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Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in Behavioral Health

Ethics and Risk Management Challenges

About the Course

Behavioral health professionals frequently encounter complex ethical challenges involving boundaries and dual relationships. Examples include proper management of confidential and private information when practitioners live and work in small or rural communities; practitioner self-disclosure; friendships and social contact with current and former clients; favors, gifts, and invitations; hiring of former clients; and online and social networking relationships and communications, among others. Using extensive case material, Dr. Frederic Reamer will acquaint participants with a typology of boundary issues and dual relationships. Participants will learn how to identify and respond constructively to complex boundary issues, protect clients, prevent professional malpractice, and avoid licensing board complaints. Key topics will include the nature of boundary issues, types of dual relationships, ethical standards, and risk-management strategies.

This course is based on the recorded webinar, Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in Behavioral Health created by Frederick Reamer, PhD. in 2023.

Publication Date:

1st Edition Apr 2023

Course Creator and Author

Frederic G. Reamer, PhD
Frederic Reamer is professor in the graduate program, School of Social Work, Rhode Island College, where he has been on the faculty since 1983. His teaching and research focus on professional ethics, criminal justice, mental health, health care, and public policy. Dr. Reamer received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has served as a social worker in correctional and mental health settings. He chaired the national task force that wrote the Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers in 1996 and recently served on the code revision task force. Dr. Reamer also chaired the national task force sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers, Association of Social Work Boards, Council on Social Work Education, and Clinical Social Work Association that developed technology standards for the profession. Dr. Reamer has lectured nationally and internationally on social work and professional ethics, including in India, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and in various European nations. His books include Social Work Values and Ethics; Risk Management in Social Work; The Social Work Ethics Casebook; Ethical Standards in Social Work; Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services; Ethics and Risk Management in Online and Distance Behavioral Health; Moral Distress and Injury in Human Services; and The Social Work Ethics Audit, among others. Dr. Reamer has served as an expert witness in many court and licensing board cases throughout the United States.

Disclosures He receives royalties as a published author, and receives recording royalties for this presentation.

Recommended For:

Counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced levels of knowledge.

Course Objectives:

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. Apply relevant ethics standards to manage boundaries and dual relationships.
  2. Identify ethics and risk management issues related to professional boundaries and dual relationships in the behavioral health professions.
  3. Use protocols designed to protect clients and help prevent litigation and ethics complaints.

Disclosure to Learners

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Faculty: Frederic G. Reamer, PhD

He receives royalties as a published author, and receives recording royalties for this presentation.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

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Course Number 103287
3 CE credit hours
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  • Recorded Webinar
Exam Fee $17.91
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Course Materials $30.00
Material must be purchased to take exam for this course

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