Florida Mental Health Laws and Rules

By Leo Christie, PhD

Florida Laws and Rules

Florida Mental Health Laws and RulesWhy study laws and rules (aside from the fact that our Florida licensure law requires it)? Don’t we already have multiple layers of laws, regulations, ethics and guidelines available to us from a variety of professional and regulatory sources? Furthermore, after engaging in professional practice over a number of years, don’t we pretty much know what to do and not do in most situations?

There are actually a number of fundamental reasons for psychotherapists to maintain familiarity with the laws and rules of the trade on an ongoing basis. Bottom line: awareness of laws and rules is good for your clients as well as good for you and good for your professional practice.

Florida Mental Health Laws and Rules is a new 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that is approved to meet the requirements of a Florida Laws and Rules course as a license renewal requirement for Florida-licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors. It is required every third biennium after initial licensure. Content of this course will include excerpts from the relevant Florida statutes and Administrative Code regulating the practice of social work, marriage and family therapy and mental health counseling, along with interpretive commentary and case examples. Included are Chapter 491 of the Florida Statutes – the practice act for these named professionals, Chapter 64B4 of the Florida Administrative Code – establishing the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy & Mental Health Counseling, and selected sections from Chapters 39, 394, and 456 of the Florida Statutes. Emphasis is on those issues most important for practicing mental health clinicians in delivering ethical, legal, and competent professional services while attending to prudent risk management practices. The goal of this course is to make life easier for clinicians by presenting a brief summary of the relevant laws and rules of practice in the State of Florida, leading to an ever-increasing awareness of and conscious compliance with the particulars of those bodies of legislation. Course #30-76 | 2014 | 44 pages | 21 posttest questions

This online course provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) and CE test. Successful completion of the online CE test (80% required to pass, 3 chances to take) and course evaluation are required to earn a certificate of completion. You can print the test (download test from My Courses tab of your account after purchasing) to mark your answers on it while reading the course document. Then submit online when ready to receive credit.

CE Information:

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists; by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB #1046, ACE Program); and the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (#BAP346) and is CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within one week of completion).

About the Author:

Leo Christie, PhD, LMFT, is a Florida-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Florida State University. Past President of the Florida Council on Family Relations, Dr. Christie is currently CEO of Professional Development Resources, a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to deliver continuing education credit courses to healthcare professionals throughout the United States. He has more than 20 years experience in private practice with a specialty in child behavior disorders and as an instructor for over 500 live continuing education seminars for healthcare professionals.