Professional Development Resources Publishes Updated Online Continuing Education Course on Ethics and Law in Florida Psychology

    JACKSONVILLE, FL, March 19, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Professional Development Resources, a national provider of accredited continuing education units for psychologists, social workers, counselors, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists, has announced the publication of an updated version of its online CE course Ethics & Law in Florida Psychology.

Psychologists licensed to practice in the State if Florida are required - upon each biennial renewal of their professional license - a three-hour CE course covering professional ethics and Florida Statutes and rules affecting the practice of psychology. The material covered in the course is taken from four documents:
1. The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association
2. The Florida Health Professions and Occupations General Provisions
3. The Florida Psychological Services Act
4. The Florida Administrative Code: Board of Psychology

"The intent of the biennial CE requirement, according to the Florida Administrative Code, is to 'to enhance the psychological skills and/or psychological knowledge of the licensee,'" says Leo Christie, PhD, president of Professional Development Resources. "As an example, a critical issue in healthcare ethics is the concern for privacy in handling clients' personal information. This is far more challenging today than it was even a decade ago. The pervasive use of electronic communication technologies like cell phones, laptops, email, the Internet, and social networking has created an environment in which new protections must be implemented. Psychologists need to be trained in the most current procedures for safeguarding their clients' protected health information in the recording, storage, and transmission of electronic communications."

The new Professional Development Resources online CE course Ethics & Law in Florida Psychology includes sections on distinguishing between the concepts of law and ethics, deciding what to do when the law and ethics are in conflict, understanding multiple relationships, knowing when a client's confidentiality can - and should - be broken, resolving ethical dilemmas posed by the Patriot Act, and identifying legal restrictions placed upon sexual intimacies between psychologists and clients.

"I am occasionally asked why it is necessary to keep taking an ethics and law course again and again over one's career," says Leo Christie, PhD, president of Professional Development Resources. "My response is always the same: There are five fundamental reasons for psychologists to study ethical theories, principles, laws and guidelines on a regular basis. First, therapy is important work. It can never be taken lightly. Second, ethical and legal practice is not simple. Third, psychologists - like all human beings - are subject to certain prejudices, biases, and blind spots. Fourth, the practice and process of psychotherapy is a dynamic - not a static - process. And, fifth, to the extent that psychologists effectively regulate themselves, they will be able to maintain professional autonomy and avoid undue intrusions by outside parties.

All Florida psychologists must complete their required 40 hours of continuing education courses and renew their professional licenses by May 31, 2014. In addition to the ethics and law course, they are also required to complete a course on Preventing Medical Errors in Behavioral Health, and - every six years - a course on Domestic Violence: Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence.

About Professional Development Resources, Inc.

Professional Development Resources is a Florida nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1992 by licensed marriage and family therapist Leo Christie, PhD. The company, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) - as well as many other national and state boards - has focused its efforts on making accredited continuing education units more cost-effective and widely accessible to health professionals by offering online home study coursework. Its current expanded curriculum includes a wide variety of clinical topics intended to equip health professionals to offer state-of-the art services to their clients.

Contact:
Leo Christie, PhD, CEO
Professional Development Resources, Inc.
904-645-3456
http://www.pdresources.org/

Professional Development Resources, Inc. is a Florida nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. Our mission is to provide busy health care professionals with accredited continuing education units on topics that are vital to contemporary clinical practice. In addition to our staff, we have a Professional Advisory Board consisting of accomplished professionals representing disciplines for which we offer our CEU credits. We are located in Jacksonville, Florida. Federal Tax ID 59-3138625.

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