Texas Mental Health and The Law – Michael H. Flynn

Salepage link: At HERE. Archive:

As a mental health professional, you not only deal with critical clinical matters with your clients – you must also stay up-to-date on seemingly ever-changing laws and procedures. Keeping up-to-date is essential in order to protect your clients and yourself. In this comprehensive recording you will gain an understanding of confidentiality, risk management, recent legislation and trends in mental health law in Texas, guardianship, commitment, practical legal options – and more, that will help you stay on top of issues that arise in everyday clinical situations.

1. Summarize the legal considerations when opening and maintaining a mental health practice.
2. Explain the potential role of mental health professionals in legal proceedings related to client care.
3. Identify client confidentiality issues and when clinicians are obligated to disclose protected health information.
4. Navigate the legal and ethical issues related to security and privacy in a clinical setting.
5. Determine how to legally and ethically handle situations relating to child abuse and elder abuse.
6. Explain the legal and ethical issues that arise when using distance therapy in a clinical setting.

Legal and Professional Considerations for Practice Entities

• Opening and operating your practice as a business entity
• Entities and their characteristics
• Using your chosen entity
• Your office forms
  • Important distinctions in language
  • Provisions that should be in your forms
• Agencies, group practices, and your professional relationships with them
• Other considerations

Legal and Ethical Dilemmas Facing the Mental Health Professional

• Legal proceedings and how the legal system functions
• Negligence versus licensing board actions
  • Dealing with a licensing board complaint
  • Liability insurance as your best defense
  • Protecting your assets

Constitutional Privacy and Your Client’s Privilege

• Protected records: what and how
• Record requests and subpoenas – what to do
• Child abuse, elder abuse and reporting
• Duty to warn

Technology: Mental Health Practice in the Twenty-First Century

• Distance therapy and telehealth
• Security and privacy in your office
• Security and privacy over the internet