Below are the most recent (past 12 months) of our Avoiding Malpractice Tips. If you need to find an older article, use our search bar or scroll to the bottom to load older articles.
Preventing Burnout as a Risk Management Strategy
Burnout among mental health professionals, especially social workers, is more than just a personal issue—it’s a serious risk management concern. When stress and exhaustion take hold, it can affect decision-making, relationships with clients, and even lead to ethical lapses or malpractice claims. By recognizing the signs of burnout and taking proactive steps to manage stress, social workers can protect both their mental well-being and their professional practice.
Managing Confidentiality With Digital Tools
As technology in social work advances, managing confidentiality in a digital age is more critical than ever. From telehealth platforms to cloud-based case management systems, social workers must navigate digital tools while maintaining the ethical and legal standards of client confidentiality.
What Did I Do Wrong?
Did you ever see those special occasion cards from lawyers that say, “Congratulations or Happy (you fill in the occasion), but we make no representations, guarantees, or warranties!” Their wish list for their lawsuit cases includes sympathetic judges, irrefutable evidence, no hostile witnesses, and friendly juries.
Banged, Beat Up, and Bruised
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics states that social workers working in healthcare and social services settings lead the nation in significant injuries due to an assault at work? This occupation accounts for 70% of assault injuries in all professions. Social workers are four times more likely to be injured from an assault than the average private sector worker.
You Are A Leader… But Responsibility Comes With The Power
Can you be a leader? You already are a leader. You do not need to be responsible for a huge organization to be a leader. You need to show support for others and enable others by helping them to reach their potential through guidance and healing.
Sexual Misconduct
A male practitioner sent sexually-oriented communications to a mentally and emotionally disturbed female adult client through voice mail, verbally directly by telephone, email, texts, letters, and cards by mail. A blatant case of a clinical setting boundary violation and sexual misconduct with no physical interaction, this indefensible sexual misconduct claim is valid regardless of the lack of physical, sexual interaction.
Insurance Tips and Why You Buy
While reflecting on your recent summer vacation, it’s a good time to ask yourself why you buy insurance? Are you looking to comply with a state licensing requirement, a requirement by your employer, or simply your need for protection? Are you only price-driven, or do you evaluate your insurance policy to understand the actual benefits, limits, sub-limits, and value?
Professional Liability Insurance Headwinds and the New Normal in Teletherapy
Client sessions occurring in person will eventually return to normal. But in our opinion, a new normal is sprouting with greater use of teletherapy. Congress is considering legislation to loosen teletherapy restrictions and allow more use of teletherapy across state lines.
The Cyber World and Your Liability
While the use of teletherapy and online-therapy has been increasing as alternative treatments in the Allied Health profession, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their use, and they have become top-of-mind discussion topics. These therapies have essentially become based on and enabled by virtual catalysts as agents of significant change.