Description
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Location: ONLINE
3 CE credit program
Registration 12:30-1; Program 1-4:30 pm
Presenters: Allison Otto, Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist, Otto Psychological Associates, LLC;
Steven R. Cohen, Ph.D., FPPR, Licensed Psychologist, Consultation, Litigation Support and Expert Testimony; 2012-2016 PA State Board of Psychology
ETHICS AND RISK MANAGEMENT WHEN YOUR CLIENT IS INVOLVED IN FAMILY LAW ISSUES
Description
The program will address the challenges to practitioners working with clients who become involved in family law issues. When lawyers and courts are involved with therapy or evaluations, practitioners may be anxious about ethical issues and violations that could result in lawsuits or licensing Board complaints. Practitioners can be reluctant to work with these clients and this leads these families to be underserved. This workshop will help participants gain confidence in their understanding and be able to: identify the sources of ethical and practice standards when dealing with family law involved clients; identify what actions they should and should not take when dealing with attorneys and courts; understand the roles of a forensic expert, a treating expert, and a fact witness; and analyze their duty to the client and the ethical ways to respond to attorneys or courts.
The format will be presentations with audience participation, questions and discussion, using case examples to illustrate possible ethical and risk management conflicts. The content and case examples will not be able to cover every possible dilemma that may arise in working with these clients, so participants are encouraged to continue to consult and learn, as well maintain their own competency with ever-changing laws and standards. There are no conflicts of interest for the presenters. This workshop is intended for licensed psychologists/practitioners.
Learning Objectives
As a result of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify the sources of ethical and practice standards when dealing with clients who are involved in family law issues.
- Identify actions that they should and should not take when dealing with attorneys and the courts.
- Analyze how to maintain their duty to the client responding ethically to attorneys and the courts.
- Understand the role of a Forensic Expert, Treating Expert, and a Fact Witness.
References
American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57, 1060-1073.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Guidelines for child custody evaluations in family law proceedings. American Psychologist, 65(9), 863-867.
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC): Task Force on Court-Involved Therapy. (2011). Guidelines for court-involved therapy. Family Court Review, 49, 564-581.
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). (2007). Model standards of practice for child custody evaluation. Family Court Review, 45(1), 70-91.
Greenberg, L & Gould, J. (2001). The treating expert: A hybrid role with firm boundaries. Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 32(5), 469-478.
Schierberl, J. & Knapp, S. (2014). Handling role conflicts when treating families involved in custody disputes. The Pennsylvania Psychologist, 61, 3-4.
About the Presenters
Steven R. Cohen, Ph.D., FPPR, is a forensic psychologist who specializes in family law related issues—including custody evaluations, mental health evaluations, co-parenting counseling, parent coordination, and therapy with high conflict families. He has testified in over 100 trials. He is past president of PPA, past chair of the Ethics Committee of PPA, past chair of the PA Psychology Licensing Board, and is a current member of the PPA Child and Family Forensics Committee.
Allison Otto, Psy.D., is a psychologist who specializes in addressing family of origin issues in adults, psychological and forensic evaluations including custody evaluations, coparenting and reunification counseling. She has testified in family law proceedings in Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe and Pike Counties. She represents the Lehigh Valley on PPA’s membership committee, and is a member of PPA’s Child and Family Forensics Committee, the Society for Media Psychology and Technology of APA, and LVPCA.
Continuing Education Credits
Participants will receive 3 CEs for this program. In order to receive CE credits all attendees must be present in the workshop no later than 15 minutes after it begins, and must not leave prior to 15 minus before it ends. Participants will be asked to complete a program evaluation before receiving a certificate of completion at the end of the program. This program is intended for psychologists, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers. For more information contact Pracheta Trivedi@ 610-467-7186 .
Accessibility, non-discrimination and ethics
LVPCA is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. LVPCA is committed to conducting all its activities in conformity to the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are asked to process their feelings during discussion periods. If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. If you believe a violation of ethics has occurred during this presentation, or if you have concerns about such issues as accessibility for persons with disabilities, or distress with program content, please address questions, concerns, and any complaints to Tim DeMott @ 610-841-4966.
There is no commercial support for this program. Participants will be informed of the utility/validity of the content/approach, including the basis for utility/validity statements, as well as limitations of the approach and most common or severe risks, if any, associated with the program’s content.
Responsibility for Program Content
Lehigh Valley Psychological and Counseling Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Lehigh Valley Psychological and Counseling Association maintains responsibility for this program and its contents.
