9 a.m. to noon
BOUNDARY CROSSINGS AND VIOLATIONS:
ETHICAL, LEGAL AND RISK MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
  (3 CEUs designed to meet the AZBBHE requirements for ethics/law)

Presented by Robert Kafes, DCSW, ACSW, LCSW, Board Certified Diplomate

Robert Kafes is in private practice where he facilitates several clinical case consultation groups for psychotherapists and clinical supervisors.  Former director mental health services Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, regional director Arizona Youth Advocate Program, senior therapist and founding director, Institute of Continuing Education for Human Service Professionals, Jewish Family and Children’s Service.  He teaches workshops on ethics, secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue, and the effects of client suicide of psychotherapists. He has received many awards, including  Outstanding Teacher NASW-AZ, Governor Janet Napolitano/Attorney General Terry Goddard Award for Excellence Outstanding Sexual Assault Mental Health Professional, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center Hero in Women’s Mental Health, NASW-AZ Branch 2 and state chapter Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Workshop Description: 

The frame for individual, couple, family, or group psychotherapy creates a potential safe space in which the confidential therapeutic process can unfold.  This frame, in both organizational and private practice, represents the clinician’s code of conduct and way of doing business.  It is the clinical, legal and ethical responsibility of the professional to manage the frame.

Boundaries, representing the therapist’s adherence to the frame, define the parameters of the relationship and serve as limit setting guidelines. Sometimes there are benign crossings of these boundaries by either client or therapist which extend therapeutic work in a positive direction.  On the other hand, there are actions by either party that can destroy the frame, place therapy in jeopardy or end it, and do harm.  These enactments are boundary violations and include the ethical and legal breaches of betraying confidentiality, sexual misconduct and dual relationship.

Case examples will be utilized to define frame, limits, boundary awareness and enactments.  I encourage frank and open conversation to illuminate erotic transference, countertransference, unprofessional conduct and the subjective world of the therapist.  I believe we learn mostly from our mistakes and that psychotherapy is an art that requires continual practice and fine tuning.

Participants are to bring at least one personal experience in which boundaries are either tested, crossed or violated.  

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Define and demonstrate frame, boundary crossings and boundary violations. 

2. Enhance clinical skills and ethical decision making as they relate to frame and boundaries. 

3. Prevent therapeutic misalliances. 

The cost for this event is as follows when registering online:
NASW members $55
Non-members $75
NASW Student/Retired Members $45

 
Mail-in fees are:
NASW members $60
Non-members $80
NASW Student/Retired Members $50

Please note that you must provide your Member ID number in the appropriate field to obtain the member price.