SOME REFLECTIONS ABOUT THE AUGUST 7TH ZOOM SEMINAR
First, thanks to all who attended (about 40) my first ever Beyond Ethics, LLC Zoom Seminar!!!
I appreciate your patience as we all strive to learn the features of that platform. The feedback I received from participants was really, really helpful – I share some with you now for your future Zoom workshops.
- Use the polling feature to increase engagement (I had planned to learn that prior to the seminar, but alas, time was not on my side). I will definitely be incorporating this function that allows for me, or another person, to pose a question and then the participants can respond to the poll and Zoom will count the responses and give the breakdown back to us. Very helpful and fun!
- Be careful of your activities when attending a Zoom meeting – we had several interesting wanderings and activities by participants, I heard from others (I didn’t see anything because I was focused on my presentation or the guest presenter), but apparently a couple folks even took their laptops to the rest room during the seminar without turning off their videos!! Beware of what you think cannot be seen (or heard). You can always select “stop video” briefly while you are doing something private or personal during a Zoom meeting.
- I was asked by a few participants to announce #2 so that distractions can be avoided – I will do so and thank you for bringing my awareness to this issue.
- Participants loved having more case example time, so that will definitely inform my scheduling and planning for future seminars. I love giving case examples and discussing those offered by participants. My guest presenter, John Gianforte, LPC, LMFT, gave an incredibly informative case presentation based on our work together in consultation regarding what John referred to as “the case from Hell”!! Of course, a nasty custody battle, what else??!!
- Finally, I learned (and some of you may know this already) that the name associated with you when you join a Zoom meeting is not necessarily your name. Some came through as “HP Owner” or just “Owner” or some name completely different than the name I had on the Registration Sheet. Of course, that made it difficult for me to register some people, so for future Zoom meetings, I will ask folks to check in advance and if they cannot change the name that appears, at least let me know their alias so that I can register them appropriately. You may want to check this out before attending other Zoom meetings as well.
Here are some comments from participants at the August 7th seminar:
- “Great job with Zoom. It almost was a good as being in the room with you.”
- “Very detailed, helpful … in navigating the legal world from a clinical perspective.”
- “Content was practical and presented in ‘layman’s’ terms. Easy to understand and able to take into practice immediately.”
- “Very thorough and helpful.”
- “Topic was very pertinent to many things I have experienced.”
- “Very helpful and plan to attend future seminars.”
Blog
COVID-19 PONDERING AND THE JOY OF QUIET TIMES
It seems as though I am always pondering when writing these blogs. I guess that’s what blogging is about; I am new to the sport!
But, I am not new to changing or stressful times. The last blog I wrote ended with my salutation:
To self-caring and comfort through challenging times,
~Deb
That also seems pertinent for these strange, sad, crazy-making times.
We have never lived through a pandemic like we are currently enduring. The last one was in 1918 and unless you are 102 years old, my previous statement is accurate. We don’t know this way of living.
Other blog posts you might be interested in:
NEW YEAR – NEW GROWTH – NEW WONDER
Post-Surgery Pondering
Living A Dream
And So It Goes …
A New Adventure
Engagement
Available For Legal/Clinical Consultation
I am always available for a day or two around the group training period to schedule individual or group legal consultations. If interested, please schedule with me in advance via email: [email protected].
I am continuing to schedule risk prevention consultations via telephone as always. We can also do the consultation via Zoom if you prefer.
UPCOMING GROUP TRAININGS
November
6
Friday morning!! Probably via Zoom.
Date/Time:
November 6th, 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location:
via Zoom
Register Now
Agenda
- Ethical Obligations in the Context of Couples and Families
- Why Couples and Families are Considered High-Risk Clients
- Certain Risks Inherent in Treating Couples and Families
- Specific Clinical and Legal Challenges When Working with Couples and Families: Case Examples (Deb’s and Participants’ situations)
- Ethically Responding to Subpoenas & Dealing with Attorneys
- Self-Protective, Client-Protective Procedure upon Receipt of Subpoena
- Subpoenas for Records, Deposition or Trial Testimony
- Preparing Clinician and Clients for Legal Involvement of Either/Both
Description of workshop
In this workshop, Deb and participants will examine the high-risk nature of clinical practice in 2020. Deb will present vital information for participants’ ethical responses in this litigious day and age. Also, Deb will facilitate discussion of participants’ case examples, as well as her own work defending clinicians in Louisiana and Colorado who have faced legal and ethical dilemmas in their clinical practices.
Deb will help participants develop ethical, self-protective strategies to avoid the high-risk case turning into the nightmare case! As a seasoned clinician, who has a firm belief in protecting clients and guarding their confidentiality, Deb’s suggestions always are fashioned to protect the therapeutic relationship and the client and therapist from bullying, harassing legal activity.
We will be discussing numerous case examples furnished by participants and culled from Deb’s legal practice in Louisiana and Colorado, which provides much grist for the training mill! Additionally, Deb will teach participants a relatively simple step-by-step approach for ethically responding to subpoenas for records, depositions, and/or trial testifying. Deb will help participants learn how to prepare for litigation events such as depositions and trial testifying.
About the Trainer
Deb is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years clinical experience, who is also a lawyer since 1991. She has been defending clinicians since 2000 in various types of licensing board matters. Deb also has a robust practice of risk prevention consultation for therapists who are attempting to avoid ending up before their licensing board. After Ethics training around the country for PESI and Cross Country since 2006, Deb started her own training business, Beyond Ethics, LLC, in 2009. Through Beyond Ethics, Deb has been offering two to four trainings annually in Louisiana since its inception and in Colorado since 2015.
Case Examples Utilized in the Seminar and Deposition/Trial Prep
In the workshops, I always ask participants to send me case examples to discuss in the seminar. I also incorporate a variety of ethical conundrums for high-risk clinical practices from my law practice defending such claims when grievances are filed against clinicians. I also help clinicians understand how to prepare for depositions and/or trial testifying.
Trainings typically are three (3) hours and certificates will be provided at the end of the seminar.
NOTE: If you are not on Deb’s email list for Beyond Ethics, LLC trainings and would like to receive notification (or your friend or colleague isn’t getting this email and wants to sign up), please go to beyond-ethics.com and sign up for Deb’s newsletter and training email notices.
Register Now
Deb’s Louisiana Law Practice
(1) Case/Clinical/Legal Consultations – can be undertaken via teleconference or in person. Call or email for appointment. Flat fee for up to one hour is charged. I am in New Orleans every month or so to meet with licensees who prefer face-to-face in person consultations, but also can arrange consultations via Skype or video face time (with android phones).
(2) Defense for Licensing Board Complaints – with Social Work, LPC, or Psychology Board. Other health professionals are also represented.
(3) Adoptions – while I do not have an “inventory” of babies, many of my clients have found babies who are available for adoption through friends or relatives. The latter is easier to accomplish because it is an “intrafamily” adoption and much easier to accomplish. Stepparent adoptions are considered “intrafamily” adoptions, too. Private (non-family) adoptions are not extremely expensive, but do require a private Home Study by another social worker and that adds to the cost of that type of adoption. Now that the United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, Louisiana has to recognize the marriage of same-sex couples and I can get a second parent adoption accomplished via the Intrafamily adoption statute in any parish.
What people said about my most recent seminars:
- “Great topic and delivery – love Deb’s navigation of the grey areas. Thank you!”
- “I really enjoyed the training; it was quite applicable to practice.”
- “Information presented in a very clear and precise manner with relevant examples.”
- “Great info – very knowledgeable and great examples. Great reminders as well as some new nuggets.”
- “Could have listened to you all day! Great info. Lots to think about.”
- “Thank you for the best Ethics presentation I have been to in 25 years of practice. Your recommendations for protecting ourselves and our clients were exceptional! I will come to any presentation you have in the future. Thank you so very much!”
- “I always enjoy your trainings. I appreciate your flexibility in regards to discussing audience members’ concerns/experiences.”
- “My third seminar with you — you are great! Keep on teaching this class…”
- “Always great! Thank you! Wish you had more throughout the year… You are engaging and positive.”
- “Excellent! I could not think of anything to improve on this workshop. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
- “I thoroughly enjoyed your training. The intimate setting allowed for increased participation. I enjoyed the relevant examples/cases. I have been to Ethics seminars where the presenter went through the code of ethics (boring!). You discussed relevant issues that stimulated our interest in a fascinating way.”
- “Excellent presentation. Very informative and well thought out frame work. Thanks Deb!”
- “Nice work! Very interesting, especially when examining specific case studies.”
Training/Legal Consultation For Clinicians/Agencies
I have been providing training for high risk clinical situations and legal involvement of the therapist for individual clinicians and clinical groups in Louisiana and Colorado for some years now. I consult with individual practitioners, small groups of clinicians, and agencies to help therapists prepare for deposition or trial testimony, or to handle a subpoena request for clinical records.
Occasionally, I am available to meet in person with individual therapists who need risk prevention consultation and/or with groups of any size for any type of self-protective, clinical practice in this litigious age. I can custom tailor training to your particular agency or small group with questions submitted in advance by participants, if desired.
Legal Services Offered
- Legal Representation & Consultation for grievances (complaints) to licensing boards and/or malpractice lawsuits
- Training & Consultation for Clinicians and Agencies (e.g., respond ethically to subpoenas while protecting yourself and your clients; identify high-risk clients and situations to avoid client disciplinary complaints and harm to clients or third parties)
Deborah (Deb) Henson is an Attorney and LCSW (Tulane School of Social Work, MSW) in private practice in Colorado and Louisiana, specializing in mental health licensing defense. She represents clinicians in DORA grievances (CO) and licensing board Complaints (LA) and regularly consults with clinicians in both states to help them deal with legal and clinical conundrums, such as: (1) the receipt of subpoenas for records or testimony; (2) the escalation of high-risk clinical situations; and (3) other sticky ethical wickets that arise in clinical practice. Deb helps clinicians develop self-protective, clinically sound and legally proper strategies for risk prevention.
Deb has taught in the MSW programs at Tulane University School of Social Work and the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She also serves as Expert Witness for litigation cases around the country involving assertions of malpractice against clinicians. She offers Divorce Mediation long-distance (Zoom; Skype; telephone) in Colorado and Louisiana. See her website for more details.
Deb has been presenting half- and full-day seminars on “Avoiding Ethics Complaints and Malpractice Lawsuits” or “Legal and Ethical Issues in Clinical Practice” around the country through PESI, Inc. for over 7 years and presenting for many CEU groups in Louisiana and Colorado. She also has lectured for Tulane School of Social Work Continuing Education and the University of Texas School of Social Work (Austin) Continuing Professional Development program, and for many other clinical and counseling groups. Deb started her own training biz — Beyond Ethics, LLC — in 2009. Contact Deb for group presentations to agency staff and/or private practice consultation groups.
Deb can be reached through her law and social work web site: www.deborahmhenson.com or through her training web site: www.beyond-ethics.com. Deb can also be emailed at [email protected] or [email protected]. And, you can use the old tried and true method of calling her at 504.232.8884.