Legal and Ethical Standards of Care for Behavioral Health Professionals

Course overview

Behavioral health providers often encounter challenging situations where they must balance client care with ethics codes, laws, and standards of care. Understanding these and the potential risk of violation is crucial for protecting the client and the provider. The rate of licensing board complaints against behavioral health professionals varies by specialty and location but is generally significant enough to warrant practitioners' attention. These complaints often stem from boundary violations, ethical dilemmas, or negligence in documentation or confidentiality practices. This course is designed to help providers distinguish between standards of care and legal and ethical issues. You will also learn about the responsibilities associated with informed consent and confidentiality. Finally, this course will address violations of standards of care and concerns regarding malpractice.