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CE Course Description

Behavioral health providers are responsible for much more than just providing mental health services to patients. They are responsible for protecting the patient, their communities, the ethics of their profession, the confidentiality of everyone involved, and much more when providing care. Therefore, it is essential for behavioral healthcare professionals to understand and apply the ethical and legal requirements in behavioral health federally and in their local areas. This course will review information regarding the ethics and legal obligations for behavioral health professionals. 

Author: Sara Amundson, MSW

CE Course Objectives

1. Explore the ethical responsibilities for a variety of common behavioral health providers
2. Review the boundaries involved in behavioral health to immediately apply in practice
3. Recognize dual relationships and know when to remove self from a dual relationship
4. Examine laws regarding confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and duty to warn
5. Review case studies that explore ethical dilemmas in behavioral health

CE Course Outline

Introduction (5 mins)

1. Introduction (5 mins)

Who are behavioral health professionals? (10 mins)

1. Overview of behavioral health professionals (10 mins)

Professional Ethics (25 mins)

1. Psychiatrists (3 mins)
2. Mental Health Counselor (5 mins)
3. Marriage and Family Therapists (5 mins)
4. Social Workers (6 mins)
5. Registered Psychiatric Nurses (3 mins)
6. Substance Use Therapists (3 mins)

Boundaries (15 mins)

1. Successful boundary-setting case study (8 mins)
2. Unsuccessful boundary-setting case study (7 mins)

Dual relationships (15 mins)

1. Successful dual relationship case study (7 mins)
2. Unsuccessful dual relationship case study (8 mins)

Confidentiality (5 mins)

1. How to protect confidentiality (5 mins)

Mandated reporting and limitations (30 mins)

1. Benefits and difficulties with mandatory reporting (10 mins)
2. Mandatory reporting case study of a child (5 mins)
3. Mandatory reporting of a person with a disability (5 mins)
4. Mandatory reporting for an aging individual (10 mins)

Duty to warn and the Tarasoff case (15 mins)

1. Duty to warn case study that is necessary (8 mins)
2. Duty to warn case study that does not apply (7 mins)

Additional Resources

1. References (not timed)

Social Work Approval

Social Work CE Credit for this course is offered with the following approvals. Many state boards of social work will accept the approvals listed. Provider Approvals by state and license type can be found here.

• Quantum Units Education is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, CAMFT Provider #89970, to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEP. Quantum Units Education maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
• Florida board for Social Workers CE Provider #50-8650 (Quantum 'immediately' reports CE Credits to Florida licensees) 
• Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, License No. 159.001261 approved CE Sponsor
• Ohio CSWMFTB #RCST091701 approved CE Provider
• Texas Board of SWE #5070 approved CE Provider
• Quantum Units Education, #1289, 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: 01/03/2026 - 01/03/2029. Social workers completing this course receive 2.00 'Ethics' continuing education credits.

To see other approvals in your state, see our state by state provider approval listings here.

Course Development: Each course is identified and reviewed by the appropriate Quantum Units Education consultant with professional and licensed expertise in the various disciplines we serve. Our professional consultants oversee course development to satisfy the needs of various professionals based on their board requirements, rate course degrees of difficulty and ensure the course content and exam questions are appropriate, relevant and comprehensive. See our professional staff and their bios here.

*Questions regarding how to take a course, refunds, grievance policy and ADA policy can be found here.
*Questions regarding this course or need support? Contact us at support@quantumunitsed.com.

Added On: 07/09/2026