Training Details

• Date: Friday, October 16, 2026
• Location: Virtual
• Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
• Continuing Education: 3 CEUs approved for Pennsylvania and New York LSWs, LCSWs, LPCs, and LMFTs.
• CEU Requirements: To receive continuing education credit, participants must attend the training and complete both the post-test and training evaluation. A link will be emailed immediately following the session. Both must be submitted within seven (7) business days to receive your CE certificate.

Overview

Behavioral health professionals routinely face situations that require difficult clinical judgments about safety, confidentiality, and legal responsibility.

Understanding when the Duty to Warn applies—and how to respond appropriately—is essential to protecting clients, potential victims, and clinicians alike.

This practical training provides an overview of the legal foundations, ethical considerations, and clinical decision-making involved in Duty to Warn situations. Participants will review landmark court decisions, examine Pennsylvania law, explore documentation best practices, and apply concepts through real-world case examples designed to strengthen confidence in clinical practice.

What You’ll Learn

Participants will be able to:

• Describe the landmark court decisions that established the Duty to Warn and Duty to Protect.
• Explain the legal elements of Duty to Warn as they apply in clinical practice.
• Demonstrate appropriate documentation and clinical decision-making in Duty to Warn situations.
• Apply ethical and risk management principles when responding to threats of violence.
• Increase confidence navigating complex clinical scenarios involving safety and confidentiality.

Target Audience

This training is ideal for:

• Social Workers
• Licensed Professional Counselors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Psychologists
• Behavioral Health Clinicians
• Clinical Supervisors
• Case Managers
• Graduate Students and other helping professionals

Training Outline

• Foundations of Duty to Warn
• Explore the historical development of the Duty to Warn and Duty to Protect through landmark legal cases.
• Duty to Warn in Pennsylvania
• Review the Emerich decision, Maas v. UPMC, and Pennsylvania’s legal expectations for behavioral health professionals.
• Clinical Assessment and Decision Making
• Learn strategies for assessing dangerousness, evaluating violence risk, and determining appropriate clinical responses.
• Documentation and Risk Management
• Discuss documentation standards, consultation practices, and ethical decision-making that support sound clinical judgment.
• Interactive Case Applications
• Apply concepts through case examples and group discussion designed to strengthen real-world clinical decision-making.

About the Facilitator

James H. Andrews, PhD, LCSW, LICSW, BCD is a clinical social worker and nationally recognized expert in forensic social work with nearly 40 years of experience in behavioral health. Throughout his career, he has served as a clinician, therapist, administrator, risk manager, consultant, educator, and expert witness.

Dr. Andrews holds a PhD in Applied Social Science, along with graduate degrees in management, psychology, and social work. His research focuses on threat assessment, violence risk, prediction, and prevention. He maintains advanced clinical licensure in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and provides expert witness consultation in civil and criminal cases involving behavioral health malpractice, wrongful death, sexual abuse allegations, and death penalty mitigation.

A respected leader in the profession, Dr. Andrews is actively involved with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is a Past President of NASW–Pennsylvania. Drawing on decades of clinical, legal, and educational experience, he helps behavioral health professionals navigate the intersection of ethics, law, risk management, and quality clinical care.

Join us for this engaging virtual training to strengthen your understanding of Duty to Warn, increase your confidence in complex clinical decision-making, and enhance your ability to respond ethically, legally, and effectively in practice.