Board Action CASE NO. 2024-0093
This is particularly interesting and relevant as this involves the use of public forums on FaceBook.
The respondent reportedly engaged in “profanity, accusations of racial discrimination, insults regarding the Board and staff, mention of interference with his personal devices and accounts by the Board, and mention of his private practice.”
The board also requested a hair follicle drug test and psychological evaluation, to which the respondent was non-compliant.
There are several important implications for therapists, namely, we must be mindful about how we engage with social media and what we publish online. Additionally, the board is a legal entity, so we must use the proper avenues if making accusations, as the respondent’s behavior may be viewed as harassment and/or libel.
Board action CASE NO. 2023-0162
This case involves continuity of care. The respondent abruptly resigned from their agency position and did not inform their clients or coordinate care. They assumed this would be the responsibility of the agency.
Additionally, the board noted that the respondent did not inform them of their position at the agency, A violation of R4-6-205. Change of Contact Information
A licensee or applicant shall notify the Board in writing within 30 days after any change of the licensee’s or applicant’s contact information listed in subsection (A). The licensee or applicant shall ensure that the written notice provided to the Board includes the new contact information.
For those who have not updated your information since transitioning, please do so immediately.
Board Action CASE NO. 2023-0060
Therapists are required to at a minimum to annually update treatment plans.
Therapists must include all required elements in the treatment plan and informed consent documents. The area of most concern at our practice is to ensure signing your consent documents as Simple Practice will not do this automatically. You need to download and sign. Additionally, treatment plans must include a review date, which you will need to manually add next to each treatment goal.
The board action was prompted by a client's spouse, a trend observed in other board actions. The case highlighted the therapist's failure to establish clear client boundaries at therapy's start and the absence of signed visitor/collateral forms. The lack of an informed consent document and an unsigned treatment plan by the client or their spouse were also noted. It's crucial for therapists to identify their clients clearly at the beginning of therapy and ensure all necessary informed consent forms are duly signed. In couples counseling, consents are required from all parties involved in therapy. Therapists must also discern whether any additional person in therapy sessions is a visitor or an active participant requiring therapy.