Overview:
Research has shown that suicide and a lack of appropriate resources are two reasons that medical errors occur in mental health treatment. Studying these mistakes, along with learning how to prevent them, will increase competency and assist in establishing standards of care for better outcomes.
Included in this course are the types of “medical” errors that occur and strategies to avoid them in psychotherapy. Common scenarios will be integrated that explore ways to avoid improper diagnosis, breaches of privacy and confidentiality, and boundary violations. Strategies for ethical and legal responses to sexual misconduct, managing dangerous clients, and mandated reporting will be presented, along with the challenges of using technology and how to avoid them: including social media, email, text messages, and smartphones.
This course satisfies the requirements of Florida law.
Objectives:
- Define medical error in a mental health practice.
- Describe the root cause analysis process and identify the most common events that trigger investigations of clinical processes.
- Evaluate the most common errors in mental health practices and safety strategies to avoid these errors.
- Implement strategies to avoid medical errors when using technology.
Scope and Limitations Disclosure
This course provides an overview of common medical errors in mental health settings and offers strategies to prevent them, particularly in compliance with Florida law. It is intended for licensed mental health professionals and assumes basic knowledge of clinical practice and ethical standards. This course is educational in nature and does not substitute for legal advice, clinical supervision, or formal risk management training. All strategies should be applied within the clinician’s professional scope and in accordance with relevant state laws and regulations.
Commercial Support Disclosure
Joni Gilbertson has no relevant financial relationships or commercial support to disclose. No products or services will be promoted, and there is no requirement to purchase any materials to attend or complete this course.
Course materials are only available to enrolled students.
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Joni Gilbertson, MA, NCC LMHC, BCTMH, CTMH
Joni Gilbertson, MA, NCC LMHC, BCTMH, CTMH is a Certified Clinical Telemental Health Provider, Board-certified Telemental Health Provider, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and the originator of the 2-day Telemental Health Certification. Joni is also the author of the book Telemental Health, An Essential Guide for Providing Successful Online Therapy. She designed and instructed seventeen mental health and legal issues classes for the Sociology department at Illinois Central College, where she was presented with the award for “Teachers who make a difference” due to her engaging and dynamic style of teaching. Joni has a diverse background working with the criminal population for over twenty-five years, and twenty plus years’ experience providing adult, individual, couple, and family therapy through her private practice as well as in the prison system and in schools. As Chief of Probation, she was responsible for designing and training staff members on topics such as law and ethics, suicide awareness, personality disorders, substance use disorders, motivational interviewing, and safety strategies. Joni also has experience supervising mental health staff within a hospital setting and interns within her private practice. Joni regularly uses telemental health counseling to work with many populations and finds it clinically beneficial for her client’s welfare. She started one of the first telehealth programs for court-ordered clients and has over fifteen years of experience using video sessions with clients. It has been said by participants of her seminars that she makes learning an enjoyable experience with her passion for the use of technology in mental health.
National Approvals
eCare BHI, as the accredited and approved sponsor, maintains responsibility for all the programs and must abide by each board’s continuing education guidelines.

Professional Counselors — The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education Provider. ACEP No. 6703. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Addiction Professionals — NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute is officially on file with NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) as an Approved Education Provider. They are formally known as NAADAC Provider #139138. Please note that E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Social Workers — Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute, #1706, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. E Care Behavioral Health Institute maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 06-03-2020 – 06-03-2026.

CE Broker
CE Broker is a continuing education tracking system in which licensees track their compliance and report their completed CE hours credit (CE Broker Tracking #50-33336)
State Approvals
States that Accept ASWB-ACE Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee |
Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin |
Wyoming |
States that Accepts NBCC Approved Courses: |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Indiana |
Iowa | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Missouri | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
New Mexico | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota |
Tennessee | Texas | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
- Nevada CPC’s and MFT’s accept ASWB-approved training
- North Dakota Board Of Counselor Examiners LAPC and LAPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Rhode Island Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council LPC and LPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing – CMHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Washington State Department of Mental Health MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Wisconsin Council on Mental Health LPCS accepts ASWB-approved training
States that Accept NAADAC Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | Delaware | Hawaii | Indiana |
Kentucky | Maine | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Montana | Nevada | New Jersey |
New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oregon | Rhode Island | Tennessee |
Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
States that Accept APA Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Delaware | District Of Columbia |
Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas |
Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri |
Montana | Nebraska | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia |
Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |