Law and Ethics --July 20th, 2023

“WhatsApp with Therapists? Exploring the Legal Ins and Outs of Advertising on Social Media”

9:00 am – 12:15 pm

3 CEU's

Kristin Roscoe, Esq.

CAMFT Staff Attorney

Level of Learning: Intermediate

If you are a member of #therapistsofinstagram or considering whether to incorporate social media into your advertising strategy, you should be considering the laws and ethics of putting yourself out there.

Social media advertising can be a great way to connect with new and current patients, but it also opens to doors to ethically dubious interactions when a non-patient slides into your DMs in crisis or a patient publicly posts clinically-relevant material to your personal Facebook page.

In this three-hour presentation, CAMFT staff attorney Kristin Roscoe will help you unpack what legal and ethical considerations therapists should take into account when advertising services via social media and how to address some of those stickier virtual interactions. 

Educational Goals: 

Participants will gain a greater understanding of the legal and ethical considerations to take into account when a therapist engages with social media – whether professionally or in their personal capacity.

Measurable Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

 Identify when dual relationships become unethical and steps to avoid that eventuality

 Analyze the informed consent process to determine whether addressing social media interactions would be appropriate to include in that documentation

 Identify the circumstances under which a therapist could share