Legal and Ethical Issues for CA MFT Licensing Exam

I am using these flashcards to study for the CA MFT Licensing Exam in 2011. These flashcards contain legal and ethical issues specific to CA MFT's 

76 cards   |   Total Attempts: 182
  

Cards In This Set

Front Back
Hedlund Decision
- Hedlund v. Superior Court of Orange County (1983)
- Decided that the holdings of the Tarasoff Decision are extended to include liability to close relatives and foreseeable bystanders
Bellah v. Greenson
- 1978
- Decided that the holdings of Tarasoff Decision do NOT apply to threats against self and property
- Clarified that a therapist's duty is to take reasonable steps to prevent suicide
Treatment of minor without parental consent
- 12 or older
- Only outpatient or residential shelter
- Minor must be mature enough to participate intelligently (in the opinion of the therapist)
- Minor must present a danger of serious physical or mental harm to self or others without treatment or must be an alleged victim of incest or abuse
Emancipated minor
A person under 18 who is
1) married
2) in active duty with armed forces
or 3) declared emancipated from a court
Legal versus ethical responsibility to suicide risk
- NOT legally responsible for reporting
- Ethically responsible to provide safety (i.e. help of family/friends, hospitalization)
Landeros v. Flood
- 1976
- If reasonable suspicion of child abuse is not reported, the therapist is open to civil liability for a 3-year period once the abused minor reaches age of majority
Section 1024 of Evidence Code
Therapist has a "right" to warn when property is threatened
Thompson v. County of Alameda
- 1972
- Clarified that in order for Tarasoff to apply, the victim must be identifiable and peril must be foreseeable
- In other words, the holdings of the Tarasoff Decision do not apply to non-specific threats made against non-specific individuals
If a case is not settled by a stipulated agreement, then it goes to an:
Administrative hearing with an administrative judge
Most cases are settled by:
Stipulated agreement
Cases that protect confidentiality are:
- Administrative cases
- i.e. only uses initials, not full names
In child custody proceedings, specific acts of adult misconduct:
MAY be revealed only if it helps to determine the best interest of the child
Court-ordered treatment
- Individual is the client
- Client is entitled to a confidential relationship
Court-appointed assessment
- Court is the client
- Individual is NOT entitled to a confidential relationship
Dissolution of marriage state residency requirements
1 spouse must have CA state residence for a least 6 months