Course description

While HIV and AIDS treatment has dramatically improved, there remains no cure. For mental health professionals, questions often arise of how to address risky sexual and drug-use behavior, and how to handle confidentiality concerns related to HIV status. In this workshop, counselors and therapists will learn about what HIV and AIDS are; the impact of HIV and AIDS on various populations; recent developments in treatment; how to address disclosure of an HIV diagnosis; and related confidentiality standards.

Content Advisory: This course includes discussion of sexual activity. To preserve confidentiality, case examples include fictionalized elements.

This course meets California BBS requirements for 7 hours of CE in HIV and AIDS Awareness during the first license renewal cycle.

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Identify at least two major differences in the medical treatment of HIV today versus 20 years ago

  • Identify at least two common impacts of an HIV diagnosis on people and their families

  • Describe at least three common clinician biases related to HIV and AIDS

  • Describe at least three principles for working with clients diagnosed with HIV

  • List at least two barriers to HIV treatment adherence

  • Describe at least two appropriate clinician responses to client disclosure of HIV status

  • Identify at least two reasons why professional associations discourage laws requiring mental health professionals to report high-risk behavior to partners or public health authorities

Course Outline

1. Background

a. Terminology

b. History of HIV/AIDS

c. Social and cultural responses

2. Treatment

a. Current treatments

b. Risk reduction

c. Treatment adherence

d. Mental health

3. Living with HIV

4. Working with HIV-positive or high-risk populations

a. Understanding the population

b. Assessing clinician bias

c. Reducing clinician bias

5. Mental health assessment and treatment

a. Inquiring about HIV status

b. Risk assessment

c. Encouraging testing

d. Disclosure of HIV status

e. Crisis assessment

f. Treatment planning

6. Legal and Ethical Issues

a. Confidentiality

b. Documentation of HIV status

c. Access to records

Instructors

Mallory Garrett, MS, LMFT and Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT

Mallory Garrett, MS, is a New York and California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, and former Patient Care Manager for AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles. She is an author and advocate on aging and AIDS-related issues.

Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and serves as Adjunct Faculty for California State University Northridge. He has taught at the graduate level for more than 15 years, primarily in law and ethics, and has written and trained extensively on ethical applications in mental health care.

Additional Information

Format and Length:

Recorded video format (non-interactive). Total running time 422 minutes. Progress is saved after each lesson section so you can complete the course in multiple sittings. Please note that if you leave the course in the middle of a video, quiz, or survey section you may be required to start that section from the beginning.

Topic Area:

Clinical practice

Instructional Level:

Intermediate  

Completion Requirements:

To obtain your CE certificate, you must progress through all course segments, complete a satisfaction survey, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a course completion quiz. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within a reasonable number of attempts, and may be blocked from completing the course and receiving their certificate if unable to do so.

Completion Quiz and Course Evaluation:

After watching course videos, the course completion quiz will be available to complete, followed by the course evaluation.

Who Should Attend:

Psychologists, counselors, masters or doctoral level clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists.

Publication and Review Dates:

Course Publication Date: January 11, 2022 

Financial Support Statement:

SimplePractice pays course presenters for their teaching. There is no other financial support for this course.

Conflict of Interest Statement:

There is no potential conflict of interest or outside commercial support for this course.

Refund Policy:

Click here to see our policies on attendance, refunds, grievances, and accessibility, and other frequently asked questions. Click here to contact us or submit a grievance.

Contact Information:

For any inquiries related to subject matter guidance, correction, grading, comments, or problem resolution please contact us.

System Requirements:

Please ensure your device meets our system requirements.

Continuing Education Approvals:

SimplePractice is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course provides 7 hours of continuing education (7 CE credits) for psychologists.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice, #1749, 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. Simple Practice maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 07/06/2021 – 07/06/2024. Social workers participating in this course will receive 7 continuing education credits in the Clinical topic area.

SimplePractice is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #145276). SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 7 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. 

SimplePractice is approved as a Rule/Statute Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. Note that we do not automatically report CE completion to CE Broker at this time, so certificates of completion must be manually uploaded. Click here for more information.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0582.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0030.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0091.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0206.

This course is not part of our continuing education program approved through NAADAC. Click here to view our complete CE approval information, or check out our collection of NAADAC approved courses.