Understanding Levels of Care and the Ethical Implications of Treatment

Understanding Levels of Care and the Ethical Implications of Treatment

As clinicians, it is important to recognize when is a client’s clinical presentation or acuity demands more support than what the clinician can offer. While most clinicians are aware of their limitation, many do not know what to do or how to help the client access the most appropriate treatment.

In this workshop, the presenters will review the ACA and NASW codes of ethics, give an overview of the different levels of care from standard outpatient to acute hospitalization and discuss the ethical implication of helping clients access and receive the appropriate levels of care. The presenters will go over the clinical criteria of symptoms for different levels of care, discuss the pros and cons of each level of care- from standard outpatient, in-home treatment options, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential treatment, and other. The process of GA’s involuntary treatment, 1013/2013, and the ethical considerations for hospitalization will also be reviewed. The presenters will also discuss how to ethically terminate the therapeutic relationship and the process of making referrals to other specialists or to higher levels of care.

Learning Objectives:

Participants in this workshop will be able to

1. Identify the different levels of behavioral and mental healthcare resources available

2. Discuss the clinical criteria and match the clinical presentation to the appropriate level of care

3. Discuss the pros and cons for each level of care

4. Describe the ethical considerations for each level of care

5. Describe the 1013/2013 process and the ethical implications for using a 1013/2013

6. Discuss the ethical considerations and practice for terminating a therapeutic relationship

Workshop Schedule

8:30 – 9:00 AM - Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 – 10:30 AM - Overview of Ethical Codes and Levels of Care

10:30 – 10:45AM - Break

10:45 – 11:45AM - Levels of Care Pros/Cons & Ethical Consideration

11:45AM – 12:45PM - Lunch Break (Lunch on your own)

12:45 – 2:15 PM - Involuntary Treatment (1013/2013) & Ethical Termination

2:15 – 2:30 PM - Break

2:30 – 3:30 PM - Case Vignette, Q&A, Wrap-Up

5 Ethics Continuing Education Hours applied for with GSCSW

5 Ethics Continuing Education Hours approved for counselors through NBCC

Hillside® has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6948. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Hillside® is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Presenters:

W. Gaan Akers, LPC, NCC

Gaan has been working with children, adolescents, and families for over 10 years in various settings. She started her career as a therapist in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. She has worked with clients and families in various setting including acute inpatient care, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care.

She is the Director of Clinical Education and Outreach at Hillside, a nationally recognized mental health hospital for children and adolescents. In her current role, she relies on her expertise and clinical experience to perform clinical case-consultations with mental health clinicians to help determine appropriate level of care. She is an experienced presenter at state and national conferences. She also facilitates continuing educations workshops and skills training for mental health professionals and the community.

Amy René, LCSW

Amy has over 30 years of social work experience. Amy has worked at Hillside for 20 years is the Vice President of Community Operations and Clinical Services after serving in multiple roles. She oversees Admissions and Utilization Review departments and is responsible for the administration and oversight of all outpatient level programs- Intensive In-Home Therapy, Virtual Intensive Outpatient program and Partial Hospitalization Program.

She was intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Dr. Tom Lynch and Dr. Adam Payne in 2006 with the original cohort of therapists and staff at Hillside. She has also participated in advanced DBT trainings with Dr. Shari Manning and Dr. Marsha Linehan. She has participated in and conducted training locally and nationally in the areas of Family Preservation, Foster Care, Kinship, Wraparound, Family Finding, Trauma, and Child Welfare.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

191 Peachtree St NE, 191 Peachtree Street Northeast, Atlanta, United States