Navigate Ethical Dilemmas with Confidence

Learn to approach complex clinical situations using structured ethical decision-making, professional standards, and sound clinical judgment.

Understand Your Legal Responsibilities

Explore Washington and Oregon-specific laws and professional obligations involving confidentiality, client rights, informed consent, duty to protect, and professional accountability.

Apply Ethics to Real Clinical Practice

Work through realistic scenarios involving conflicting rights, difficult clinical decisions, suspected unethical conduct, and situations where legal and ethical responsibilities intersect.

About the Course

Go beyond reviewing ethical codes and regulations to explore the complex decisions clinicians face in everyday practice, including confidentiality, informed consent, client rights, professional accountability, and legal responsibilities. Through real-world clinical scenarios and practical ethical decision-making strategies, this course helps clinicians navigate difficult situations, recognize potential legal and ethical risks, and protect both their clients and their professional practice. This course was developed and reviewed by Carmen Tuazon, LMHC, LPC, NCC, ACS. AI-assisted tools were used in portions of multimedia production. All clinical and educational content is reviewed for professional accuracy and relevance.

About the Creator

Carmen Tuazon, LMHC, LPC, NCC, ACS Founder & Clinical Director, Pacific Neurocounseling Carmen is a licensed mental health counselor in Washington, licensed professional counselor in Oregon, and Approved Clinical Supervisor. As founder and clinical director of Pacific Neurocounseling, she brings firsthand experience in clinical practice, supervision, and practice leadership. Her approach to ethics education goes beyond memorizing rules, emphasizing practical application, critical thinking, and sound clinical judgment. Through Pacific Neurocounseling Continuing Education, she helps behavioral health professionals navigate complex legal and ethical responsibilities with greater confidence.

Course Curriculum

7 Chapters · 73 Lessons

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      What are Ethics and Why do they Matter?

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Where do Ethical Guidelines Come from?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Ethics versus Law

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Ethical Principles

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      Ethical Decision Making

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      High Risk Areas in Practice

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      Deep Dive Into RCW 18.225 and WAC 246-809

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Ethics Requirements for Oregon Providers

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      Required Reading: Washington and Oregon Law In Everyday Ethical Decisions

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      Ethical Decision-Making Case Study Exercise

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      Case Study: Dual Relationship Risk

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      Quiz

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Download: Ethical Decision Making Worksheet

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      Informed Consent Beyond the Initial Paperwork

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      Client Autonomy and Right to Refuse Treatment

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      Minor Consent, Parental Access, and WA and OR

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      When Parents Disagree About a Minor's Treatment

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      Client Access to Clinical Records and Requests for Amendments

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      When Treatment Is No Longer Effective

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      Required Reading: Minor Consent, Parent Access, and Confidentiality

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      Case Study: Conflicting Rights and Clinical Responsibilities

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      Download: Informed Consent and Client Rights Checklist

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      Quiz

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      Ethical Foundations of Confidentiality

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      Mandated Reporting Deep Dive

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      Suicide Risk, Duty to Report, and Involuntary Intervention

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      Washington's Volk v. DeMeerleer: Duty to Protect in Clinical Practice

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      HIPAA, Telehealth Privacy, and Breach Management

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      Required Reading: Duty to Protect, Threat Assessment, and Volk

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      Confidentiality Limits Worksheet

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      Case Study: Suicide Risk

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      Quiz

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      Foundations of Professional Competence

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      Scope of Practice and Specialty Claims

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      Supervision Responsibilities and Liability

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      Working With Associates and Trainees

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      Client and Provider Travel and Licensing Boundaries

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      Therapist Burnout, Impairment, and Ethical Responsibility

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      Continuing Education and Maintaining Competence

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      Recognizing and Responding to Unethical Conduct by Colleagues

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      Professional Accountability and Reporting Obligations

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      Case Study: Suspected Unethical Conduct

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      Quiz

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      Understanding Legal Processes in Mental Health Practice

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      Subpoenas, Court Orders, and Legal Requests for Records

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      Therapist Testimony and Participation in Court

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      Licensing Board Complaints and Investigations

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      Legal Risk Management for Therapists

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      Required Reading: Subpoenas, Privilege, and Mental Health Records

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      Case Study: Subpoena Request

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      Quiz

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      Download: Responding to Legal Requests

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      Ethical Clinical Documentation

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      Insurance and Billing Ethics

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      Financial Transparency With Clients

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      Record Retention Laws (WA and OR)

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      Electronic Records and Documentation Risks

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      Case Study: Billing Ethics

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      Quiz

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      Download: Ethical Documentation Checklist

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      Download: Insurance billing Ethics Quick Guide

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      Documentation: Red Flags for an Audit

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      Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Practice

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      AI-Assisted Clinical Documentation

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      AI and Technology Ethics module

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      AI Content Review

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      Bias, Limitations, and Ethical Use of AI in Mental Health

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      Required Reading: AI, Clinical Documentation, and Vendor Privacy

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      AI Use Reflection Exercise

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      Case Study: AI Documentation

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      Quiz

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Closing Video

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Course Evaluation

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