Upcoming Group Training Next Month
July
12
12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Clubhouse of the French Quarter Condos
1155 S. Monaco Parkway, Denver, Colorado 80224
I am looking forward to the seminar next month. My colleague, Amy Diller, LCSW, graciously volunteered to host us at her Clubhouse. If you have not yet registered, why don’t you join us and get 3.0 CPDs for renewal. I will have certificates ready for you in exchange for your evaluation forms at the end of the workshop.
You can register easily through the link in the email notifications from my training business, BEYOND ETHICS, LLC. You can also go to my training web site www.beyond-ethics.com or click on this link (thank you my wonderful web master, Brian!!!):
Case Examples Utilized in the Seminar
In the workshops, I always incorporate some type of ethical conundrums for high-risk clinical practices, including ways to manage high-risk clinical practices that involve demands for records from clients and/or attorneys. I also help clinicians understand how to prepare for depositions and/or trial testifying.
Trainings are three (3) hours and will probably be 1:00 to 4:00 on Friday, October 12, 2018. We had a good turnout for the May 11th training, so be sure to join us for this next one in a few months.
OBSERVATIONS from MAY 31, 2019 TRAINING IN NEW ORLEANS
Last month’s workshop in New Orleans had close to 80 participants!! The largest group ever, and it was a lively, participative group of seasoned clinicians.
As I am doing with the Denver training, I had asked the Louisiana registrants to submit case examples of their (or colleagues’) “nightmare cases” (the subtitle of the seminar). So many therapists submitted diverse situations; we had a fun and instructive time analyzing them in the seminar.
It was such a diverse set of situations – some absolutely clinically resolvable, some quasi clinical/legal, and some mostly legal (e.g., responding to subpoenas and filing Motions to Quash subpoena when the release is objected to by the therapy client).
What people said about my most recent seminar:
- “I appreciate Deborah being both a clinician and an attorney. Frightening possibilities regarding DORA, but [she helped me] know what possible protections I can possibly provide for clients and myself.”
- “Great info – very knowledgeable and great examples.”
- “Very good! Lively! Engaging! Knowledgeable! Very important information. Perfect timing.”
- “Deb presented excellent information that I feel will help me with my practice. Excellent info! Great workshop.”
- “I attend multiple, legal, ethical practice trainings and Deb is excellent in presentation. Thank you!”
- “Great advice about staying balanced/grounded in testifying.”
Question/Answer Corner: What’s On Your Mind?
Q: Can the home visits for an adoption Home Study be conducted as a virtual home visit through FaceTime?
A: Well … this is food for thought. I have not researched it in Colorado, but have a new Louisiana client who tried to expedite the visits for the adopting same-sex couple (I say that only because in rural Louisiana, many LCSWs and/or adoption agencies still have homophobic tendencies and/or they believe courts will, so it is difficult to get a Home Study done in the country) and ended up getting grieved by a subsequent LCSW who updated the Home Study and saw that the first LCSW had engaged in virtual home visits.
So, the background is that the adopting couple had trouble finding a social worker to do the Home Study. They finally connected with this LCSW in a larger city, but the distance was 1.5 hours and it was during the summer with frequent, horrendous storms. … during the information-gathering period, the weather was horrible, as it can be in Louisiana. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and always flood potential. The LCSW had gone through Hurricane Katrina (as did I) and suffice it to say she did not want to get on the road during stormy weather to drive out in the country for the home visit. But she wanted to help the couple get certified for placement as soon as she could, at their request.
The couple agreed to a virtual home visit so the Home Study could be completed as soon as possible (they had been waiting quite a while to get a LCSW to do it, as mentioned above). They “walked” the LCSW through every room of the house, explaining as they went, during the first visit, which was a planned one (as would an actual visit be). But the second home visit was spontaneous and the LCSW felt that such was an opportunity she would not have had to see how they really live had she conducted both scheduled visits in person.
We shall see what the Board thinks, but remote practice is already pushing new territory. Several years ago I offered a seminar in Louisiana (before I started training in CO) entitled:
Ethical Clinical Practice in an Electronic Age
I will be happy to schedule that one in Denver if I get some requests. It is a brave, new world!!! Yet, some of the new technology has inherent ethical risks some of which are not really a big deal … unless a Complainant decides to file a Grievance and contorts the tech aspect in a way that creates concern for the boards. More on this topic later …
Blog
LIVING A DREAM
I am patting myself on the back a wee bit as I sit here on my screened porch in Northampton, Massachusetts at about 10 p.m. listening to the soft night sounds around me. My golden retriever, Joey, is a bit loopy on Benadryl to keep him from scratching a hot spot on his cheek, so he is conked out next to me. All is right with my world on this porch, on this night.
So, why the back patting? Well, glad you asked.
Recent blog posts you might be interested in:
Training/Legal Consultation For Clinicians/Agencies
I have been providing training for high risk clinical situations and legal involvement of the therapist for groups here in Colorado. 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.
I am available to meet 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.