A Complete Guide to Ethical & Legal Technology Challenges for Mental Health Professionals

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts

Speaker

Melissa Westendorf, PhD, JD Related seminars and products

Technology Wellness Center

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Melissa Westendorf, PhD, JD, is a clinical and forensic psychologist and founder of the Technology Wellness Center. As a clinician, she has provided therapy to adults and adolescents in the community and within the correctional setting. Dr. Westendorf’s forensic practice is dedicated to assessing adults and youth in either the criminal justice system or in civil matters. As a technology wellness expert, she is dedicated to assisting parents, children, adolescents, and adults on understanding the complexities of technology use and the impact on our brains, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. Dr. Westendorf’s legal training coupled with her clinical background enables her to work with individuals who are experiencing the legal ramifications of technology use.

 

As a proactive psychologist and educator, Dr. Westendorf is a keynote speaker at academic institutions, parent organizations, businesses, and community groups, offering preventative tools and resources that educate others on how to manage technology use in a healthy manner. She is the co-author of Unplug! Raising Kids in a Technology Addicted World. She has served on the Committee for Legal Issues for the American Psychological Association and on the Psychology Examining Board for the state of Wisconsin. Dr. Westendorf has been appointed as an expert in high profile legal cases, featuring the psychological ramifications of technology use. Her expertise has been relied upon in a wide variety of articles, podcasts, radio segments, and television programming. She has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio), Wisconsin Public Radio, and ABC’s 20/20. She is a monthly contributor to The Morning Blend.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
inancial: Melissa Westendorf is the founder of Technology Wellness Center, LLC. and maintains a private practice. She receives compensation as an international trainer. Melissa Westendorf receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Melissa Westendorf is a member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, the American Psychological Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and the International Association of Correctional and Forensic Psychologists.

Objectives

1. Determine how to maintain ethical standards and compliance while utilizing social media technology.
2. Appraise the legal and ethical challenges posed by communicating via email and text for mental health professionals.
3. Assess the threats that technology poses to the confidentiality and privacy of clients.
4. Analyze the legal aspects of HIPAA and how to safeguard against violations of laws.
5. Evaluate the ethical and legal issues that are unique to distance therapy and how to stay compliant
6. Investigate the ethical boundary challenges that arise when using technology.

Outline

• Keeping Up with Technology & Professional Liability Concerns
• Client Expectations – Are You Ethically and Legally Up to the Challenge?

• Pros and Cons of Utilizing Social Media and Website In Your Practice
• Confidentiality and Privacy Issues (and How to Avoid Them)
• Boundary Issues – And How to Ethically Safeguard Yourself
• Advertising and Solicitation – Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls
• Creating Your Social Media Policies and Procedures

• Pros and Cons of Emailing and Texting With Clients
• Confidentiality/Inadvertent Disclosures – Legal Concerns
• Privacy Expectations of the Client and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries
• Creating Your Texting and Emailing Policies and Procedures

• Confidentiality/Privacy Concerns of Video Technology
• Practising Across State Lines – Legal Issues and Insurance Challenges
• Client Expectations for Distance Therapy
• Creating Your Tele-Health Policies and Procedures

• HIPAA – Electronic Records Legalities
• File Retention, Destruction and Security
• Cloud-Based Data – How, When and Why
• Paperless Office Software

• New Technology & What to Expect Next!
• Legal & Ethical Trends

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Case Managers
• Addiction Counselors
• Therapists
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals

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