About Us | Chapters | Advertising | Join
The Legal Department articles are not intended to serve as legal advice and are offered for educational purposes only. The information provided should not be used as a substitute for independent legal advice and it is not intended to address every situation that could potentially arise. Please be aware that laws, regulations and technical standards change over time. As a result, it is important to verify and update any reference or information that is provided in the article.
This final installment of the three-part series called Practice Guidelines for School-Based Psychotherapists discusses scenarios psychotherapists who are working in schools frequently encounter and ideas about how to address those issues based on the application of FERPA, HIPAA, CA laws and/or ethical codes.
This article is Part II of a three part series called Practice Guidelines for School Based Psychotherapists. The article discusses the application of HIPAA, California laws and professional ethical codes to school based practice.
This article is intended to help therapists anticipate, manage, and avoid problems that commonly arise when terminating treatment. Relevant legal and ethical issues are discussed, and examples are provided, regarding actions that may result in disciplinary actions, and/or ethical complaints for improper termination.
The article discusses the topic of starting a private practice. It is intended as a sequel to Part One of “Starting a Private Practice,” which was published in the November/December issue of The Therapist. Issues covered in Part Two includes: Initial inquiries and requests for service, intake procedures, record-keeping and documentation, fees and insurance related issues, and key issues when advertising a practice.
This article discusses starting a private practice. It stresses the importance of planning and identifies key considerations before opening a practice. Practical needs are discussed, legal considerations are identified, and multiple resources are provided to assist in getting started.
This article discusses the topic of responding to requests for confidential information regarding patients in relation risk-adjustment audits by insurance carriers.
Understanding the Role of the CAMFT Ethics Committee An Interview with CAMFT Ethics Committee Chair, Irving Zaroff, JD, LMFT
This article discusses the general topic of providers utilizing Skype as the source of videoconferencing technology. It explains why Skype is not considered to be compatible with the requirements of HIPAA and recommends the use of HIPAA compliant alternatives to Skype.
The subset of ICD-10 codes, which concern mental health disorders, are used in billing procedures to indicate the mental health diagnosis of a patient.
This article examines a number of legal and ethical issues, problems, and concerns that therapists often encounter when working with clients who are involved with the courts.