Continuing Education

Ethical Considerations with Kids and Teens

Navigating Confidentiality, Consent, and Therapy Challenges

Mental Health Education

About The Course

Course Title: Ethical Considerations with Kids and Teens

Learning Method: Record asynchronous distance (non-interactive). This course includes a recorded video and access to the presented resources.

Amount of CE Credit Offered: 3 credits (ethics). ASWB ACE and NBCC.

Fees: This course can be purchased individually for $25 or as part of an annual unlimited continuing education subscription available for $99/year.

Posttest: Following the course, the participant will take a 30 question posttest. A score of 70% correct is required to pass and obtain a certificate. If you do not pass the posttest, it can be re-taken after fully reviewing the materials again.

Certificate of Completion: In order to receive a certificate of completion, you must indicate that you’ve watched the entire video portion of the course, earn a passing grade on the test, and complete the requested course evaluation.

Description of the Course:

Why is understanding this topic important?

1. Protecting Vulnerable Populations:

Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable in therapy, requiring careful attention to their rights, confidentiality, and consent to ensure their safety and well-being.

2. Legal and Ethical Compliance:

Therapists must navigate complex legal and ethical frameworks when working with minors, including mandated reporting, informed consent, and confidentiality, to avoid legal liabilities and professional consequences.

3. Building Trust and Effective Treatment:

Maintaining ethical standards helps build trust between therapists, children, teens, and their families, which is crucial for effective therapeutic outcomes and long-term mental health support.

Learning Objectives:

Confidentiality and Consent: Participants will implement best practices for obtaining informed consent and maintaining confidentiality in compliance with legal and ethical standards when working with children and adolescents.
Building Rapport and Repairing Ruptures: Participants will develop effective techniques to establish and maintain trust with child and adolescent clients, and apply strategies to repair ruptures in the therapeutic alliance.

Target Audience:

Mental health professionals and Masters and Clinical level licensees pursuing continuing education.

Content Level:

Both beginning and intermediate-level content are included in this course.

Instructor Bio(s):

Rachel Yutzy, LCSW

Rachel Yutzy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Grief & Trauma Psychotherapist with experience in treating a wide range of mental health issues, including trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults, utilizing evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

In her current role at Alvord Baker & Associates, she specializes in treating complex developmental and sexual trauma alongside providing therapy for individuals struggling with grief, loss, and dissociative disorders. In addition to her clinical work, Yutzy is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Clinical Social Work at NYU.

Her commitment to trauma-informed care and clinical education has been a hallmark of her career trajectory.

Meagan Mitchell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing individualized and group instruction for over 8 years.

Meagan Mitchell, LICSW, is currently a Child and Adolescent Therapist and owner of Brain Space Wellness. She is working towards her Play Therapy credential. Meagan is also the founder of Agents of Change Social Work Test Prep – a learning platform and community designed for social workers preparing for their licensing exams.

She loves combining her passion for learning and sharing her knowledge with the social work community. Meagan has a strong interest in tech & and innovation, specifically exploring the intersection of technology with social work practices. She is also passionate about multicultural supervision & and ethics; ensuring diverse voices are heard, understood, and supported in supervision and consultation.

Lastly, Meagan is currently a DSW student at SUNY Buffalo.

Course Outline:

1) Introduction and Course Overview

Facilitator introductions and experience with child and teen therapy.
Overview of the course content and objectives (confidentiality, informed consent, building rapport).

2) Informed Consent and Confidentiality

Explanation of the importance of informed consent for minors, including parental consent and minor’s ascent.
Legal and ethical standards for maintaining confidentiality, with emphasis on when and why it may need to be breached (e.g., safety concerns).
Practical considerations for telehealth, including privacy and consent.

3) Building Rapport and Therapeutic Techniques

Strategies for building rapport with children and teens, including the use of play therapy, sand tray therapy, and thumbball games.
Discussion on the role of non-verbal communication in therapy (e.g., using creative tools like music and art).
Managing challenging behaviors and maintaining trust, particularly with teenagers.

4) Handling Ethical Dilemmas and Reporting

How to navigate ethical dilemmas, such as disclosures of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and risky behaviors.
Mandated reporting guidelines for abuse or neglect and the emotional impact of reporting (e.g., involving CPS).
Managing ruptures in the therapeutic relationship after breaking confidentiality and the use of therapeutic apologies.

5) Levels of Care and Case Study

Assessment of when higher levels of care (IOP, PHP, residential treatment) are necessary for children and teens.
Discussion of a complex case study involving ethical challenges, risky behavior, and parental resistance to treatment escalation.
Final reflections on handling difficult cases and balancing professional obligations with maintaining therapeutic alliances.

Course Creation Date: 10/19/24

Requesting Accessibility Accommodations:

Please email [email protected] to request accessibility accommodations.

System Requirements:

The most recent version of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge browser
Javascript enabled
PDF plugin
Graphic and audio output capability
Broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 5Mbps (recommended)
TLS 1.2 supported by your web browser

Refund Policy: In general, refunds will not be provided. However, if you do have any concerns or grievances, please contact us at the email address below. Registrants who do not complete their course(s) will not receive a refund. Registrants who purchased the course but did not achieve a passing grade will not receive a refund. The Agents of Change Grievance Policy can be viewed here.

Cancellation Policy: If an Agents of Change Continuing Education course is canceled, a full refund will be provided to all participants.

Please email [email protected] with any questions about the course.

Agents of Change is Approved by ACE

Agents of Change, #1919, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 7/26/2023 – 7/26/2027.

Agents of Change is Approved by NBCC

Agents of Change has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7620. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Agents of Change is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

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