Supervised by the
Board of Psychology and the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental
Health Counseling, psychologists, Licensed Mental
Health Counselors, Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists are responsible for an important component of patient care: mental
health.
"Broad form
coverage" should also be requested and obtained that includes
coverage of legal fees for
defense of all administrative or governmental proceedings, including
Medicare audits,
Medicaid audits, EEOC complaints, and other types of governmental actions that could be initiated.
Though mental
health may not seem like a high-risk field, if dissatisfied, patients can file complaints that can lead to serious consequences. These complaints can be initiated against a mental
health professional based solely on anonymous calls to the
Department of Health Hotline, newspaper reports, prior arrest reports, disgruntled patients, disgruntled
insurance companies, competitors, or other sources. Once an investigation is initiated, psychologists, therapists, counselors and other mental
health professionals should obtain
legal representation immediately to ensure that each action on the part of the psychologist or other mental
health professional will result in a more favorable outcome.
A board certified
health lawyer experienced in representing mental
health professionals will be the most qualified to handle a
Department of Health case. A mental
health professional may never face a
Department of Health investigation or
Board of Psychology or Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental
Health Counseling
administrative hearing, but it is important that every psychologist and counselor has knowledge of current legislation impacting the psychology field. The Florida Statutes have recently been updated to prohibit anyone from using the title of "social worker" unless certain requirements are met. Additionally, there have been changes made to guidelines for treatment programs for impaired professional and psychologist reporting requirements.