Law and Ethics
Law & Ethics Exam Prep: Issues with Colleagues
Law and Ethics Exam Prep: Tarasoff
This month, we’re tackling the topic of duty to protect as it relates to the 1976 Tarasoff ruling by the California Supreme Court. If you’re a new therapist and you can’t remember the protocol for Tarasoff situations, you’re not alone. Most associates have little to no professional experience with clients who are a danger to others, which can often lead to confusion around a therapist’s legal responsibilities, particularly on the CA law and ethics exam. And that’s where we come in. Here are the primary ways the BBS will evaluate your understanding of Tarasoff on the test: How to assess for
Law and Ethics Exam Prep: Termination
Law and Ethics Exam Prep: Gifts
Is it legal for therapists to accept gifts from clients? Is it ethical? At what point is a gift considered too valuable? These are just a few of the questions we receive from associates who struggle with the nuance of gift-giving within the therapeutic relationship. The short answer is that there are no legal or ethical prohibitions against giving or receiving gifts between therapists and clients. And there’s no set guidelines for the monetary value of gifts. However, depending on the situation, ethical dilemmas (like dual relationships) and legal ramifications can arise when a potential gift
Law and Ethics Exam Prep: Business Practices and Policies
One of the most fundamental aspects of navigating a new career as a psychotherapist is learning the business practices and policies that protect you and your clients. For many pre-licensed associates, this can feel like a daunting task. It’s no secret that these rules and regulations are extensive and include quite a few moving parts. This month’s blog cannot address every policy-related issue, but our MFT and LCSW exam prep programs will help you learn what you need to know to succeed. Below, we provide a brief overview of the specific business categories the BBS wants you to be proficient in
Law and Ethics Exam Prep: Confidentiality
This month we're going to tackle an important topic of confidentiality as it relates to the law and ethics exam preparation. Confidentiality is both a legal and an ethical requirement placed on the therapist that restricts the volunteering of information obtained in a therapeutic relationship. By and large, maintaining confidentiality is the default state for therapists. However, there are mandatory and permitted exceptions to the rule, and the BBS wants you to know the information inside-out for the LMFT, LCSW, and LPCC law & ethics exams. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the confidentiality
Law and Ethics Exam Prep: Mandated Reporting
“My client disclosed XYZ. Is that a mandated report?” This is one of the most common questions that I hear among trainees and associates, who often feel anxious about mandated reporting in the earlier stages of their career. It’s an incredibly important subject to know how to navigate legally and ethically in real life, and you can expect the BBS to test your knowledge on it at length. So, let’s start with the basics. What is a mandated reporter? All pre-licensed and licensed social workers and therapists are considered mandated reporters. This means that we’re legally obligated to report
ASWB Exam Prep: Ethics and Discipline
As I coach our LMSW and LCSW customers, the question of the ‘why’-the purpose of the test- sometimes comes up. Ultimately, the ASWB exists for the purpose of public safety. The ASWB exists to be a gatekeeper to the profession, ensuring licensed social workers are able to practice safely and ethically. So many questions on the exam fall under safety and ethics. (And so many of our challenging situations once we’re licensed come from ethical issues; more on our ethics CE offerings below!). ASWB Exam Prep: Ethics So what happens when a social worker acts in a manner that is unsafe or that goes
Revised CAMFT Code of Ethics: How will it affect your licensing exam? (Part 1 of 3)
In recent weeks, we have received a significant number of inquiries about the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist’s (CAMFT) revised Code of Ethics (CoE) and what it means for the licensing exams (California MFT Law & Ethics and Clinical). We are well aware that exam-related changes often cause anxiety. In an effort to quell some of your anxiety, we thought it would be helpful to provide an overview of the changes and explore how these changes will affect the content of your licensing exam. In brief, the most important thing to know about the changes to the Code of Ethics is