California Professional Ethics for Psychologists

Developed by Ofer Zur, Ph.D., Glenn Marks, Ph.D.

Course content available in articles.

Fulfills 4-hour course on Ethics for California Psychologists

Professional ethics guides the professional practice of psychologists, assuring that the delivery of services is provided in a way that best serves the needs of those receiving services. As the standards of ethics change and evolve over time, it is imperative that practicing professionals stay up to date on the latest changes and review longstanding principles. This intermediate level 4-hour course was designed to meet changes in the ethics requirements for California psychologists beginning in 2023.

The course is comprised of four articles separated into three sections. Section 1 includes discussion of the standard of care and how it is derived, the APA Code of Ethics, HIPAA guidelines as part of the standard of care, and the laws and statues specific to the state of California, including telemental health and the prohibition of sexual contact.

The second section contains several articles discussing ethical guidelines around confidentiality and the duty to warn. In the final section, Dr. Zur discusses how boundaries can protect both the client and psychologist, as well as potentially interfere with the therapeutic relationship if rigidly adhered to in the absence of keeping the patients best interests in mind.

An additional article has been added reflecting HIPAA updates including the Final Rule, as well as new laws governing privacy of notes related to reproductive health.

Educational Objectives

This course will teach the participant to

Identify the standard of care from the various perspectives from which it is derived
Explain the standards in California related to confidentiality, informed consent, telemental health, and sex
Discuss issues related to confidentiality and duty to warn
Differentiate between beneficial and harmful boundary crossings

Syllabus

What are ethics and why do they matter?

Standard of care

Definitions of standard of care
Compliance with standard of care
Applications of the standard of care

Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct

General principles
Ethical standards

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Privacy rule
Security rule
Breach notification rule

State of California regulations for psychologists

Privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, and access to records
Telemental health
Sex between therapists and clients

New laws affecting psychologists

HIPAA Final Rule
- Reproductive health records
- Substance abuse records
CA Laws AB 254 and 352

Managing ethical conflicts

Practical recommendations
Preemption Analysis

Confidentiality in psychotherapy and counseling

Limits of confidentiality
Consent agreements
Subpoenas and court orders
Unintentional release of information
Legal aspects of confidentiality and duty to warn

Boundaries in therapy: protect or harm?

Beneficial boundary crossings
Dual relationships
Slippery slope argument
Concern with rigid boundaries

CPEP102

January 14, 2025

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