Annual Ethics & Legal Issues Seminar 

Establishing & Maintaining

Ethical Professional Boundaries

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

8:30 am - 11:45 am (8:00 am check-in/continental breakfast)

Beaver Creek County Club

This program will provide 3 hours of continuing education in ethics, law, professional conduct and risk management to satisfy Maryland licensure requirements.

This program is funded in part by the William B. & Sylvia A. Hunsberger Fund.

The clinician-client relationship is a unique characteristic of the profession of mental health counseling and an integral component in treatment. Despite the importance of this relationship it presents complexities and challenges for the practicing mental health professional. This session will explore the complex, ever-changing dynamics clinicians experience in their relationships with clients. Discussion will include responding to ethical and boundary dilemmas, confidentiality, informed consent and mandated reporting laws.

At the conclusion of the seminar, attendees should be able to:

• Discuss the complex legal and ethical dynamics of the clinician-client relationship
• Review the concept and therapeutic benefit of professional boundaries
• Differentiate between boundary crossings and violations
• Discuss professional literature that argues professional boundary crossings can be therapeutic or should be avoided whenever possible
• Differentiate boundary crossings from boundary violations
• Discuss examples of boundary violations that have resulted in professional discipline
• Summarize best practices when contacted by credentialing boards
• Develop strategies to manage ethical dilemmas in the clinician-client relationship to protect client rights and minimize clinician risk

Program Presenters:

Richard Bloch, J.D., has been General Counsel to the Maryland Psychological Association since 1979. He has written numerous articles and lectures frequently on legal and ethical issues pertaining to the practice of mental health. Mr. Bloch is President of Shiling, Bloch & Hirsch, P.A. and has been in private practice in Maryland since 1972. He received his B.A. from the George Washington University and his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. His practice focuses primarily on general business law, health law and representing healthcare providers before the Boards of Examiners, estate planning and civil litigation. He is a member of the Maryland Bar Association & the Baltimore County Bar Association.

J. Emmet Burke, Ph.D., J.D., Clinical Director, Brook Lane Health Services. Inc., Hagerstown, Maryland.

The Honorable Dana Moylan Wright, Circuit Court, Washington County, Maryland.

Professional Continuing Education Credits:

An important message about Continuing Education Credits:  Brook Lane seminars are approved for continuing education credits as an entire event.  PARTIAL CREDIT WILL NOT BE AWARDED. To assure that you receive any continuing education credit, you must be on time and complete the entire seminar.

Social Workers:  Brook Lane Health Services is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.  This program will provide 3.0 credit hours of Category I continuing education in ethics, law, professional conduct and risk management to satisfy Maryland requirements; partial credit will is not allowed.

Maryland Psychologists: The Maryland State Board of Examiners for Psychologists will accept continuing education hours provided by Brook Lane, an approved CE sponsor by the Maryland State Board of Social Worker Examiners; partial credit will not be awarded.

Counselors/Therapists:  Brook Lane Health Services is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.  Brook Lane solely is responsible for all aspects of the program. This program will provide 3 clock hours; partial credit will not be awarded.

 Seminar Fee:   $ 69.00

CANCELLATION POLICY:  A $ 10 processing fee will apply. To receive a refund (less the $10 processing fee), cancellations must be made in writing and received no later than one week prior to the seminar. No refunds will be made after that date or for no-show on the day of the seminar

Brook Lane Staff:  Follow your online registration with submission of the yellow TRAINING REQUEST FORM and all required documentation.  Be sure to follow all procedures to assure payment of your fee and your seat in the course.