Don't Be Afraid of the Lawyer: A Clinician's Guide to Divorce, Subpoenas, Court, and All of the Those Things that Keep You Up at Night.
Presented by: Valerie Hale
February 22, 2019
Registration: 8:30 A.M.
Workshop: 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
6.0 CE Hours
Course Description:
It's unreasonable for one profession to be afraid or intimidated by another profession. Attorneys and psychologists are often involved in cases together, playing different but important roles. Sometimes clinicians are called upon to provide clinical records or even court testimony, often against their wishes. Clinicians may be working with individuals who are going through divorce, who are ordered to therapy because of substance use issues, or who are injured and are pursuing reparation through the court system. Understanding the competing needs of the legal and mental health professions can decrease worry about responding in an ethical way.
This course will focus on these topics, especially around divorce and child custody cases, to allow clinicians to confidently treat adults and children in court-involved arenas. Even if you actively avoid divorce, custody or criminal populations, you will inevitably be involved in these cases, because these things happen in the lives of your clients. Knowing exactly what your role should be, knowing how you should (or if you should) communicate with attorneys or the court, knowing how to respond to court or attorney demands, and knowing how to educate your clients in this area is vital.
By the end of the course, you should be able to rest more easily when a subpoena is delivered or when a client asks you to testify in court for them. Further, being aware of the standards of practice for our profession, especially as outlined by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, may open a new area of practice that you didn't know you could do!
Learning Objectives:
1) You will know how to respond to demands from the Court or from attorneys in your role as a mental health professional.
2) You will understand how to provide proper informed consent and treatment to those involved in this area.
3) You will learn basic practice for adults and children involved in divorce and child custody matters.
4) You will learn how to communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team, including understanding how to create and work within a treatment team in court-involved cases.
Presenter Biography:
Valerie Hale has worked in the psychology and family law arena since the early 90's. She has conducted over 400 child custody evaluations for the courts, and has developed other intervention models that use psychologists as an integral part of the family court system. She has taught over 35,000 adults in divorce education, and co-created the curriculum for the Divorce Education for Children course offered statewide. A member of the psychology licensing board from 2008 to 2016, she is devoted to raising awareness of ethical practice with challenging populations. She likes almost every attorney she knows - and hopes that someday, you will too.
Fees:
Early Bird Deadline: One week prior to the event
Members:
On or Before Early Bird Deadline: $125
After Early Bird Deadline: $150
Non-members:
On or before Early Bird Deadline: $225
After Early Bird Deadline: $250
Student members: $15
Non-member students: $45
Location:
Huntsman Education Center – LDS Hospital
Come in the far north door on C street, which is the door to the Huntsman Education Center. The auditorium is just right of the door. The room is the LD auditorium in the Huntsman Education Center.
There are two parking garages across the street (west side on C St) and the building on the east side. There is also 2 hour parking on the street. The parking police are very vigilant about the 2 hour parking limit.
How to register:
Online: visit www.utpsych.org
Telephone: Call Teresa Bruce at 801-410-0337
Mail: Mail check to UPA, 5442 South 900 East, Ste. 512, SLC, UT 84117.
On-site: Day of event, registration begins at 8:30 AM
Utah Psychological Association