of law and ethics*

Training Summary:

In work with system involved youth and families there are numerous legal and ethical considerations to keep in mind. In this class participants will learn: 1)  California telehealth legal codes and telehealth professional codes of ethics including: informed consent, privacy, working with people out of state, preparing for crisis, and handling technology failure; 2) research on telemental health; 3) best practicing when providing online health and mental services; 4) general consent for treatment requirements; 5) privacy issue including in the use of technology; and 6) required mandatory reporting.  This class meets the 3 hour, one time requirement for a telemental health course for all registrants and licensed mental health providers, the biennial 6 hour law and ethics requirement for licensed mental health professionals and the annual 3 hour law and ethics requirement for registrants.

Learning Objectives:

·        Describe how and when to obtain informed consent for telemental health services when working with system involved youth.

·        List two pros and two cons of providing telemental health services to system involved youth and their families.

·        Explain at least two ways to maintain confidentiality when engaging in telemental health to system involved youth.

·        Make a plan to handle suicidal system involved youth when providing services via telemental health.

·        Explain when and who can consent for minor’s mental health treatment.

·        Explain how to maintain client privacy while using technology.

·        Explain when they are required to make mandatory reports, who to contact when making at least two types of mandatory reports, and at least two ways to make mandatory reports.

Transfer of Learning:

·        Participants will be able to understand legal and ethical issues and use best practices while providing services via telehealth.

·        Participants will be able to maintain client confidentiality.

·        Participants will be able to obtain proper consent for treatment and know when and how to make mandatory reports.

Trainer Bio:

Rachel Michaelsen, LCSW, is a clinical social worker who has worked in HMOs, public agencies, and private practice as both a mental-health provider and a supervisor for over thirty years. She has taught courses in DSM-5, clinical supervision, law and ethics, childhood psychopathology, time management, boundaries, vicarious traumatization and energy psychology at universities, conferences, and mental-health agencies. She has a private psychotherapy practice, which has been exclusively been online since 2020 and is also the recent past chair of the Humanitarian Committee for the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology.

*There will be two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute lunch break. During these breaks, continuing education credits are not accrued.