Mental Health and the Law

A recent email from John Miller, MD of athealth.com included this helpful list of articles about mental health and the law.  Passing it along…

1. MEDSCAPE
Malpractice Dangers for Psychiatrists
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/714110 (membership required)
This article is directed toward psychiatrists, but the
information is important for all mental health practitioners.

2. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
Therapist’s Guide for Preparing a Professional Will
http://kspope.com/therapistas/will.php
A professional will is a plan for what happens if a therapist
dies suddenly or is incapacitated without warning.

3. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
When Professionals Go To Court: Preparing To Testify
http://www.athealth.com/apps/redirect.cfm?linkid=339
The courtroom is a foreign and sometimes alien environment
for most professionals.

4. PHYSICIANS PRACTICE
Patient Records Legal Primer
http://www.athealth.com/apps/redirect.cfm?linkid=340
Here’s what you need to know about keeping, transferring,
and destroying patient records. (Complimentary registration required.)

5. CURRENT PSYCHIATRY ONLINE
Assessing Potential for Harm: Would Your Patient Injure Himself Or Others?
http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/article_pages.asp?AID=7690
Questions to ask, steps to take when evaluating tendencies toward
suicide and violence. (Complimentary registration and login required.)

6. CROSS CURRENTS
No Safe Haven: Restraints Reform Targets Traumatizing Hospital Practices
http://www.camhcrosscurrents.net/archives/spring2009/no_safe_haven.html
Over the past decade, recognition has been growing of the harms of using
seclusion and restraint in psychiatric facilities.

7. THE BAZELON CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH LAW
Campus Mental Health: Know Your Rights!
http://www.bazelon.org/l21/rightsguide.htm
This is a guide for students who want to seek help
for mental illness or emotional distress.

8. CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRICS
Adolescent Patients and Their Confidentiality: Staying Within Legal Bounds
http://www.athealth.com/apps/redirect.cfm?linkid=341
The authors discuss a teen’s right to confidential healthcare.