Conflict of Interest  can wreak havoc in the therapy room. It can weaken therapeutic effectiveness by eroding trust, the core of the therapeutic relationship. It can also bring about allegations of ethical or legal impropriety.

For very good reasons -- reasons explored in this course -- clinicians find Conflict of Interest (COI) hard to recognize, difficult to acknowledge, and not easy to deal with gracefully.

How does COI enter into counseling? Here are a few common examples:

• Being obligated to parties other than your client -- for example an employer or another client
• Having an interest in your client that conflicts with clinical obligations -- for example hidden sexual feelings toward a client
• Having a secondary agenda that interferes with treatment -- for example selling items to a client, or using information the client possesses

But these are just examples. In truth COI refers to a broad spectrum of ethical concerns.

"Conflict of Interest in Mental Health Practice," a course for practicing mental health professionals, explores this spectrum in a systematic and highly readable way.

Presentation Style. The Web-based course uses an interactive style that keeps the reader involved, with frequent practice questions that test understanding and provide immediate feedback. It makes extensive use of case vignettes to illustrate the meaning of the material.

Author. Thomas Whitehead MA is licensed in Texas as a Professional Counselor (Lic. No. 13925). He is approved as a Continuing Education Provider by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (CE Provider No. 636), and by the National Board for Certified Counselors (CE Provider No. 6262).

References. A list of references is included, with several web links.

Continuing Education Credits. The course provides four (4) clock hours of Continuing Education credit, all in the area of Ethics. CEU-USA.com is an NBCC-approved Continuing Education Provider (Provider No. 6262).

Topics Covered:

• Overview and objectives
• Introduction
• Conflict of Interest -- the Big Picture
  - How the world views COI
  - Definitions
  - Fiduciary duty
  - Everyday conflicts
  - Discretion and professional judgment
  - Apparent conflict of interest
  - Sorts of interests that lead to COI
• The "Spooky Influence" of COI
  - COI and corruption
  - The corrosive effect of COI
  - Sources of vulnerability
  - How can we know?
• Mental Health Ethics and Conflict of Interest
  - Codes of Ethics and COI
  - Whose interests do counselors protect?
• COI damage control
  - Precisely defined compensation arrangement
  - Crisp relationship boundaries
  - Special protections for the client
  - Standards for professional practice
  - Oversight
• Common COI situations
  - Multiple relationships
  - Sexual relationships
  - Exploitation
• Large-scale COI
• Coping with COI
  - Recognizing COI
  - Avoiding or eliminating COI
  - Disclosing COI
• References

Satisfaction Assured! If you aren't happy, we aren't happy. We believe you will enjoy "Conflict of Interest in Mental Health Practice." But if you are not satisfied, simply let us know at any point prior to printing your Certificate of Completion. We will refund your course fee in full.