Clinical Documentation with Children and Adolescents: Treatment,
Risks, and Ethics
Enroll in the Online Self-Study course and complete it at your own pace.
3 CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians upon completion.
Clinical documentation for minors isn’t just a task—it’s a delicate and high-stakes balancing act that impacts a young client’s safety, autonomy, trust, and care outcomes. Documenting ethically, legally, and compassionately can make or break a therapeutic relationship, especially when guardians, systems, and developmental differences are involved.
Clinicians working with children and adolescents need more than templates and checklists—they need clear guidance that respects the complexities of family systems, confidentiality laws, billing, and consent. This course empowers you to approach documentation with clarity, competence, and confidence.
Enroll in the 3 CE Online Self-Study for $97
Payment Options are listed at checkout
Dr. Amy Marschall, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist who has built her career on trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and neurodiversity-affirming care for children and adolescents. As the author of Clinical Documentation with Children and Adolescents and a seasoned educator and clinician, Dr. Marschall translates legal standards and ethical principles into accessible, real-world practices clinicians can use immediately.
With both compassion and precision, Dr. Marschall walks you through the intricacies of documenting treatment for minors—from intake through discharge—while helping you avoid common legal pitfalls. Her approach is realistic, inclusive, and grounded in years of direct clinical work, consultation, and training.
Topics include age-appropriate diagnostic documentation, SMART and PACT goal-setting in treatment plans, billing codes, SOAP and BIRP note structures, mental status exams, documentation related to consent and custody agreements, best practices for guardian communication, risk assessment and safety planning, letters for accommodations or court, and protecting confidentiality in a digitized healthcare system.
Instructor
Dr. Amy Marschall, Psy.D., earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. She completed her pre-doctoral internship through the National Psychology Training Consortium and her post-doctoral residency at Family Psychological Center, PA.
Dr. Marschall has been in practice since 2016 and currently owns a private practice, RMH-Therapy, where she provides therapy primarily to children and adolescents and psychological evaluations. Her clinical specializations include trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming care, trauma therapy, autism, and ADHD.
She also provides ADHD assessments through ADHD Online and therapy services through Spring Health. She teaches continuing education through PESI, Spring Health, and the Telehealth Certification Institute.
Dr. Marschall is certified in telemental health and is the author of Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox and Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox: Volume 2.
Key Takeaways:
Write with confidence and clarity: Learn how to document clinical interventions, assessments, and treatment plans for minor clients in ways that meet ethical and legal standards.
Navigate confidentiality complexities: Get clear on what to include—and exclude—from documentation when working with children, adolescents, and their families.
Diagnose responsibly: Understand how to document accurate, developmentally appropriate diagnoses that are defensible and clinically meaningful.
Why This Course?
Specialized focus on minors: Unlike general documentation courses, this training is tailored specifically to the unique legal, ethical, and developmental complexities of working with young clients.
Led by a seasoned expert: Dr. Marschall is not only a specialist in child and adolescent therapy but also the author of the go-to book on this very topic.
Practical, real-world guidance: Expect tools, examples, and case-informed strategies—not just theory—that you can implement right away.
Learning Objectives:
Design treatment plans and documentation of clinical interventions for minor clients that maintain legal and ethical standards.
Assess concerns of confidentiality and privacy for children and teen clients, and construct office policies that uphold these ethical ideals while maintaining documentation standards.
Accurately diagnose child and adolescent clients based on age and developmental level, with appropriate justification and documentation of symptoms.
Whether you're in private practice, school settings, telehealth, or agency work, this course offers the clarity and support you need to ensure your documentation protects your clients—and yourself. Step into this training and leave with tools that elevate both your practice and peace of mind.
Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course that offers over 3 hours of recorded video instruction, a post-test and a course evaluation.
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Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to attend: Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.
This program was recorded on February 2, 2024.
Testimonials
Bridgette Nalumu
Public health consultant, Green and Purple Consultancy Network
Lora Verley
Clinical Therapist, Bayless Integrated Healthcare
Jackie Tanna
Therapist, Region One Mental Health
Jackie Bell-Russell
Therapeutic Behavioral Strategist, Rialto Unified School District