Dealing with Subpoenas, Attorneys, and Courts: Ethics 6 Hr CE Training

*Listed ticket price reflects the $135 workshop cost plus associated processing fees.

Virtually every mental health professional will get a subpoena or a phone call from an attorney, but most therapists would rather have a root canal than testify in court. The goal of this workshop is to reduce therapists’ anxiety and empower them to respond professionally and confidently to subpoenas and attorneys.

Using the Georgia and Federal law, the APA Ethics codes, and the Rules of the Georgia Boards, we will cover how to confidently respond to subpoenas, interact with attorneys, the do’s and don'ts of court testimony, minimize risk when doing therapy with divorcing or divorced families, and how to get paid for your time and for making copies of your file. We will also cover record-keeping as required by law, duty to warn/protect, child abuse reporting laws, and how laws vary from state to state. We will compare and contrast laws between southern states (GA, AL, TN, NC, SC, and FL), which is imperative to know when practicing telehealth across state lines.

CEU Eligibility:

• Applications for approval have been made for 6 Ethics hours with LPCA-GA, GAMFT, GSCSW
• GPA approval for 6 hours of Ethics for Psychologists

Instructional Level – Intermediate

Upon completion of the workshop, attendees will be able to:

1. Correctly, legally, and confidently respond to subpoenas in writing as well as verbally, citing the applicable laws regarding privilege (i.e., confidentiality).

2. Identify and describe how to correctly and confidently interact with attorneys and conduct oneself in Court and on the witness stand.

3. Describe how to professionally and legally respond when patients threaten harm to themselves or others.

4. Explain and apply therapeutic strategies in order to minimize legal problems when doing therapy with patients involved in divorce.

5. Store and keep records of patients using the guidelines established by GA Law and Board Rules.

6. Describe and apply how to ethically and legally bill and get paid for consultation, testimony, and making copies of one’s file, citing Georgia law.

Cancellation policy - Full refunds will be given for any courses that are canceled by Eagle Ranch. Additional refunds are only possible if requested at least 48 hours in advance of the start date of the event.

The Presenter

William L. Buchanan, Ph.D., ABPP, is a licensed psychologist in Georgia and is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Georgia State University, with an emphasis in Clinical Child and Family Psychology. He did his internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the Medical College of Oklahoma. Both his doctoral program and his internship are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Buchanan is an Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). He is also a Nationally Certified Custody Evaluator (NCCE) and a Nationally Certified Parenting Coordinator (NCPC) in the Professional Academy of Custody Experts (PACE). Dr. Buchanan serves as the Chair of the Legal and Legislative Committee of the Georgia Psychological Association.

Host or Publisher Eagle Ranch