Mental health professionals are more than their professional role. We have personal lives. When those personal lives intertwine with our professional lives, things get complicated. This training explores dual/multiple relationships by examining case examples from the common to the unlikely, but still real. Special attention will be paid to considerations for communities where dual/multiple relationships in the provision of mental health care might not be avoidable, including rural areas, religious groups, LGBTQ communities, and veterans of military service.
This course is designed to meet the NYS requirement of mental health professionals to receive 3 hours of training on maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. This course is NOT New York state specific, and can satisfy ethics, boundaries and general CE requirements for any state.
https://nefesh.org/workshops/ComplicatedRelationships2/viewFREE WEBINAR
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the ethical and legal responsibility of mental health professionals to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with their clients.
- Define dual/multiple relationships.
- Apply a framework to avoid dual/multiple relationships whenever possible.
- Apply a framework to minimize potential harm to clients and the professional whenever dual/multiple relationships are not avoidable.
Agenda:
Introductions (5 minutes)
The Basics of Boundaries (25 minutes)
A definition of boundaries will be presented. This section will then outline an ethical framework
for decision making to use when contemplating boundaries related concerns. The definition of
dual/ multiple relationships with be introduced.
Overlapping Connections (30 minutes)
This section will explore common, and confusing, case examples where mental health
professionals are connected to their clients in ways beyond the provision of professional
services. The complications that these overlaps present will be analyzed using the framework
provided previously.
Communities in Common (30 minutes)
This section will explore case examples where mental health practitioners are found in the same
groups as their clients, whether through active participation, or through self-identification.
Trials and Tribulations of Technology (30 minutes)
This section will explore case examples where the use of technology in mental health practice
have complicated boundaries between clients and their practitioners.
Protecting Yourself from Ethical & Legal Liability (20 minutes)
This section will outline the framework that professionals can use to prevent ethical
conundrums, and protect themselves from legal liability when maintaining professional
boundaries is most complicated.
Conclusions/Questions (10 minutes)
This presentation is open to:
- Social Workers
- Professional Counselors
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
- Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
- New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
- Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
- Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
- Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives
Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.
- CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
CE You! maintains responsibility for this program. - Therapist Express 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-0129.
- Therapist Express 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-0325.
- Therapist Express 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-0774.
- Therapist Express 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-0129.
- Therapist Express 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-0325.