California Professional Ethics for Psychologists
Fulfills requirement: 4-hour course on Ethics for California Psychologists
Professional ethics guide 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 statutes 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
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What are ethics and why do they matter?
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Standard of care
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Definitions of standard of care
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Compliance with standard of care
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Applications of the standard of care
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Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct
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General principles
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Ethical standards
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Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
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Privacy rule
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Security rule
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Breach notification rule
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State of California regulations for psychologists
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Privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, and access to records
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Telemental health
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Sex between therapists and clients
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New laws affecting psychologists
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HIPAA Final Rule
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Reproductive health records
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Substance abuse records
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CA Laws AB 254 and 352
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Managing ethical conflicts
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Practical recommendations
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Preemption Analysis
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Confidentiality in psychotherapy and counseling
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Limits of confidentiality
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Consent agreements
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Subpoenas and court orders
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Unintentional release of information
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Legal aspects of confidentiality and duty to warn
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Boundaries in therapy: protect or harm?
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Beneficial boundary crossings
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Dual relationships
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Slippery slope argument
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Concern with rigid boundaries
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