California Law and Professional Ethics

Course content available in articles.

Fulfills: Ethics for California Mental Health Professionals

This course is also offered as part of a Pre-licensing Savings Package of pre-requisite courses and fulfills the 2020 Portability of License to California.

Effective January 1, 2023, registrants who have failed the California law and ethics exam NO LONGER need to take another 12-hour course in CA law and ethics in order to register for the exam again in their next renewal period.

This comprehensive course provides early career clinicians, as well as those applying for MFT, LCSW, and LPCC licensure, everything needed to develop a broad understanding of the laws and ethics associated with clinical practice. Tips and interactive engagement enable optimal learning, application and retention of the information.

This foundational course offers 30 articles that cover all areas of legal and ethical issues associated with clinical practice. The course provides information on requirements, responsibilities, and qualifications for applicants for the LMFT, LPCC, and LCSW licenses; confidentiality, privilege, consent, and record keeping (limits to confidentiality and mandated reporting; maintenance of clinical records; technology and telehealth; HIPAA compliance); legal standards for professional practice (scope of practice, unprofessional conduct, sexual conduct, inpatient care and patient rights, identification and reporting of elder abuse and child abuse); professional competence and the prevention of harm (scope of competence, boundary management, consultation, self-care); therapeutic relationship (informed consent, evaluation of risk factors, impacts of legal and ethical obligations on psychotherapy, issues of diversity, client autonomy, advocacy with third-party payors, discontinuation or termination of treatment); and business practices and policies (advertising, money and payment policies, gifts in therapy, research, unethical or unprofessional conduct of colleagues, supervision). The course concludes with tips for the licensure examination. Additional resources for the clinician are provided at the end of the course.

Educational Objectives

This course will teach the participant to

Review the principle of confidentiality and its limitations
Define privilege and its intricacies
Describe the legal requirements associated with the treatment of minors
Discuss key laws related to the treatment of elder and dependent adults
Summarize the elements of informed consent and the laws and statutes which are associated with informed consent
Compare and contrast the ethical and legal mandates related to sexual conduct, suicidality, and abuse

Syllabus

Requirements, Responsibilities, and Qualifications for Applicants for LMFT, LPCC, and LCSW
Confidentiality, Privilege, Consent, and Record Keeping
- Confidentiality
  - Protecting client’s right to privacy
  - Maintaining confidentiality when disseminating information
  - Considerations as technology evolves
- Privilege
  - Knowing who holds the privilege
  - Impacts of privilege on treatment
  - Privileged information in legal matters
- Confidentiality and consent laws involved in treatment of minors
- Limits to confidentiality
- Consent
  - Providing service in person or via telemental health
  - Maintaining compliance with HIPAA laws
- Maintaining Clinical Records
  - Documentation
  - Storage of records
  - Disposal of records
  - Maintaining confidentiality of records
  - Managing requests for records
Legal Standards for Professional Practice
- Scope of practice
- Unprofessional conduct
- Regulations associated with sexual contact/conduct between therapist and client
- Therapy and money
- Inpatient treatment and patient rights
- Identification and reporting of elder abuse and child abuse
Professional Competence and Prevention of Harm
- Consultation to manage issues associated with ethical conduct and scope of competence
- Maintenance of healthy boundaries
- Maintenance of own health and well-being in order to provide competent service
- Referring for adjunctive services when in the client’s best interest
Therapeutic Relationship
- Informed consent
- Evaluating risk factors that may impact the therapy
- Management of legal or ethical obligations during the course of therapy
- Awareness and process of issues associated with diversity
- Providing treatment that promotes client’s autonomy
- Client advocacy and third-party payors
- Maintaining practices for continuity of care
- Termination of treatment
Business Practices and Policies
- Advertising accurately and authentically
- Maintaining accurate fee and payment policies
- Gifts in therapy
- Maintaining ethical guidelines when conducting research
- Managing unethical conduct of colleagues to safeguard clients
- Compliance with laws and regulations when engaged in a supervisory relationship
Law and Ethics Exam Study Tips

CALE202

February 13, 2025

Educational Objectives

This course will teach the participant to

Review the principle of confidentiality and its limitations
Define privilege and its intricacies
Describe the legal requirements associated with the treatment of minors
Discuss key laws related to the treatment of elder and dependent adults
Summarize the elements of informed consent and the laws and statutes which are associated with informed consent
Compare and contrast the ethical and legal mandates related to sexual conduct, suicidality, and abuse

Syllabus

Requirements, Responsibilities, and Qualifications for Applicants for LMFT, LPCC, and LCSW
Confidentiality, Privilege, Consent, and Record Keeping
- Confidentiality
  - Protecting client’s right to privacy
  - Maintaining confidentiality when disseminating information
  - Considerations as technology evolves
- Privilege
  - Knowing who holds the privilege
  - Impacts of privilege on treatment
  - Privileged information in legal matters
- Confidentiality and consent laws involved in treatment of minors
- Limits to confidentiality
- Consent
  - Providing service in person or via telemental health
  - Maintaining compliance with HIPAA laws
- Maintaining Clinical Records
  - Documentation
  - Storage of records
  - Disposal of records
  - Maintaining confidentiality of records
  - Managing requests for records
Legal Standards for Professional Practice
- Scope of practice
- Unprofessional conduct
- Regulations associated with sexual contact/conduct between therapist and client
- Therapy and money
- Inpatient treatment and patient rights
- Identification and reporting of elder abuse and child abuse
Professional Competence and Prevention of Harm
- Consultation to manage issues associated with ethical conduct and scope of competence
- Maintenance of healthy boundaries
- Maintenance of own health and well-being in order to provide competent service
- Referring for adjunctive services when in the client’s best interest
Therapeutic Relationship
- Informed consent
- Evaluating risk factors that may impact the therapy
- Management of legal or ethical obligations during the course of therapy
- Awareness and process of issues associated with diversity
- Providing treatment that promotes client’s autonomy
- Client advocacy and third-party payors
- Maintaining practices for continuity of care
- Termination of treatment
Business Practices and Policies
- Advertising accurately and authentically
- Maintaining accurate fee and payment policies
- Gifts in therapy
- Maintaining ethical guidelines when conducting research
- Managing unethical conduct of colleagues to safeguard clients
- Compliance with laws and regulations when engaged in a supervisory relationship
Law and Ethics Exam Study Tips