Ethics in Behavioral Health
Course #9762L -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
This live event takes place in the future (TBD).
In practicing a profession, three inter-related but distinct areas come into play: professional values, ethics, and the law. Although all three areas are related to one another, sometimes they can conflict. Sometimes, also, values can conflict with other values, as can ethics. When ethics conflict, an ethical dilemma results. When professional values conflict with professional ethics, the organized and generally agreed-upon framework of an ethical code is vital. When ethics and the law collide, it may be necessary to consult the relevant professional organization.
This live webinar is designed for mental and behavioral health professionals in all practice settings.
The purpose of this course is to provide details on professional ethics and values for behavioral and mental health professionals in order to prevent unethical behaviors in their practice and provide exceptional patient care.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Explain the importance of professional values and ethics in mental health practice.
- Identify boundary violations in mental health practice.
- Describe ways mental health practitioners can prevent unethical behaviors in daily practice.
- Identify elements and conditions of informed consent.
- Restate the basic requirements of HIPAA and the Privacy Rule as they relate to practice.
- Identify a protocol for ethical decision-making.
Anne Horgan, LCSW,
Contributing faculty, Anne Horgan, LCSW, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Kimberly Byrd, EdD, PMSW
Scott Deatherage, PhD
The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.