The Trust is a Leading Provider of Insurance Products and Continuing Education Programs for Psychologists

Jeffrey N. Younggren, Ph.D., ABPP, will discuss the current high risk contexts for ethics complaints and malpractice liability. Participants will learn new tactics to reduce stress and prevent negative outcomes related to complicated ethical issues and concerns in their interactions with clients. Dr. Younggren will review the professional risks and limits that arise when treating therapists who interact with the legal system. He will also review mandated reporting, confidentiality, testimonial limits, and the danger of advocacy in the courtroom. In addition, Dr. Younggren will examine the complexity of child custody testimony and the clear differences that exist between forensic child custody evaluations and treatment based testimony. Finally, he will explore the world of healthcare record audits and how much information can be shared from the treatment record with outside agencies including insurance companies. Instructor: Jeffrey N. Younggren, Ph.D., ABPP [Note] This webinar was filmed on April 29, 2017, and may not reflect the most current information and laws regarding this topic. Learning Objectives Summarize the areas of high risk for professional psychology practice. Describe how to implement ethic and risk management strategies from a conceptual perspective. Recognize how state mandates impact professional conduct in order to maintain a client oriented approach when dealing with ethical dilemmas.     Explain how to place limits on your role when called upon to be part of a legal proceeding.     Discuss how to deal with healthcare record audits. Important Notice Because this webinar is on-demand, once you are registered and have created a login account, you can view the webinar at any time in whatever time increments are most convenient. In order to download your CE certificate, receive CE credits, and become eligible for a discount on your Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance policy premium, you must: Complete the entire webinar, Pass a brief exam, and, Complete a brief evaluation form. You are required to achieve a passing score of 75 percent or higher. You are allowed three attempts to successfully complete the exam. If you are unsuccessful on the third attempt, you must re-purchase the course to try again. Eligibility for Insurance Premium Discounts Completing one of The Trust’s Ethics and Risk Management Webinar Sequences earns 6 CE credits and eligibility to receive a 15% premium discount on Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance for the next two consecutive renewal periods. To obtain CE discounts, download and submit CE certification for this webinar (completed within the previous 15 months) with your insurance application/renewal. Discounts are not applicable to Researcher/Academician or Student policies. Group policies become eligible for CE discounts when at least 50% of individuals insured under the group policy submit CE certification totaling the number of credits needed for a particular percentage discount. All applications are individually underwritten and submission of CE certification will not guarantee insurance policy issuance or renewal. Continuing Education Credits The Trust is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Trust maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Trust is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0019. Continuing Education Grievance Policy The Trust is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The Trust will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of CE participants. The Trust CE Director is responsible for complying with these standards. While the Trust strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken: If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, webinar, book or the continuing education test, a Trust representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CE Director or a Trust representative will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns The Trust, the CE Director or Trust representative will attempt to arbitrate. Direct correspondence to: Continuing Education The Trust 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 700 Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (800) 477-1200 Email: grievances@trustinsurance.com NOTE: This information is provided as a risk management resource and is not legal advice or an individualized personal consultation. At the time this resource was prepared, all information was as current and accurate as possible; however, regulations, laws, or prevailing professional practice standards may have changed since the posting or recording of this resource. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to confirm whether regulatory or legal issues that are relevant to you have since been updated and/or to consult with your professional advisors or legal counsel for timely guidance specific to your situation. As with all professional use of material, please explicitly cite The Trust Companies as the source if you reproduce or distribute any portion of these resources. Reproduction or distribution of this resource without the express written permission of The Trust Companies is strictly prohibited. Read more

For almost 25 years, The Trust has been providing continuing education workshops and individual consultations, with a focus on improving psychologists’ risk management skills and strategies. These workshops have evolved from basic concepts and strategies to a more applied, integrated, and strategic approach to help you protect yourself from adverse disciplinary and legal actions. For this newest workshop, The Trust Risk Management Program reviewed data from over 70,000 consultations provided to date in order to determine which issues and questions are most pressing for today’s psychologists. Topics will include boundaries and multiple relationships, challenging terminations, working with children in the midst of family conflict, coping with disciplinary complaints, and psychotherapy patient requests for legally related documentation. Instructors: Leisl Bryant, Ph.D., ABPP; Julie Jacobs, Psy.D., J.D; Joe Scroppo, Ph.D., J.D.; Daniel O. Taube, J.D., Ph.D.; Amanda D. Zelechoski, J.D., Ph.D., ABPP [Note] This webinar was filmed on August 8, 2018, and may not reflect the most current information and laws regarding this topic. Learning Objectives Describe basic principles of risk management, as applied to several specific clinical situations that frequently arise in professional practice; Identify high risk boundary violations and multiple relationship situations; Recall important considerations when making therapeutic termination decisions; Evaluate potential risks when working with children in high-conflict families; Formulate a plan for responding to disciplinary or legal complaints; and Identify issues and strategies when psychotherapy patients make quasi-forensic requests   Important Notice Because this webinar is on-demand, once you are registered and have created a login account, you can view the webinar at any time in whatever time increments are most convenient. In order to download your CE certificate, receive CE credits, and become eligible for a discount on your Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance policy premium, you must: Complete the entire webinar, Pass a brief exam, and, Complete a brief evaluation form. You are required to achieve a passing score of 75 percent or higher. You are allowed three attempts to successfully complete the exam. If you are unsuccessful on the third attempt, you must re-purchase the course to try again. Eligibility for Insurance Premium Discounts Completing one of The Trust’s Ethics and Risk Management Webinar Sequences earns 6 CE credits and eligibility to receive a 15% premium discount on Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance for the next two consecutive renewal periods. To obtain CE discounts, download and submit CE certification for this webinar (completed within the previous 15 months) with your insurance application/renewal. Discounts are not applicable to Researcher/Academician or Student policies. Group policies become eligible for CE discounts when at least 50% of individuals insured under the group policy submit CE certification totaling the number of credits needed for a particular percentage discount. All applications are individually underwritten and submission of CE certification will not guarantee insurance policy issuance or renewal. Continuing Education Credits The Trust is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Trust maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Trust is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0019. Continuing Education Grievance Policy The Trust is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The Trust will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of CE participants. The Trust CE Director is responsible for complying with these standards. While the Trust strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken: If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, webinar, book or the continuing education test, a Trust representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CE Director or a Trust representative will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns The Trust, the CE Director or Trust representative will attempt to arbitrate. Direct correspondence to: Continuing Education The Trust 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 700 Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (800) 477-1200 Email: grievances@trustinsurance.com NOTE: This information is provided as a risk management resource and is not legal advice or an individualized personal consultation. At the time this resource was prepared, all information was as current and accurate as possible; however, regulations, laws, or prevailing professional practice standards may have changed since the posting or recording of this resource. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to confirm whether regulatory or legal issues that are relevant to you have since been updated and/or to consult with your professional advisors or legal counsel for timely guidance specific to your situation. As with all professional use of material, please explicitly cite The Trust Companies as the source if you reproduce or distribute any portion of these resources. Reproduction or distribution of this resource without the express written permission of The Trust Companies is strictly prohibited. Read more

The times they are a changing. The continued dominance of managed care companies over third party reimbursement and the new uncertainty created by the Affordable Care Act in both the private and public sectors have increased the complexity of the legal and regulatory environment faced by psychologists. In this unpredictable environment, the need to avoid adverse disciplinary events remains an important priority and an active risk management strategy is still an essential element of professional practice. After a brief introduction describing The Trust’s Risk Management Philosophy and Strategy, this workshop will focus on three specific topic areas: working with couples and families, working with potentially suicidal clients, and the ethical and legal challenges of developing a professionally and personally appropriate retirement strategy. The workshop is applicable to psychologists working in all types of settings where health services are provided. Instructors: Dan Taube, J.D., Ph.D.; Eric Harris, Ed.D., J.D.; Joe Scroppo, Ph.D., J.D.; Amanda Zelechoski, J.D., Ph.D., AAPP [Note] This webinar was filmed in 2016 and may not reflect the most current information and laws regarding this topic. Learning Objectives Discuss The Trust Risk Management Philosophy, including strategies for identifying high risk situations and managing professional practice risks. Identify strategies for managing potential conflicts in conjoint treatment with couples and families. Identify risk management strategies in working with children with particular emphasis on the risks associated with divorced or divorcing families. Identify essential risk management strategies for assessing and managing outpatient suicide risk. Identify “post-vention” strategies for managing risk after a patient suicide. Identify “self care” strategies for psychologists who have suffered the loss of a patient to suicide. Describe the different professional retirement pathways. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of various strategies in planning for your own personal and professional retirement. Describe how to effectively and ethically close a professional practice. Important Notice Because this webinar is on-demand, once you are registered and have created a login account, you can view the webinar at any time in whatever time increments are most convenient. In order to download your CE certificate, receive CE credits, and become eligible for a discount on your Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance policy premium, you must: Complete the entire webinar, Pass a brief exam, and, Complete a brief evaluation form. You are required to achieve a passing score of 75 percent or higher. You are allowed three attempts to successfully complete the exam. If you are unsuccessful on the third attempt, you must re-purchase the course to try again. Eligibility for Insurance Premium Discounts Completing one of The Trust’s Ethics and Risk Management Webinar Sequences earns 6 CE credits and eligibility to receive a 15% premium discount on Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance for the next two consecutive renewal periods. To obtain CE discounts, download and submit CE certification for this webinar (completed within the previous 15 months) with your insurance application/renewal. Discounts are not applicable to Researcher/Academician or Student policies. Group policies become eligible for CE discounts when at least 50% of individuals insured under the group policy submit CE certification totaling the number of credits needed for a particular percentage discount. All applications are individually underwritten and submission of CE certification will not guarantee insurance policy issuance or renewal. Continuing Education Credits The Trust is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Trust maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Trust is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0019. Continuing Education Grievance Policy The Trust is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The Trust will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of CE participants. The Trust CE Director is responsible for complying with these standards. While the Trust strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken: If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, webinar, book or the continuing education test, a Trust representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CE Director or a Trust representative will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns The Trust, the CE Director or Trust representative will attempt to arbitrate. Direct correspondence to: Continuing Education The Trust 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 700 Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (800) 477-1200 Email: grievances@trustinsurance.com NOTE: This information is provided as a risk management resource and is not legal advice or an individualized personal consultation. At the time this resource was prepared, all information was as current and accurate as possible; however, regulations, laws, or prevailing professional practice standards may have changed since the posting or recording of this resource. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to confirm whether regulatory or legal issues that are relevant to you have since been updated and/or to consult with your professional advisors or legal counsel for timely guidance specific to your situation. As with all professional use of material, please explicitly cite The Trust Companies as the source if you reproduce or distribute any portion of these resources. Reproduction or distribution of this resource without the express written permission of The Trust Companies is strictly prohibited. Read more

Today, psychologists practice with increased ethical and legal attention in order to reduce the likelihood that disciplinary complaints or malpractice suits may be filed against them. Psychologists must learn new strategies on how to deal with these challenges should they occur. Many “rule based” risk management strategies have been developed to give psychologists concrete guidance for dealing with potential disciplinary actions and civil suits. Consequently, some psychologists have lost sight of the fundamentals of ethical decision-making and clamor for “cookbook approaches” to risk management. In their desire to solve any problem quickly, they no longer engage in an active decision-making process when faced with difficult issues. This workshop focuses on the fundamental “how tos” of ethical decision-making when confronted by ethical dilemmas. Attendees will become familiar with the fundamental tenets of healthcare ethics and how they apply to the practice of psychology. They will also review the basic legal strategies and ethical principles that apply to psychological practice. Finally, all participants will have the opportunity to apply the principles to specific ethical dilemmas in small group discussions. These discussions will focus on resolving specific case examples in a fashion consistent with the fundamentals of good clinical practice. Instructor: Jeffrey N. Younggren, Ph.D., ABPP [Note] This webinar was filmed in 2009 and may not reflect the most current information and laws regarding this topic. Learning Objectives Describe how these fundamentals drive the development of ethics codes and professional standards. Identify where these fundamentals are specifically expressed in the law and in the 2002 APA Ethics Code. Discuss the primary provisions of the 2002 APA Ethics Code. Identify how the law impacts ethics codes and the relationship of ethics to law. Describe how to use the ethical fundamentals in decision-making. Describe how to interact with other colleagues on specific ethical dilemmas, arriving at ethically based decisions on how to deal with difficult cases. Important Notice Because this webinar is on-demand, once you are registered and have created a login account, you can view the webinar at any time in whatever time increments are most convenient. In order to download your CE certificate, receive CE credits, and become eligible for a discount on your Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance policy premium, you must: Complete the entire webinar, Pass a brief exam, and, Complete a brief evaluation form. You are required to achieve a passing score of 75 percent or higher. You are allowed three attempts to successfully complete the exam. If you are unsuccessful on the third attempt, you must re-purchase the course to try again. Eligibility for Insurance Premium Discounts Completing one of The Trust’s Ethics and Risk Management Webinar Sequences earns 6 CE credits and eligibility to receive a 15% premium discount on Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance for the next two consecutive renewal periods. To obtain CE discounts, download and submit CE certification for this webinar (completed within the previous 15 months) with your insurance application/renewal. Discounts are not applicable to Researcher/Academician or Student policies. Group policies become eligible for CE discounts when at least 50% of individuals insured under the group policy submit CE certification totaling the number of credits needed for a particular percentage discount. All applications are individually underwritten and submission of CE certification will not guarantee insurance policy issuance or renewal. Continuing Education Credits The Trust is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Trust maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Trust is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0019. Continuing Education Grievance Policy The Trust is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The Trust will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of CE participants. The Trust CE Director is responsible for complying with these standards. While the Trust strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken: If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, webinar, book or the continuing education test, a Trust representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CE Director or a Trust representative will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns The Trust, the CE Director or Trust representative will attempt to arbitrate. Direct correspondence to: Continuing Education The Trust 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 700 Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (800) 477-1200 Email: grievances@trustinsurance.com NOTE: This information is provided as a risk management resource and is not legal advice or an individualized personal consultation. At the time this resource was prepared, all information was as current and accurate as possible; however, regulations, laws, or prevailing professional practice standards may have changed since the posting or recording of this resource. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to confirm whether regulatory or legal issues that are relevant to you have since been updated and/or to consult with your professional advisors or legal counsel for timely guidance specific to your situation. As with all professional use of material, please explicitly cite The Trust Companies as the source if you reproduce or distribute any portion of these resources. Reproduction or distribution of this resource without the express written permission of The Trust Companies is strictly prohibited. Read more

For the last ten years, there has been a major increase in the number of lawsuits, licensing board complaints, and ethics committee complaints against clinical psychologists. As managed care continues to dominate third party reimbursement in both the private and public sectors, any adverse disciplinary event can make it difficult, if not impossible to meet credentialing requirements. The changes in the economic system have led to changes in therapeutic approaches and business organizations that, in turn, have increased the complexity of the legal and regulatory environment. In these difficult times, a risk management strategy is an essential element of professional practice. After providing a basic introduction to identifying legal and ethical risks involved in working with high risk patients and situations, this workshop will focus on four specialized areas of practice: working with couples and families, working with potentially suicidal clients, professional consultation and supervision, and dealing with subpoenas and court testimony. The primary workshop goal is to allow practitioners to identify potential legal and ethical problems in these areas so that risks of lawsuits and disciplinary complaints can be minimized. Dr. Harris will suggest strategies, which will make it more likely that a psychologist will prevail if she/he is unfortunate enough to be the target of these sometimes unavoidable events. The program will describe how and when practitioners can utilize the Trust Advocate 800 Risk Management Consultation Service as part of their own risk management strategies. The workshop is primarily directed to psychologists in private practice but it applicable to all sites where health services are provided. Instructor: Eric A. Harris, Ed.D., J.D. [Note] This webinar was filmed in 2008 and may not reflect the most current information and laws regarding this topic. Learning Objectives Explain The Trust risk management philosophy including strategies for identifying high risk situations and managing professional practice risks. Describe managing potential conflicts in conjoint treatment with couples and families, with particular emphasis on the special risks associated with divorce. Apply essential risk management strategies for identifying and managing outpatient suicide risk. Discuss ethical and risk management issues in supervision and consultation. Manage subpoenas and testimony in an ethical risk managed manner. Important Notice Because this webinar is on-demand, once you are registered and have created a login account, you can view the webinar at any time in whatever time increments are most convenient. In order to download your CE certificate, receive CE credits, and become eligible for a discount on your Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance policy premium, you must: Complete the entire webinar, Pass a brief exam, and, Complete a brief evaluation form. You are required to achieve a passing score of 75 percent or higher. You are allowed three attempts to successfully complete the exam. If you are unsuccessful on the third attempt, you must re-purchase the course to try again. Eligibility for Insurance Premium Discounts Completing one of The Trust’s Ethics and Risk Management Webinar Sequences earns 6 CE credits and eligibility to receive a 15% premium discount on Trust Sponsored Professional Liability Insurance for the next two consecutive renewal periods. To obtain CE discounts, download and submit CE certification for this webinar (completed within the previous 15 months) with your insurance application/renewal. Discounts are not applicable to Researcher/Academician or Student policies. Group policies become eligible for CE discounts when at least 50% of individuals insured under the group policy submit CE certification totaling the number of credits needed for a particular percentage discount. All applications are individually underwritten and submission of CE certification will not guarantee insurance policy issuance or renewal. Continuing Education Credits The Trust is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Trust maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Trust is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0019. Continuing Education Grievance Policy The Trust is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The Trust will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of CE participants. The Trust CE Director is responsible for complying with these standards. While the Trust strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken: If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, webinar, book or the continuing education test, a Trust representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CE Director or a Trust representative will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns The Trust, the CE Director or Trust representative will attempt to arbitrate. Direct correspondence to: Continuing Education The Trust 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 700 Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (800) 477-1200 Email: grievances@trustinsurance.com NOTE: This information is provided as a risk management resource and is not legal advice or an individualized personal consultation. At the time this resource was prepared, all information was as current and accurate as possible; however, regulations, laws, or prevailing professional practice standards may have changed since the posting or recording of this resource. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to confirm whether regulatory or legal issues that are relevant to you have since been updated and/or to consult with your professional advisors or legal counsel for timely guidance specific to your situation. As with all professional use of material, please explicitly cite The Trust Companies as the source if you reproduce or distribute any portion of these resources. Reproduction or distribution of this resource without the express written permission of The Trust Companies is strictly prohibited.   Read more