Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Behavioral Health

Description

This course does not offer CE Credits. The same course is available for purchase and offers 3 ethics CE hours for behavioral health clinicians.  See "related products" below.

Artificial intelligence is transforming behavioral healthcare—offering new tools for clinical practice, yet raising urgent ethical questions practitioners cannot afford to ignore. As AI becomes more embedded in service delivery, the consequences of uninformed use range from compromised client safety to legal risk and professional censure.

Behavioral health professionals now face a rapidly shifting technological landscape where ethical blind spots can have high stakes. This course offers a timely, comprehensive, and practical guide for navigating the ethical complexities of AI with clarity and confidence.

Frederic G. Reamer, PhD, a national authority on ethics in behavioral health, brings unmatched expertise to this topic. As chair of the task forces that developed the NASW Code of Ethics and the profession’s technology standards, Dr. Reamer has been at the forefront of setting ethical guidelines for decades. His deep involvement in litigation and licensing board cases provides a unique, real-world perspective on the issues discussed.

Dr. Reamer’s teaching approach blends compelling real-world examples, nuanced analysis, and straightforward strategies. Participants will explore the ethical impact of AI across clinical, administrative, and educational settings and leave with tools to develop sound policies that protect both clients and professionals.

Topics include the current and emerging uses of AI in behavioral health; ethical risks such as informed consent failures, algorithmic bias, privacy violations, and misdiagnosis; litigation and licensing threats; policy recommendations; and best practices for compliance with NASW, ASWB, CSWE, and CSWA technology standards. Real examples—from AI-generated therapy notes to chatbot-based support tools—illustrate how these issues play out in practice.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand how AI is being used in behavioral health: Gain insight into the current and future role of AI tools in therapy, supervision, documentation, client monitoring, and administration.

• Navigate complex ethical dilemmas: Identify where AI use may threaten client rights, professional standards, or practitioner liability—and what to do about it.

• Create safer, ethics-informed practices: Learn how to build protocols that promote informed consent, transparency, privacy, and fairness.

Why This Course?

• Timely and essential content: As AI use accelerates, behavioral health clinicians need guidance grounded in ethics, not tech hype.

• Nationally respected instructor: Dr. Reamer is one of the profession’s most trusted voices on ethics and risk management.

• Mission-driven training: Telehealth Certification Institute exists to empower clinicians through exceptional CE that prioritizes ethics, excellence, and real-world relevance.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the ways in which artificial intelligence is being used in the behavioral health professions

• Identify ethical issues and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence in the behavioral health professions

• Develop ethics-informed policies and protocols to protect clients and practitioners

The promise of AI is powerful—but so are the risks. This course equips you to harness the benefits while safeguarding your clients, your license, and your integrity. 

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Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study program. It consists of 3 hours of video instruction and a course evaluation.

Course Details

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: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Frederic G. Reamer, Ph.D.

Frederic Reamer is professor emeritus in the graduate program, School of Social Work, Rhode Island College, where he has been on the faculty since 1983. His teaching and research focus on professional ethics, criminal justice, mental health, health care, and public policy. Dr. Reamer received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has served as a social worker in correctional and mental health settings. He chaired the national task force that wrote the Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers in 1996 and served on the code revision task force. Dr. Reamer also chaired the national task force sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers, Association of Social Work Boards, Council on Social Work Education, and Clinical Social Work Association that developed technology standards for the profession. Dr. Reamer has lectured nationally and internationally on social work and professional ethics, including in India, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and in various European nations. His books include Risk Management in the Behavioral Health Professions; Social Work Values and Ethics; Risk Management in Social Work; The Social Work Ethics Casebook; Ethical Standards in Social Work; Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services; Ethics and Risk Management in Online and Distance Behavioral Health; Moral Distress and Injury in Human Services; and The Social Work Ethics Audit, among others. Dr. Reamer has served as an expert witness in many court and licensing board cases throughout the United States.

Dr. Frederic Reamer's instructor information.

Disclosure Statement:  

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

This course does not offer CE credits, just great content.

The same course is available for purchase and offers 3 CE hours for behavioral health clinicians. See "related products" below.

This course is a non-interactive, online self-study.

Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement