Course description

The context of professional mental health care is continually changing, and with that changing context comes a variety of new issues that therapists should consider and clients should be informed about. This course encourages you to revisit your informed consent with a skeptical eye, looking for what isn’t there. Specifically, you should be considering additional disclosures regarding legal exceptions to confidentiality beyond the “big four,” telehealth, social media, animals (including your policies about Emotional Support Animals and animals in the office), clients recording sessions, therapist emergency, therapist safety, and personal values.

1 Hour CE. Recorded Video Format (non-interactive)

Learning objectives

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

  • Describe at least two changes in the context of mental health care that suggest needs for updates to informed consent

  • Develop policy language related to the participant’s and their clients’ use of telehealth, social media, and digital devices in the therapy process

  • Integrate at least four new components into their informed consent process

Course outline

1. The purpose of informed consent

a. Case law

b. Practical impact

2. Informed consent is a moving target

a. Your practice changes (location, clientele, etc.)

b. Context of practice changes

c. The world around us changes

3. New Issues to consider

a. Additional exceptions to confidentiality

b. Telehealth

c. Social media

d. ESA letters

e. Animals in the office

f. Clients recording sessions

g. Therapist emergency or incapacitation

h. Threats and harassment 

i. Personal values

4. Will clients actually read it?


References


Included Resources

  • Telehealth: Best Practices and Additional Resources
  • Draft Language: Informed consent additions to consider

Reviews

Great!

Mary Lama

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Wow!

sandy wolf

Thought provoking, empowering to bring our wisest and most ethical selves to our work.

Thought provoking, empowering to bring our wisest and most ethical selves to our work.

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Informed Consent

Sherri Gilbert

I found the video class excellent. It was clear, concise and understandable.

I found the video class excellent. It was clear, concise and understandable.

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Very happy with this course.

Rebecca Compton

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Informed Consent: New Additions

Tracey Pearson-Heaney

This was very informative. I am very happy I took this course. I know this will positively impact my style of providing informed consent with my clients.

This was very informative. I am very happy I took this course. I know this will positively impact my style of providing informed consent with my clients.

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Instructor

Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT

Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#42723). He currently serves as adjunct faculty for California State University Northridge in Los Angeles. 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. In addition to serving a three-year term on the AAMFT Ethics Committee, Dr. Caldwell served as the Chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee for AAMFT-California for 10 years. He served as Editor for the Users Guide to the 2015 AAMFT Code of Ethics, Chair of the workgroup that developed Best Practices in the Online Practice of Couple and Family Therapy, and author of several books, including Saving Psychotherapy and Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs.

Additional Information

Format and Length:

Recorded video format (non-interactive). Total running time 60 minutes.

Topic Area:

Law & Ethics

NAADAC Counselor Skill Group 8: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Development

Instructional Level:

Intermediate. This course assumes graduate-level knowledge of applicable law and the ethical requirements surrounding informed consent, and focuses on current issues that may warrant changes to that document.

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.

Who Should Attend:

Psychologists, counselors, clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists.

Publication and Review Dates:

Course Published: January 27, 2020
Course Reviewed: October 26, 2020
Course Revised: January 27, 2021 

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

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 1 hour of continuing education (1 CE credit) 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 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 1 hour 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 has been approved by SimplePractice, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 1 Hours CE. NAADAC Provider #186410. SimplePractice is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Click here to view our complete CE approval information.

This course is not part of our ASWB approved continuing education program.