What do I do when a client tells me they’ve contemplated committing suicide? Who do I contact when I’m worried a client is going to hurt someone? Will I get in trouble if I talk about my clients outside of work? This course brings real-world context to ethical concerns related to confidentiality, often experienced by professionals in practice. We’ll explore the goals and limits of confidentiality through an analysis of ethical and legal complications. This course will provide a framework to contemplate ethical dilemmas and make informed decisions that insulate professionals from legal liability while protecting clients from harm.
https://nefesh.org/workshops/TherapyDec6242/viewFREE WEBINAR
What Happens in Therapy, Stays in Therapy, Unless... Exploring the Ethics of Confidentiality
Sunday, September 07, 2025, 1:00 PM EDT - 4:00 PM EDT
Presenter: Kathryn Krase, Ph.D.,
Course Length: 3 Hours
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the ethical obligation to keep client information confidential.
- Discuss the legal obligation to maintain client confidentiality.
- Competently engage in discussions with clients regarding confidentiality obligations, enabling clients to make informed decisions about sharing information.
- Appropriately respond to and explain the ethical, legal, and moral considerations involved in deciding whether to breach client confidentiality.
This workshop Offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits
What do I do when a client tells me they’ve contemplated committing suicide? Who do I contact when I’m worried a client is going to hurt someone? Will I get in trouble if I talk about my clients outside of work? This course brings real-world context to ethical concerns related to confidentiality, often experienced by professionals in practice. We’ll explore the goals and limits of confidentiality through an analysis of ethical and legal complications. This course will provide a framework to contemplate ethical dilemmas and make informed decisions that insulate professionals from legal liability while protecting clients from harm.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the ethical obligation to keep client information confidential.
- Discuss the legal obligation to maintain client confidentiality.
- Competently engage in discussions with clients regarding confidentiality obligations, enabling clients to make informed decisions about sharing information.
- Appropriately respond to and explain the ethical, legal, and moral considerations involved in deciding whether to breach client confidentiality.
Agenda:
Introductions (10 minutes)
The Ethics and Law that Govern Confidentiality (45 minutes)
This portion of the program will explore the basic tenets of ethics and law as they
relate to client confidentiality. Sections of professional codes of ethics, as well as
federal and state law, will be introduced and explained. The concepts of private
health information (PHI), informed consent and privilege will be introduced.
Keeping Client Confidences: From the Basic to the Difficult
Talking about Clients to Others (15 minutes)
Client Records (30 minutes)
- Standards of practice
- Release of Information
- Subpoenas
- Testimony in Court
Duty to Protect from Harm (45 minutes)
- Tarasoff
- Self-Harm
- Mandated Reporting
Case Studies & Practice Implications (25 minutes)
- Impact of technology
Conclusions/Questions (10 minutes)
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.
- NEFESH International 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-0048.
- NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Mental Health Counselor #MHC-0082
- 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. - NEFESH International 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-0046
- NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.