Docs or It Didn’t Happen: Ethical Issues in Mental Health Documentation

This course will dive into the ethical purposes and requirements of documentation for mental health practitioners’ post-graduation according to the evidence based ethical codes of APA, ACA, and NASW. There will be a historical framework comparison of the ethics codes for social work, counselors, and psychologists. Learners will describe the required components of a clinical file, the common evidence based approaches to documentation, and the common pitfalls of clinical documentation as well as ways to approach documentation and client charts according to the evidence based ethical codes of APA, ACA, and NASW. There will be an emphasis on utilizing the ethical codes, “The Golden Thread” rule, and how to avoid problems for record keeping in documentation, ethics, and practical applications of documenting clinical work with a focus on important skills for psychologists at the post-doctoral level and other graduate clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the purpose of clinical documentation and describe the contents of a clinical chart according to the ethics codes of APA, ACA, and NASW.

2. Identify three different types and approaches to documentation.

3. Design a chart using “the Golden Thread” often discussed when working with insurance companies.

4. Critiques and fix common problems in record keeping

Course Instructor:

Dr. Bryan C. Duncan is a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Supervisor and Nationally Certified Counselor, the Director of Clinical and Training Services at New Leaf Services and a Clinical Director of Training at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He works with individuals, couples and families, by seeing adults, teens, and children.

With over 15 years experience as a therapist, and as a graduate of Fielding Graduate University (FGU) with a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology, a Master of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology from FGU, and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Tarleton State University , he is currently serving as private practitioner working with a broad spectrum of clients. Among his areas of expertise are: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and Trauma Focused CBT (TF-CBT), therapy for traumatic experiences, abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief counseling, depression and anxiety, stress management, health issues (including therapy for adjusting to chronic medical conditions; CBT for sleep difficulties; exercise, diet, and medical treatment adherence), and animal assisted therapy (AAT).

In addition to being a practicing therapist, Dr. Duncan has presented at conferences and to general audiences speaking on the topics of recognizing and understanding trauma and PTSD, cognitive processing therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, using humor as a psychotherapy tool, counselor ethics, consultation and supervision, and teaching psychology using humor. Dr. Duncan is an interactive, cognitively focused therapist. However, he integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. His therapeutic approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. With compassion and understanding, he works with each individual to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing.

Disability Accommodations

It is the responsibility of the Individual to contact Geek Therapeutics to request disability accommodations at Hello@geektherapeutics.com.   

Geek Therapeutics is committed to helping each student reach his/her academic potential and to providing every student equal opportunity to participate in and engage with the course.  In keeping with this commitment, effort has been made to develop accessible learning materials that provide equal access.  Please contact Geek Therapeutics immediately if access to course materials is restricted due to a disability so the issue(s) can be resolved in a timely manner.

Continuing Education Credits:

Psychologists: Geek Therapeutics is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Geek Therapeutics maintains responsibility for this program and its content

Counselors: Geek Therapeutics has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7042. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Geek Therapeutics is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Social Workers: Geek Therapeutics, #1769, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Geek Therapeutics maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 05/19/2022 – 05/19/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credits.

Play Therapists:  Geek Therapeutics has been approved by APT as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, No. 21-649. Programs that do not qualify for APT credit are clearly identified. Geek Therapeutics is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Other Professions: This activity qualifies for the specified number of hours of instructional content as required by many licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your course outline and certificate of completion, and contact your board or organization for specific requirements. Completion of the course(s) with a post-test score of 80% or better is required to receive continuing education credit; there is no partial credit.