Date: Friday, June 30, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET // 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT
Location: Live Zoom webinar
Presentation Title
Mandatory Reporting: Socioemotional Ethics Before, During, and After
Cost – $23
Logistics
Zoom information will be emailed to participants the afternoon before and morning of the event. Registration will close two hours before the event start time. This event is live and will not be recorded.
Discounts
To request a discount code, please follow the instructions below. One discount allowed per purchase.
- UTCSW Alumni: 25% – please email your graduation year and the program you completed to cswcep@utk.edu.
- UTCSW Field Instructors: 50% – please send an email using your agency email address to cswcep@utk.edu.
- UTCSW Faculty/Staff: 100% – you may have already received this info; please check your inbox before emailing cswcep@utk.edu to request the code.
- UTCSW Students: 100% – please contact your program staff member for access.
Course Description
Mandatory reporting is usually summarized as a legal and ethical duty to report suspected abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable adults. For mental health providers, there is an additional duty to report if someone has a plan to harm themselves or others. While this reporting is important, it can also have significant consequences for the client, the clinician, and the therapeutic relationship. This workshop examines the socioemotional side of mandatory reporting and explores ways to minimize negative impacts while fulfilling one’s mandatory reporting duties. By establishing a therapeutic relationship based on ongoing informed consent, attending to client dignity and well-being during the reporting process, and intentionally engaging in relational repair after a report is made, clinicians can often maintain trust and continuity with clients despite the challenges inherent in breaking confidentiality.
Participants should be familiar with the mandatory reporting requirements for the state of Tennessee and the NASW Code of Ethics. Please also note that nothing in this presentation is intended to be legal advice, and practitioners are encouraged to review and follow the policies of their particular agency and/or licensing body.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify some of the socioemotional impacts of mandatory reporting, for the client, the clinician, and the therapeutic relationship;
- Facilitate more fully-informed consent through transparent, client-centered relationship building;
- Attend to client dignity and well-being during the reporting process when it is necessary; and
- Engage in relational repair to restore client trust (if the client desires) and maintain service continuity.
CEUs
This program was approved by the National Association of Social Workers – Tennessee Chapter for 1.5 continuing education units. Participants must log in within five minutes of start time to be eligible to earn all CEUs for which the session has been approved.
A link for the program evaluation will be emailed to participants after the event has concluded. To receive the CEU certificate, participants must complete the evaluation by the deadline indicated in that email. Certificates are not automatically generated and will be emailed out after the deadline to complete the evaluation has passed.
Target Audience
Professionals and students in the mental health field in the state of Tennessee (ethical ideas are applicable to any state, but participants would need to know their own state’s reporting laws).
Accessibility
There is space on the event registration form to indicate accommodations required. We work with the university’s Office of Equity & Diversity and Office of Student Disability Services to make arrangements and ask that you allow us adequate time to communicate with them about any services needed.
It is a priority to make our events inclusive and accessible. For any questions or to notify us of a request, please email cswcep@utk.edu at least three business days prior to the event.
Refunds
To request a refund, please email cswcep@utk.edu. Full refunds will be granted up to 48 hours prior to the event. In the event this program is cancelled, full refunds will be issued to all registrants.
About the Presenter
Karen E. Latus is an LMSW with a certification in trauma treatment who has spent nearly two decades working in secondary education, including teaching Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL). By integrating classroom instruction and school social work, she designed and coordinated a bilingual intervention program for immigrant and refugee students that the American Council for School Social Work recognized as a model of best practice. Karen was named one of 2018’s Top 9 Teachers by the State of Tennessee and honored with the 2019 Community Impact Award by the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare. She serves as a field instructor for the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, an adjunct professor for East Tennessee State University’s social work program, and as a SAMHSA-funded consultant for the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She is also the board president of SÍ – Serving Immigrants, a Tennessee-based nonprofit that provides pro bono mental health assessments and casework services for immigrants of all documentation statuses (let her know if you’d like to volunteer!).