Ethics & Protecting Client Rights

PURPOSE

Educate licensed clinicians on the implication of our ethical guidelines within the current geopolitical landscape. Specifi c reference to: Rule 135-7-.01 Responsibility to Clients, Rule 135-7-.03 Confi dentiality, and the ethical principles of nonmalefiecence.

DATES

All 2026 dates are 9am - 3pm:

Saturday, January 17th - In Person

Saturday, March 7th - In Person

Friday, May 8th - Online

Saturday, July 18th - In Person

Saturday, September 5th - In Person

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This synchronous professional ethics training will provide an in-depth exploration of the ethical responsibilities of licensed mental health professionals as outlined by the Georgia Composite Board (Rules 135-7-.01 and 135-7-.03) and supported by additional, complementary ethical codes per each attendee’s professional orientation (ACA, NBCC, NASW, and AAMFT etc.). This program is designed to strengthen clinicians’ ethical decision-making skills in the context of today’s evolving geopolitical and sociocultural landscape. Using a combination of lecture, discussion, and experiential casework, participants will examine the practical application of ethical codes related to the ethical principles of responsibility to clients, confidentiality, and nonmaleficence.

Topics include distinguishing between ethical mandates and legal requirements, analyzing the role of clinician judgment in ethically complex situations, and applying frameworks to navigate conflicts between ethical codes and external pressures (e.g., subpoenas, reproductive and immigration rights, documentation practices). Through direct instruction, interactive small-group exercises, and large-group discussion, participants will strengthen their ability to protect client rights and uphold professional standards across diverse populations and present-day contexts.

This program meets the requirements for 5 hours of Ethics Continuing Education and fulfills the GA Composite Board’s ethics training criteria. Facilitated by Rachel Harris, LPC, CPCS, NCC of Savannah Counseling & Wellness LLC both in-person and live via video conferencing.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Integrate principles of nonmaleficence, client autonomy, and GA Composite Board Rules 135-7-.01 and 135-7-.03 alongside ACA, NBCC, NASW, and AAMFT ethical standards into clinical judgment, supervision, and documentation to ensure protection of client welfare in a rapidly changing ethical environment.
2. Identify and apply relevant sections of the GA Composite Board Rule 135-7-.01 (Responsibility to Clients) and other applicable codes to clinical decision-making when determining how to prioritize client welfare and autonomy in treatment planning, documentation, and boundary management.
3. Interpret and apply Rule 135-7-.03 (Confidentiality) and other applicable codes to differentiate between ethical obligations and legal mandates, and evaluate clinician obligations when responding to subpoenas, records requests, and mandated disclosures.
4. Implement ethical decision-making frameworks to navigate conflicts between client rights and external sociopolitical pressures, especially those affecting clients with diverse cultural, neurological, and reproductive experiences.
5. Demonstrate ethical reasoning in small-group experiential exercises that address ethically complex, real-world scenarios involving GA Composite Board Rules (135-7-.01 and 135-7-.03), confidentiality, nonmaleficence, and informed consent.

IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS

You can learn more about our practice and the facilitator of this training at www.livewellsav.com and by reaching out to the practice at aGVsbG8gfCBsaXZld2VsbHNhdiAhIGNvbQ== or the facilitator at cmFjaGVsIHwgbGl2ZXdlbGxzYXYgISBjb20= .

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR CEs

"LPCAGA approves professional programs as required by and according to current Georgia Composite Board rules. The “All or Nothing Rule” states that a program participant must attend the workshop in its entirety and complete an evaluation in order to receive any CE credit. No partial CE credit may be given for attending part of a workshop or less than all scheduled days if continued over more than one day. Short absences that are required by a participant’s professional or personal urgent situation may be approved by the workshop provider and/or monitor. The participant must return to the workshop without delay. Abuse of this consideration is grounds for denial of the CE certificate. Arriving late or leaving early is not an acceptable excuse by current standards."

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