Ethics in Behavioral Healthcare 8.12.26

Code: KOPSET

https://cce.upmc.com/content/ethics-behavioral-healthcare-81226

Target Audience

Physicians

Learning Objectives

1. By the end of the training, participants will be able to identify and define the core 4 bioethics principles, as evidenced by the training post-test.

2. By the end of the training, participants will be able to recognize the types of boundary issues common in behavioral health care, as evidenced by the training post-test.

3. By the end of the training, participants will be able to differentiate between ethical and legal duties regarding confidentiality and disclosure of information, as evidenced by the training post-test.

4. By the end of the training, participants will be able to describe two frameworks for ethical decision making, as evidenced by the training post-test.

5. By the end of the training, participants will be able to contrast the difference in a clinician’s duty to warn under Tarasoff statues compared to the PA Supreme Court Ruling in UPMC vs Mass, as evidenced by the training post-test.

6. By the end of the training, participants will be able to describe key ethical considerations related to social networking, social media and use of artificial intelligence in behavioral health, as evidenced by the training post-test.

Additional Information

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Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 3.00 Attendance
Course opens: 
06/11/2026
Course expires: 
12/30/2026

Agenda:

  1. Why Ethical Considerations Matter in Behavioral Health Care
  2. Categories of Ethics
    1. Normative Ethics- practical or applied ethics
    2.  Non-normative Ethics
  3. Overview of Ethical Theories: Where they come from, what they are and why do we care?
    1. Consequentialism/Utilitarianism
    2. Deontology
    3. Political Liberalism
    4. Strengths and limitations of each of 3 theories
  4. Ethical Principles
    1. Four Central Principles
      1. Autonomy
      2. Nonmaleficence
      3. Beneficence
      4. Justice
  1. Professional Moralities, Professional Codes of Conduct/Ethics Relevant to Behavioral Health & Organizational Values
    1.  Codes of Ethics Across Disciplines
    2. Commonalities and Differences
    3. Putting the Core principles into practice
  2. Professional-Patient/Client Relationships and Key Ethical Concepts and Virtues
    1. Veracity
    2. Informed Consent
    3. Privacy
    4. Confidentiality
    5. Fidelity
    6. Dual Roles of Clinician and Investigator
  3. Confidentiality and Privacy
    1. Ethical duties vs. laws
    2. Confidentiality vs Privilege
    3. Disclosures: voluntary, involuntary, legally required vs. allowed
    4. Exceptions and limitation to confidentially 
    5. Considerations in treatment of minors
  4. Boundary Crossing, Boundary Violations, Dual Relationships, Conflicts of Interest
    1. Definitions
    2. In Person
    3. Digital and social media
    4. Types of boundary issues
    5. Common Warning signs
    6. Strategies to promote healthy boundaries in treatment
  5. Duty to Warn : From Past to Post 2020 PA Supreme Court
    1. Tarasoff I and II
    2. HIPPA permission to warn
    3. Mass v UPMC, 2020
    4. Clinician duties to warn
    5. Expansion of Specificity rule
  6. Mandated Reporting: Children and Adults
    1. Regulations and Definitions
    2. Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services
    3. Duties and challenges
    4. Decision making 
  7. Ethical Dilemmas
    1. Definitions
    2. Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks
    3. Different Case Scenarios presented with application of an ethical decision making framework by attendees and discussion by presenter and attendees

 

  1. Resources and References
Virtual
PA
United States

Accreditation and credit designation

In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician (CME)

 The University of Pittsburgh School designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Other Healthcare Professionals

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.

Available Credit

  • 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 3.00 Attendance
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