Ethical Challenges in a Digital World and Ethical Decision-making Strategies

Overview:

Today's behavioral health practitioners face a wide range of unprecedented ethical challenges related to their use of digital and other technology.

Is it ethical for practitioners (mental health counselors,social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, and substance use counselors) to use technology to provide services remotely to clients they never meet in person? 

How should practitioners manage boundary issues associated with online communications with current and former clients? How should practitioners respond to "friend" requests they receive from clients on online social networking sites? Is it ethical for practitioners to conduct online searches for information about clients without clients' knowledge? Dr. Frederic Reamer will discuss these challenges and provide an overview of state-of-the-art ethical, regulatory, and professional standards that can guide practitioners in the digital age.

Why should you Attend: Behavioral health practitioners face unprecedented ethical challenges in the digital age. The advent of digital technology to deliver services, communicate with clients, search for information about clients, and store clinical information has led to novel ethical issues related to client privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, boundary issues, dual relationships, conflicts of interest, and documentation, among other issues. 

The major behavioral health professions have recently developed ethical and professional standards to guide practitioners in their use of technology. This webinar will provide essential information to protect clients and prevent ethics complaints and litigation. 

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Ethical Challenges in Behavioral Health in the Digital Age: Case Examples
• Overview of Key Ethical Issues
• Review of Emerging Ethical, Regulatory, and Professional Standards Related to Technology
• Risk-Management: Protecting Clients and Preventing Ethics Complaints and Litigation

Who Will Benefit:

• Mental Health Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Substance use Counselors

Speaker Profile 

Frederic Reamer, Ph.D., is professor in the graduate program, School of Social Work, Rhode Island College, where he has been on the faculty since 1983. He chaired the national task force that wrote the code of ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers. Reamer is the author of more than 20 books and 140 journal articles, encyclopedia entries, and book chapters. He has been a social worker in correctional and mental health settings and specializes in professional ethics. 

Reamer has been an expert witness and ethics consultant in more than 100 court (litigation) cases and licensing board cases involving ethical and risk-management issues. 

His books include Risk Management in Social Work: Preventing Professional Malpractice, Liability, and Disciplinary Action (Columbia University Press); Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services (Columbia University Press); Social Work Values and Ethics (Columbia University Press); Ethical Standards in Social Work (NASW Press); and The Social Work Ethics Audit: A Risk Management Tool (NASW Press), among others.