Complex Ethics Challenges in Behavioral Health: Case Scenarios, Ethical Decision Making, and Risk Management

Behavioral health professionals face complex and challenging ethical dilemmas during the course of their careers. This training will provide participants with in-depth examination of compelling ethical challenges in the behavioral health professions. Dr. Frederic Reamer will present and explore a series of difficult ethics cases involving conflicting ethical duties and apply practical strategies designed to protect clients, practitioners, and behavioral health organizations.

Key topics will include boundary issues, dual relationships, conflicts of interest, confidentiality exceptions, privileged communication, documentation challenges, termination of services, technology use, and whistleblowing, among others.  The training will include discussion of relevant ethical standards, statutes, regulations, case law, and national practice standards.  Dr. Reamer will focus especially on decision-making protocols in complex cases.

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this training, participants should be able to:

• Identify challenging ethical issues and dilemmas in the behavioral health professions
• Apply practical ethical decision-making frameworks and protocols
• Identify ethical issues that pose malpractice and liability risks
• Design and implement strategies to protect clients and practitioners, behavioral health organizations

PENDING CE Credits: 3.5

Presenter:

Frederic Reamer, PhD.

Frederic Reamer has been on the faculty of the School of Social Work, Rhode Island College since 1983. His teaching and research focus on professional ethics, criminal justice, mental health, health care, and public policy. Dr. Reamer received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has served as a social worker in correctional and mental health settings. He chaired the national task force that wrote the Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers and served on the code revision task force. Dr. Reamer also chaired the national task force sponsored by NASW, the Association of Social Work Boards, Council on Social Work Education, and Clinical Social Work Association that developed standards governing social workers’ use of technology in professional practice.

He has lectured nationally and internationally on social work and professional ethics, including in India, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and in various European nations. His books include Risk Management in the Behavioral Health Professions: A Practical Guide to Preventing Malpractice and Licensing-Board Complaints; The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work; Social Work Values and Ethics; Risk Management in Social Work; The Social Work Ethics Casebook; Ethical Standards in Social Work; Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services; Ethics and Risk Management in Online and Distance Social Work; Moral Distress and Injury in Human Services; Heinous Crime: Cases, Causes, and Consequences; On the Parole Board: Reflections on Crime, Punishment, Redemption, and Justice: and The Social Work Ethics Audit, among others. Dr. Reamer has served as an expert witness in many court and licensing board cases throughout the United States. In 2016 Dr. Reamer was named a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers for his “commitment and dedication to the social work profession and to the improvement of social and human conditions at the local, state, national, and international levels.