News & Events : Mental Health and the Law in PA: Legal and Ethical Considerations
Thomas E. Sweeney will present Privacy, Confidentiality and Disclosure of Mental Health Information in Pennsylvania - Legal and Ethical Considerations in the Era of EMR and Social Media in Pittsburgh, PA on July 28, 2011.
For those working in the mental/behavioral health field, dealing with the day-to-day challenges of treating clients can be overwhelming in and of itself. The administrative and legal responsibilities are equally challenging. Yet, in the era of social media, health care reform, and the universal adoption of electronic medical records, protecting the privacy, confidentiality, as well as legally appropriate disclosure of a clients/patients mental health information has become even more challenging and confusing. The legal and prudent response to a wide variety of situations demands that mental/behavioral health agencies and licensed professionals and practitioners revisit and review current laws and regulations.
The purpose of this one-day seminar is to understand the current laws and regulations regarding privacy, confidentiality, and disclosure of mental health information in Pennsylvania in the context of accelerating health care reform initiatives including electronic medical records and social media devices. Hospitals, licensed outpatient clinics and agencies as well as psychologists, counselors, social workers, nurses, therapists, attorneys, medical record specialists, and healthcare administrators will find this seminar to be critical to understanding and developing appropriate responses to the changing health care environment.