Law and Ethics 2023: RECLAIMING YOUR REPUTATION (1.5 HOURS); HOW A PROFESSIONAL WILL CAN HELP THERAPISTS (1.5 HOURS)

PRESENTER: CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS

June 16, 2023, 1pm - 4:15pm

Course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.  Registrants must attend the full 3 hours to receive CEs..

Reclaiming Your Reputation: Law and Ethics Tips for Promoting and Protecting Your Brand in the Age of Yelp and Google Reviews" Friday, June 16, 2023 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Negative online reviews often leave MFTs feeling stuck. Responding to such reviews may breach patients confidentiality but ignoring them can leave bad impressions for prospective patients. Developing an appropriate response to negative reviews can be even more pressing when the reviews include false information or defamatory accusations.

Join Bradley Jordan Muldrow, JD for an enlightening discussion about how MFTs can successfully manage their brands by effectively responding to negative online reviews and, in appropriate circumstances,  asking patients to leave reviews or provide testimonials.  The workshop will address the online review removal protocols for two of the most popular online review websites, alternative methods for responding to negative online reviews, and ethical issues to consider prior to soliciting patient reviews and testimonials.  

Educational Goals:

Participants will recognize how the ethics code has changed to allow MFTs to solicit testimonials (and impliedly reviews) from certain patients, in appropriate circumstances.

Participants will understand the concept of “undue influence” and how that understanding should shape their approaches to soliciting testimonials and reviews.

Participants will understand important issues they should consider prior to using anonymous testimonials in advertisements, etc.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Participants will be able to identify five potential methods for responding to improper / unlawful reviews left on review websites. 
2. Participants will be able to state which patients they may solicit testimonials (and impliedly reviews) from in appropriate circumstances. 
3. Participants will be able to state five issues MFTs should consider prior to soliciting testimonials or reviews from minors who have consented to their own treatment.

Staff Attorney As a CAMFT staff attorney, Bradley J. Muldrow, Esq. takes member phone calls regarding law and ethics issues and contributes articles on those subjects to CAMFT's publication, the Therapist. Prior to joining CAMFT’s legal team, Brad worked on litigation and regulatory matters as an attorney for San Diego Gas & Electric Company. Since becoming an attorney, Brad has given law and ethics presentations to attorneys and judges as a member of the J. Clifford Wallace Inn of Court. He has also served as a board member for the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation, a San Diego-based nonprofit. 

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Presentation Evals

How a Professional Will Can Help Therapists Prepare Their Clients for the Unexpected    Alain Montgomery, Esq. Description 1.5 CEs  2:45 - 4:15 PM

Therapists have an ethical obligation to maintain practices that facilitate continuity of care for their clients. A Professional Will is a comprehensive document that can be used to ensure clients have access to the information and resources they need in the event of unforeseen circumstances. During this one and a half hour presentation, CAMFT Staff Attorney Alain Montgomery, will review key legal and ethical considerations for therapists to consider in preparing a Professional Will.

Educational Goals

To help workshop participants understand how a professional will fulfills ethical obligations to facilitate continuity of care for clients under certain circumstances.

To ensure workshop participants know how a professional will can be utilized to preserve client records in compliance with applicable legal standards.

To explain the framework of a professional will so workshop participants can identify the pieces of information they need to create a comprehensive and effective document to serve as their professional will.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the applicable CAMFT Ethical Standard(s) that discuss professional wills.
2. Illustrate how a professional will accomplishes the effective legal, ethical, and seamless transition of care when a therapist is unable to undertake that task due to incapacity or death.
3. Identify and describe the key elements of a professional will.

Instructor Information Alain Montgomery, Esq. CAMFT Staff Attorney Alain Lance Montgomery, Esq., is a member of the State Bar of California. Alain received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Juris Doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Prior to joining the CAMFT legal department, Alain worked in public interest law as a legal advisor for the Superior Court of California where he helped self-represented parties navigate the complexities of small claims litigation. As a member of the CAMFT legal department, Alain has served as part of the support staff for the CAMFT Ethics Committee and has represented the Association at various state regulatory board meetings. After graduating from college and before attending law school, Alain worked as a ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort.

Presentation Handouts
Presentation Evaluations