From the Basic to the Complicated
Mental health professionals have a legal and ethical obligation to keep records to memorialize their work with their clients. However, what you record, and how it is recorded, can be confusing to navigate. This workshop will explore the legal and ethical requirements of clinical record keeping, while highlighting ethical challenges and the realities of busy professionals.
https://nefesh.org/workshops/ClinicalRecordKeeping/viewFREE WEBINAR
Requirements for Clinical and Ethical Record-Keeping:
From the Basic to the Complicated
Friday, March 21, 2025, 1:00 PM EDT - 4:00 PM EDT
Presenter: Kathryn Krase, Ph.D.,
Course Length: 3 Hours
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the ethical responsibility of mental and behavioral health professionals to maintain client records.
- Distinguish the ethical responsibility of mental and behavioral health professionals to maintain client records from related legal requirements.
- Explain how they protect client confidentiality through their record keeping practices.
This workshop Offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits
Mental health professionals have a legal and ethical obligation to keep records to memorialize their work with their clients. However, what you record, and how it is recorded, can be confusing to navigate. This workshop will explore the legal and ethical requirements of clinical record keeping, while highlighting ethical challenges and the realities of busy professionals.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the ethical responsibility of mental and behavioral health professionals to maintain client records.
- Distinguish the ethical responsibility of mental and behavioral health professionals to maintain client records from related legal requirements.
- Explain how they protect client confidentiality through their record keeping practices.
Agenda:
Introductions (5 minutes)
Revisiting Ethics in Professional Practice (25 minutes)
Professional education introduces future practitioners to relevant Codes of Ethics. This portion of the program will revisit what professionals should already know about ethics, so that we are all on the same page as we explore further. What do we mean by “ethical”?
How is “ethical” related to “legal”? Where do we look in the law and codes of ethics for guidance on record keeping? Introduce case examples.
Protecting Yourself from Ethical & Legal Liability (20 minutes)
This section will outline the framework that professionals can use to prevent ethical conundrums, and protect themselves from legal liability in relation to expectations for clinical record-keeping
Defining Important Terms related to “Records” (45 minutes)
The focus of this discussion will be on what are “records”, and how are they different from other documentation like “notes”.
Distinguishing Ethical & Legal Requirements for Record Keeping (45 minutes)
This section will compare various professional codes and their expectations for record keeping. The language of the codes will be contrasted with the legal requirements in various states.
Exploring the Impact of Electronic Health/Medical Records (20 minutes)
The complications created by the use of electronic records will be highlighted.
Evaluating Case Examples (15 minutes)
Case examples will bring ethical and legal requirements to life for participants.
Conclusions/Questions (5 minutes)
Note: All New York State licensees are responsible for complying with New York State laws, rules and regulations. Learn more at https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/psychology/laws- rules-regulations
This presentation is open to:
- Social Workers
- Professional Counselors
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
- Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
- New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
- Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
- Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
- Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives
Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
- CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.