OFFERING 6 HOURS OF ETHICS (3) AND CLINICAL (3) IN-PERSON CEUs THIS FALL
As many of you know and have complained to me, the COVID allowance of all CEUs to be distance learning has expired, meaning that Louisiana Social Workers are clamoring for in-person hours. I have been asked if my webinars would count as “in-person” and, upon pondering, I do not see why they should not count given the audience participation aspect of my trainings. But this request was denied by LABSWE after consideration at the April 12, 2024 Board meeting.
So, I decided to offer 6 hours of in-person CEUs this fall – 3 hours of Ethics and 3 hours of Clinical.. I have not yet set the date or firmed up the topics, but the in-person workshop will be held this fall (likely late October or early November) in New Orleans.
Please email me if you have suggestions or plan to attend. Looking forward to a live training event soon! Hope you join us.
For review, here are the CEU rules for social workers currently:
- Twenty (20) hours of social work continuing education is required annually prior to the renewal of a license, certification, or registration. The collection period for continuing education is September 1 of last year through August 31 of the current year.
- The Rules, Standards and Procedures limit distance learning to 10 hours annually; however, through August 31, 2023 the Board has approved all continuing education to be obtained through distance learning. [The exception for COVID has expired]
- LCSWs are required to obtain ten (10) of the twenty (20) hours in the area of clinical social work to include diagnosis and treatment annually.
- All social workers are required to obtain three (3) hours in the area of social work ethics every two years.
What people said about my most recent seminars:
- “This was great information for if/when I’m subpoenaed. Wonderful reminder of my role as a counselor and how to make sure I’m protecting myself and [my] license.”
- “The April 1st session on Divorcing Couples with Children was … interactive and informal, balanced well with [Deb’s] knowledge and expertise in the area. I like that she and participants shared real cases that presented a challenge.”
- “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.”
- “Topic was very pertinent to many things I have experienced.”
- “Very helpful and plan to attend future seminars.”
RECENT AREAS OF CONCERN FOR CLINICIANS WHO HAVE SOUGHT CONSULTATION WITH ME
I thought it might be informative for my readers of this newsletter to hear some areas of concern that have prompted clinicians to reach to me recently for legal consultation:
- Divorce litigation of clients or their parents continues to be the paramount issue involved with many of my consultations. This spans subpoenas for the therapist’s records, testimony (at deposition and/or trial). It also includes divorced parents undermining the child client’s therapy when the parents are preparing to return to court to continue litigating custody, visitation, and parental rights for decision-making relative to their child’s therapy. Therapists are threatened, and their child clients’ treatment is undermined – parents cause great angst for therapists trying to keep their child clients’ therapy protected from litigation and parental interference.
- Independent Contractor situations in group practices, including the early departure of the contractor and the issue of clients seen at the group practice being transferred into the newly-formed private practice of the contractor. I have assisted contractors leave ethically and group practice owners develop ethical contracts that take into consideration not only the owners’ concerns about losing the clients that were formerly group practice clients, but also the rights of client to self-determination for the therapist of their choice to continue therapy. Frequently, these skirmishes get resolved satisfactorily with the clients’ interests uppermost in the resolutions.
- High-risk clients that are causing angst for therapists. These situations run the gamut from potential suicidal to homicidal concerns, to anger-rage acting out and perhaps stalking for the therapist, to families in crisis. My legal consultations often involve a clinical aspect as well as the strictly legal and self-protective advice for therapists.
If situations like some of the above arrive at your doorstep, consider Consultation! My clients tell me it’s money well spent and that they learn quite a lot from working through a dilemma with me. By the way, if not covered by professional liability insurance, your work with me usually can count toward clinical consultation for CEU requirements for renewal.
ADDITIONAL CUSTOM PRESENTATIONS in 2023
If your agency, clinic, university, or consultation group would like a custom training, I am happy to tailor such to your needs. Together we can plan the substance of the training, case examples, length of training, etc.
DEB IS AVAILABLE FOR LEGAL / CLINICAL CONSULTATION and/or TRAINING
I am available to provide legal consultations for your high-risk clients or situations. I offer consultations to individual therapists or clinical group (e.g., clinical consultation groups, suite mates, etc.). I often schedule therapist consultations via telephone but can also schedule via Zoom if you prefer.
Additionally, I also can work with you to design custom training for your agencies, academic mental health programs, and small group practices. The trainings I have provided in the past have included a focus on: (1) ethically managing high-risk clinical situations and legal involvement of the therapist, (2) helping therapists prepare for deposition or trial testimony, and (3) responding to a subpoena request for clinical records or therapist testimony at deposition or trial.
If interested or need additional information, please email me: [email protected].
SPECIAL OFFERS!
Offer #1: Free Webinar Registration
I have been offering this special to clinicians who register for Beyond Ethics, LLC training; it goes out in the “Welcome” email to them when they sign up. So, here it is for all of you as well.
I really appreciate (in advance) any referrals to my mental health defense law practice or to my training biz (Beyond Ethics, LLC). So, here’s the offer for the webinar referrals:
If you refer two (2) people who follow through and register for one of my webinars, you will receive credit for one (1) Beyond Ethics, LLC webinar in the coming year or whenever you want to use it.
One more caveat: the referred individuals must be NEW additions to my email list. My web guy will check it out for us if you are not sure. Thanks!
Offer #2: 30% Discount on Legal Consultation
I would like to reach as many clinicians in Louisiana and Colorado as possible to let them know that I provide self-protective legal defense and/or consultation.
If you refer another clinician to me who requests legal representation or consultation, YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO 30% OFF A ONE-HOUR, NON-SUBPOENA CONSULTATION FEE (regular fee is $275) to be used any time within a year of the referral.
One more caveat: the referred person must be a NEW client/consultee; that is, never having worked with me previously. Thanks!
PREVIOUS ETHICS WEBINARS
Please check out my list of Beyond Ethics, LLC presentations listed on my website (https://beyond-ethics.com/ethics-training) for possible areas of training that you or your clinical staff may want to explore. I am happy to present a shortened version of any training topic listed and also to receive your group’s questions in advance for custom tailoring to your group’s needs.
More comments from my most recent seminars:
- “Really good informative seminar…lots of information that I didn’t know I needed but am so glad to have it! Thank you so much!””
- “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.”
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.