This course addresses the legal, ethical, and clinical challenges that therapists face when working with potentially suicidal clients. It is based on actual legal actions and the author’s expert witness experience involving these legal cases. California law and ethical standards are addressed and provide readers with the foundation necessary to treat these potentially devastating and, at times, lethal clinical situations. Unmanaged, these issues can lead to severe physical and emotional harm of clients and/or their families. Additionally, when practitioners fail to manage these issues in appropriate ways (as defined by experts), they open themselves to damaging malpractice and/or administrative actions. The most devastating of these possibilities occurs when practitioners face an accusation of contributing to the wrongful death of the client and/or others, or for failing to protect those injured. The plaintiff’s attorney may use this tragedy to sue the practitioner for the limits of her malpractice insurance, if not more.

This course is for any practitioner treating clients who present with any symptoms of mood disorders, regardless of their severity. It is recognized that mood disorders can quickly transition into severe depression and suicidality. To protect themselves, practitioners must ensure that they have the scope of competence (training, knowledge, and experience) to treat clients with a mood disorder. This course helps readers define the necessary steps to follow, and to avoid the pitfalls of being negligent in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment provided the client. It will also help readers understand the importance of assessing various risk factors that may lead to suicide and, if necessary, provide ways to use these risks factors effectively to create a rationale for breaching confidentiality. A complete discussion of the necessary documentation to protect oneself, should legal action ensue, is discussed.

This course is intended for licensed and non-licensed social workers, and other mental health professionals who provide social services and/or psychotherapy to clients and wish to learn how to protect themselves legally should a client attempt or commit suicide.

In completing this course, the reader will:

1. Learn and apply the legal and ethical standard of care when treating suicidal patients.



2. Begin to develop an understanding to develop the scope of competence needed to treat this high-risk issue.



3. Better understand the application of important California law, case law, and NASW ethical standards related to suicide.



4. Address the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment protocols required to manage suicide-related issues.



5. Recognize inherent risk factors associated with suicidal behavior.



6. Be better prepared to create and apply an appropriate treatment plan to document the appropriate management of a suicidal client.



7. Be able to formulate a rationale for breaching confidentiality to avoid a confidentiality bind and manage the potential harm to self.



8. Learn to use appropriate documentation to protect themselves should a legal challenge arise when managing a suicidal client.



9. Better understand how opposing attorneys use clinical pitfalls to discredit the therapist and win the case.