Ethics, stress, and burnout for mental health providers

Deepen your understanding of the values and ethics underlying mental health practice through an exploration of these four different areas.

Deepen your understanding of the values, ethics and professional boundaries underlying mental health practice through an exploration of key issues.

Attention social workers and psychologists: Either of these programs fulfill Wisconsin’s ethics licensing requirements.

Biological Foundations and Spiritual Assessment in Mental Health Care
October 1, 2012
Brookfield Suites, Brookfield, Wisconsin

Workshop overview:

While many ethics workshops focus on defining and solving ethical dilemmas in health care, few of these workshops ever address where our opinions about ethics and virtue come from. Research in social science, economics, and biology is providing exciting new data pertaining to the questions, why do human beings care about ethics at all? When people care about ethics, what exactly do they care about? This workshop will address the biological roots of human morality and leave participants with a deeper understanding of how to think about, as well as how to manage, ethics in their work and in the lives of their clients.

The workshop will also address the importance of religion in American culture and specifically for our clients. This understanding is essential for doing a thorough mental health assessment. A good assessment is vital in treatment planning and anticipating potential problems in the treatment relationship. Cultivating a sensitivity to these matters can prevent the therapist from falling into significant boundary problems, such as approaching spiritual issues either as a zealous advocate or skeptical naysayer. This workshop is designed to increase our sensitivity to the spiritual lives of our clients and help us work skillfully with these powerful feelings in ourselves and in our practice.

Biology, Stress, Burnout and Happiness: Keeping Yourself Mentally Healthy
November 28, 2012
Pyle Center, Madison, Wisconsin

Workshop overview:

All professional standards related to mental health practice require that practitioners monitor their performance and maintain personal competence in their work. Burnout is a common cause of boundary violations, and subpar outcomes with clients are inevitable when the practitioner is impaired by stress or other psychological difficulties. This workshop will focus on the mental health practitioner and provide education about 1) being stressed and stress relief, 2) recognizing burnout in ourselves and the people we work with and supervise, 3) being aware of how boundary problems result from feeling burned out and ineffective, and 4) being happy – what we know about achieving this ultimate goal both for ourselves and our clients.

This workshop will also address current research addressing social science, economics, and biology, and exciting new data pertaining to the questions, why do human beings care about ethics at all? When people care about ethics, what exactly do they care about? This workshop will address the biological roots of human morality and leave participants with a deeper understanding of how to think about, as well as how to manage, ethics in their work and in the lives of their clients.

Biological Foundations and Forensic Aspects of Ethics and Boundaries
January 23, 2013
Pyle Center, Madison, Wisconsin

Workshop overview:

While many ethics workshops focus on defining and solving ethical dilemmas in health care, few of these workshops ever address where our opinions about ethics and virtue come from. Research in social science, economics, and biology is providing exciting new data pertaining to the questions, why do human beings care about ethics at all? When people care about ethics, what exactly do they care about? This workshop will address the biological roots of human morality and leave participants with a deeper understanding of how to think about, as well as how to manage, ethics in their work and in the lives of their clients.

We will also discuss informed consent, confidentiality, dual agency (duty to protect, communications with third parties), boundaries, and ethical decision-making at they related to mental health. Court decisions and long-standing precedents in the areas of ethical misconduct and boundary violations have defined the responsibilities and practice standards in mental health work. This workshop will use this legal background to describe and illustrate key principles.

How to register

Your instructor

David Mays, MD, PhD, is a forensic psychiatrist and directed the forensic program at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wisconsin for 13 years. He serves on the clinical faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Mays is the recipient of the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, The Distinguished Service Award from the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Dane County and the Exceptional Performance Award from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. He has treated patients in hospital and outpatient settings with comorbid substance use problems for 20 years. He is a seasoned clinician and highly sought-after presenter.

General information

Time: 8:30 am (registration) 9:00 am-4:00 pm (with one hour lunch break)

Location: October 1, 2012: Brookfield Suites, 1200 South Moorland Road, Brookfield, WI.

November 28, 2012 and January 23, 2013: Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St, Madison WI.

Accommodations: A block of rooms is being held for the October 1, 2012 program at the Brookfield Suites for $99/night. Call 262-782-2900 and ask for the "UW-Madison" block.

Fees: October 1, 2012 registration fee is $175 (includes lunch). November 28, 2012 and January 23, 2013 registration fee is $150 (lunch is on your own). Registration fee also includes materials, refreshment breaks, CEUs and a non-refundable administrative fee of $20. Registrations are confirmed in writing. Be sure you receive your confirmation before the program or call 608-262-2451.

Cancellation policy: If you are unable to attend or arrange for a substitute, you may obtain a refund minus the $20 administrative fee by contacting our registration department at least 3 business days prior to the program. If you cancel 3 business days or less before the program, or do not attend, you are responsible for the entire fee.

Credits: 6 Continuing Education Hours.

Social Workers: The University of Wisconsin–Madison, Professional Development and Applied Studies (PDAS), (Provider #1042), is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), (1-800-225-6880) through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. PDAS maintains responsibility for the program. Social workers will receive 6 continuing education clock hours for completing this course. WI, IA and MI Boards of Social Work recognize ACE programs.

MN Board of Social Work CE Approval Number: 06-138; IL Registered Social Worker Continuing Education Sponsor #159.000243

Counselors: approved continuing education provider through the National Board of Certified Counselors (provider #5990).

WI Psychologists, and Marriage and Family Therapists: qualifies as an accredited university continuing education course relevant to professional practice.

WI Substance Abuse Counselors: qualifies as a continuing education course consisting of relevant subject matter taught by qualified presenters.

For program information contact: Kristi Obmascher, 608-262-8971 or e-mail her at: kobmascher@dcs.wisc.edu or Anne Voxman, 608-263-7023 or call our toll free number 1-800-442-4617.

Registration Options:

By phone: Call 608-262-7942 or 800-725-9692.

By mail: Print, complete and mail the Continuing Studies registration form.

Online: Secure online registration is available for these programs. Please select a date below:

• October 1, 2012 (Brookfield)
• November 28, 2012 (Madison)
• January 23, 2013 (Madison)