The mental health practitioner and the law : a comprehensive handbook

"Could I be sued?". The exploding number of law suits in recent years has brought this question to the mind of both concientious and negligent clinicians.

This text is a practical guide to clinical risk management.

It combines expertise from mental health professionals, judges, attorneys, and insurance industry experts, to help the clinician provide effectives treatment while reducing the risk of legal liability.

Wide-ranging, clincially based, this should be a welcome guide for medical and surgical practitioners as well.

The first section gives clinicians a working knowledge of legal regulation in psychiatry and medicine, covering informed consent, documentation of patient care, and potential conflicts of interest.

The second section identifies high-risk areas for lawsuits, including managing suicidal and violent patients, boundary violations, supervision issues, prescription of medications, liability in managed care settings, and treatment termination.

The book concludes with a primer on clinical testimony in the courtroom.