How to Text with Your Clients Session 1: Ethics, Safety & HIPAA Compliance

special CE presentation for ORCA members

1 Live CE Hour. Legal-Ethical CE. 

Developed by Roy Huggins, LPC NCC
Presented by Roy Huggins, LPC NCC; Liath Dalton

Texting allows clients and clinicians alike to communicate with speed and convenience. Unlike phone calling, texting is “asynchronous.” That means either of you can fire off a message without the other being immediately available. You can tell each other when you’re running late or need to reschedule without playing phone tag ever again.

Can something so handy come without a price? The good news is that texting can be compatible with ethics, HIPAA, and general client safety! We simply need to understand the relevant issues in order to make sure it remains a clinical benefit and doesn’t become a source of potential harm.

This introductory-level course for counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and clinical and counseling psychologists will help learners to navigate the security, privacy, and documentation issues, as defined by HIPAA and professional ethics codes, that arise with the use of texting in clinical relationships. This is one of two sessions on the topic of texting. There is an optional second part, How to Text with Your Clients Session 2: Boundaries, Professionalism, and Competence which covers clinical and ethical concerns such as languaging, boundaries, and other practical concerns regarding texting with clients — and is available to Person Centered Tech members.

This presentation is accessible only to members of ORCA.

Course Developer/Primary Presenter

Roy Huggins, LPC NCC, is a counselor in private practice who also directs Person-Centered Tech. Roy worked as a professional Web developer for 7 years before changing paths, and makes it his mission to grow clinicians’ understanding of the Internet and other electronic communications mediums for the future of our practices and our professions.

Roy is an adjunct instructor at the Portland State University Counseling program where he teaches Ethics, and is a member of the Zur Institute advisory board. He has acted as a subject matter expert on HIPAA, security and clinical use of technology for Counseling licensure boards and both state and national mental health professional organizations. He has co-authored or authored 2 book chapters, and he routinely consults with mental health colleagues on ethical and practical issues surrounding tech in clinical practice. He served for 5 years on the board of the Oregon Mental Health Counselors Association and then the Oregon Counseling Association as the Technology Committee Chair.

He really likes this stuff.

Course Co-Presenters

Liath Dalton is a Ph.D candidate in Religious Studies. She began her academic career at Reed College and continued her graduate work at the University of Cape Town.

Liath is the Deputy Director for Person Centered Tech and runs our HIPAApropriateness review program. Through her combination of experience evaluating products for their utility and security in regards to how they can meet risk management needs and providing guidance to members around what product options will best meet their specific practice needs, Liath has an intimate knowledge of both what the practice tech needs are for mental health professionals and what it takes for a product to meet those needs.

Program Notices

Accuracy, Utility, and Risks Statement: The contents of this program are based on publications and reports from the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes for Standards and Technology; consultation with experts on HIPAA Security standards and their implementation; relevant professional ethics codes of the professions served by this program; and personal study from the program developers. Some interpretation and analysis presented is made by the presenter, in consultation with knowledgeable colleagues and expert consultants. Statements about applications to technology are according to presenter’s understanding of the technology at the time of the program. The presenter may not know how to apply all principles discussed to every technology type or product. This program discusses strategies for complying with HIPAA and covered ethics codes. It may not include information on all applicable state laws. Misapplication of the materials, or errors in the materials, could result in security problems, data breaches, or non-compliance with applicable laws or ethics codes.

Conflicts of Interest: None.

Commercial Support: This program has no commercial support.

All events for this program will be subject to our cancellation/refund policy and complaint policy.

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash

Person Centered Tech, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Person Centered Tech, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Person-Centered Tech, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6582. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Person-Centered Tech, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

State Approvals

Pre-approved by the Texas Social Work Board (#6357) and Texas Counseling Board (#1883)

Ohio CSWMFT Pre-Approved Provider #: RCST071601