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Practical Legal Advice for Mental Health Practioners: Protecting Client Information and Other Thorny Legal Issues Facing Practitioners

This program was presented on February 16, 2008

Presenter: Lawrence H. Mirel, Partner in the Washington Law Firm of Wiley Rein, LLP

Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

INTRODUCTION

Here's your chance to get down-to-earth, practical advice on how to navigate some of the trickiest legal shoals faced by mental health practitioners, from one of the most knowledgeable experts on the legal issues of psychotherapists.

  • When does the privacy of patient information yield to the need to protect the public from a potentially dangerous patient?
  • What information can an insurance company legitimately require before deciding whether to pay your bill?
  • What protection of patient information is required by HIPAA?
  • What information must you provide to licensing boards and other regulators?
  • Is there a doctor-patient privilege for mental health practitioners, and if so what does it cover?

These and other complex legal issues faced by therapists will be thoroughly explored during this three-hour interactive discussion.

OBJECTIVES

  1. To obtain a better understanding of the doctor-patient privilege for mental health practitioners.
  2. To know what information insurance companies can require you to provide.
  3. To understand the HIPAA requirements for protecting patient information.
  4. To know the information you must provide to licensing boards and other regulators.

SPEAKER

Lawrence H. Mirel is a partner in the Washington law firm of Wiley Rein, LLP, where his practice includes insurance law and privacy law. For six years, from 1999 to 2005, he was the Commissioner of Insurance, Securities and Banking for the District of Columbia. He has in the past represented the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work and the Society's individual members under a prepaid legal services plan he designed for the Society. He has spoken on the issue of the privacy of patient information before many audiences, including the American Psychoanalytic Association. As D.C. Insurance Commissioner he negotiated with insurance companies, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to develop a form for providing limited patient information to insurance companies that is now required for use in the District of Columbia.

CEU/CME Award - 3

The Washington School of Psychiatry is approved by the American Psychological Association to provide continuing education for psychologists. The Washington School maintains responsibility for the program. The School is approved by the Social Work Board of the State of Maryland as a provider of continuing education for social workers. The School is approved by the Medical Society of Maryland (MEDCHI) for continuing education for psychiatrists.

FEE - $90

Registration

Please call the School at 202-237-2700 to register. You can also use the conference registration form to register for this seminar by faxing it to WSP at 202-237-2730, or mail the form to: Washington School of Psychiatry, 5028 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Ste. 400, Washington, DC 20016.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

Refunds will be made for cancellations received at the School office in writing prior to February 8 and are subject to a non-refundable administrative fee of $50.