Boundaries in Clinical Practice: Top Ethical Challenges

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

Latasha Matthews, MA, LPC, CPCS, CPLC Related seminars and products

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Latasha Matthews MA, LPC, CPCS, CPLC, specializes in private practice development and counselor development. She is the author of The Dumping Ground: A Guide to Gaining Powerful Skills to Set Life-Changing Boundaries. In addition, Ms. Matthews is an adjunct professor at Shorter University, Atlanta, and the owner of Illumination Counseling and Coaching, LLC. She is the co-founder of Pieces that Fit, Inc. a 501(3)(c) organization that provides support for cultural diversity, mental health, academic success, and life skills.

 

With over 20 years of experience in the human services field, Ms. Matthews has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion that she loves to share with the world. She develops and conducts several workshops and educates counselors across the nation. She provides consultation, mentorship, and internships to clinicians as often as she can. She serves as a committee member on the board for certified professional counselor supervisors from the State of Georgia.

 

Ms. Matthews earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources from the University of Akron and her MA in Professional Counseling and Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University. Her professional memberships include: the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia, and Chi Sigma Iota.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Latasha Matthews is the owner and director of Illumination Counseling and Coaching, LLC. She is an adjunct professor at Shorter University and Messiah College. Latasha Matthews 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: Latasha Matthews is a member of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, the American Counseling Association, the Association of Marriage and Family therapists, and the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia.

Objectives

1. Determine how the code of ethics applies to boundary setting in clinical practice.
2. Evaluate and examine the common ethical issues therapists face in clinical practice.
3. Hypothesize how the therapist role is a gatekeeper for the profession.
4. Determine how to use ethical decision making in clinical practice.
5. Assess the impact counsellor wellness has on boundary setting in clinical practice.
6. Analyze the barriers and benefits of providing telemental health in clinical practice.

Outline

• Having a Code of Ethics to Follow
• Boundary Contexts and Why They Matter
• Setting up a Peer Group to Seek Counsel for Ethical Dilemmas
• The “Always Do No Harm to Your Clients” Rule

• Self-Disclosure – A Slippery Slope
• Giving & Receiving Gifts
• Physical Contact & Proximity in Session
• Language Usage in Session
• Contact Outside of Sessions
• Minors & Parents
• Handling Clients Who Lack Boundary Skills

• Social Media – How to Avoid Ethical Issues
• Email, Texting & Phone Call Boundary Challenges
• Telehealth and the Impact on Boundaries

• Impact of Isolation on Boundaries
• Why Private Practice Heightens All Boundary Concerns
• Policies & Procedures that Can Reduce Ethical Boundary Issues

• Developing a Strategy for Dual Relationships
• Evaluate Your Ability to Handle the Dual Relationship at Hand
• Creating a Proper Treatment Plan that Assists with Boundary Concerns
• Top Mistakes Clinicians Make Regarding Dual Relationships

• Self-Referral Policies & Procedures
• Collection Process for Nonpayment of fees
• Fee Establishing & Transparency Guidelines
• Sliding Scales & Bartering
• Confidentiality & Privacy Concerns

Target Audience

• Counsellors
• Social Workers
• Psychotherapists
• Addiction Counsellors
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Case Managers
• Nurses
• Physicians
• Other Mental Health Professionals

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