Confidentiality in Clinical Practice

CPD

Faculty

Kathryn Krase, PhD, JD, MSW Related seminars and products

---

Kathryn Krase, PhD, JD, MSW, principal consultant with Krase Consultant, is a lawyer, social worker, and expert on the legal and ethical implications of professional practice. She has over two decades of experience as a professor of social work in undergraduate, masters level and doctoral level social work programs. She has authored multiple books and articles on the subject of professional ethics, including Making the Tough Call: A Resource for Professional Reporters of Suspected Child Maltreatment.

 

Dr. Krase blogs regularly on topics such as professional boundaries for clinicians, confidentiality in practice, and racial justice in mental health practice. She has years of experience consulting with government and community-based organizations to develop policy & practice standards, and trains thousands of mental and physical health professionals a year on various legal and ethical obligations.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kathryn Krase maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Social Work Education Assessment Project. She receives royalties as a published author. Kathryn Krase receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kathryn Krase is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.

Additional Info

Access never expires for this product.

Objectives

1. Analyze ethical standards related to confidentiality including limits of confidentiality, permissible disclosures, and consultation practices.
2. Identify legal requirements governing confidentiality including HIPAA regulations, privilege, mandated reporting laws, and responses to subpoenas and court involvement.
3. Apply strategies for communicating confidentiality and its limits to clients as part of informed consent discussions, including addressing risks, exceptions, and documentation practices in clinical settings.
4. Apply ethical and legal decision-making frameworks to determine appropriate clinical responses in scenarios involving potential breaches of confidentiality.

Outline

Ethics and Laws Governing Confidentiality

• Core ethical principles shaping confidentiality
• Overview of professional codes of ethics (APA, NASW, ACA, AAMFT)
• Key federal and state laws relevant to confidentiality
• Understanding Protected Health Information (PHI)
• Informed consent and its role in client communication
• Privilege and its legal implications

Client Confidentiality

• Talking About Clients to Others

• Appropriate consultation practices
• Avoid informal or unnecessary disclosures

• Client Records
  • Documentation standards
  • Use and manage releases of information
  • How to evaluate and respond to subpoenas
  • Considerations when testifying in court

Duty to Protect From Harm

• Implications of the Tarasoff decision
• Responding to disclosures of self-harm
• Mandated reporting requirements and decision thresholds

Case Studies and Practice Implications

• Apply ethical and legal frameworks to real situations
• Navigate confidentiality in digital communication
• Practical strategies for handling complex or ambiguous cases
• Limitations of the research and potential risks

Target Audience

• Counsellors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Case Manages
• Therapists
• Physicians
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Other Mental Health Professionals