Full course description
Title: The Ethics of Duty to Warn and Protect
Presented By: Diane Bigler, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW
Program #: 26415
Date(s): October 2, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:15 PM, Central Time
Format: Live Interactive Webinar, Synchronous Distance Learning
Location: Online
CE Credit Awarded: 3 [Ethics] CE Credits
Total Minutes of Educational Instruction: 180 Minutes
Fee: $69; fee collected at registration includes attendance for the training and CE certificate issuance
Agenda:
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (90 minutes)
· Homicidal risk clinical protocol
· Opening scenario
· Tarasoff Case
o Duty to want
o Second Tarasoff Case
o Duty to Protect
· Warn vs protect
· Informed Consent
· Practice question
· Key legal rulings
· State variations in law and requirements
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM – BREAK
2:45 PM– 4:15 PM (90 minutes)
· NASW Code of Ethics
· Clinical Recommendations and Interventions:
o A. ACTION Steps
o B. Four key guidelines
o C. Assessing threat level
o D. Reamer’s considerations
o E. Clinical considerations
· Case studies
· Threats in the presence of intended victim
· HIV status: duty to warn?
· Resources for further learning
Speaker Bio: Diane Bigler, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Kansas with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. She has held clinical positions as an outpatient and in-home therapist and clinical supervisor. Diane was an Adjunct Professor of Social Work for 10 years at The University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare and a Field Liaison and Field Instructor. She has also held administrative positions as a program Director and Coordinator. Diane is a frequent local and national trainer on a wide variety of mental health and workplace development topics with clinicians and corporations. Diane is most passionate about providing quality professional development to clinicians, employees, and leaders. For fun, Diane loves to spoil her four Dachshunds and rock out to 80’s music.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify relevant state law and professional ethics regarding duty to warn responsibilities
2. Discover methods of assessing and intervening with potential duty to warn concerns and client potential for violence
3. Demonstrate increased confidence in mitigating client violence and following ethical and legal mandates regarding duty to warn
Description: A client tells their therapist that they wish someone was dead. How does a therapist ethically and legally handle this situation? Therapists have legal and ethical responsibilities to both their clients and greater society. Many mental health professionals face challenges determining the best course of action when clients make threats towards others. This workshop will present a history of duty to warn laws and an examination of Tarasoff Rule. Case vignettes will illustrate various situations that therapists may encounter when clients are expressing threats, violence, or harm to others. Learners will be provided with concrete and ethically sound practices to increase their confidence in managing duty to warn dilemmas.
Target Audience: Social Workers, Counselors, and/or other Mental Health Professionals
Accreditations:
Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH)
The University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri Institute of Mental Health will be responsible for this program and will maintain a record of your continuing education credits earned.
MIMH awards 3 clock hour(s) or 3.6 contact hour(s) (.36 CEUs) for this program, including 3 clock hour(s) towards ethics, 0 clock hour(s) towards suicide prevention, and 0 clock hour(s) towards cultural competency.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
MIMH is an NBCC - Approved Continuing Education Provider, No. 6339 (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC - approved clock hours for events (or programs) that meet NBCC requirements. Sessions (or programs) for which NBCC – approved clock hours will be awarded are identified in the program bulletin (or web site). The ACEP is solely responsible for all aspects for the program.
3 clock hour(s) are offered to the participant for this program.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) ACE
University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, Professional Training Center, provider number: 1880, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: September 5, 2024 – September 5, 2025. Social workers completing this course receive [3] [ethics] continuing education credits.
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, Approved Education Provider
This course has been approved by the University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, Professional Training Center, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for [3] CE(s). NAADAC Provider #312308, University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, Professional Training Center is responsible for all aspects of its programing.
Accommodations Policy: Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact MIMH, Professional Training Center in writing at conferences@mimh.edu , as early as possible to request reasonable accommodations, such as ASL interpreters, alternate format materials, and map of accessible features.
Grievance Policy for UMSL | MIMH, Professional Training Center:
Complaints about Course Content, Speakers, Facilities, Nonreceipt of Certificates, Miscellaneous:
UMSL | MIMH, Professional Training Center is committed to providing quality professional continuing education trainings. If you experience dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided, the course content, speakers, facilities used, certificates or nonreceipt of certificates, etc., please email conferences@mimh.edu to notify UMSL | MIMH, Professional Training Center of your grievance. UMSL | MIMH, Professional Training Center CE Director, Kelly Gregory (kelly.gregory@mimh.edu ) and Social Work Consultant, Megan Galmiche (megan.galmiche@mimh.edu ) will review the grievance and will provide a response within 10 business days of communication. All grievances and actions taken to resolve the grievance will be documented, kept confidential, and only used to improve future courses.
Refund and/or Cancellation Requests:
If you are unable to attend and/or exhibit, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible at conferences@mimh.edu . Cancellations received in writing 5 business days prior for online programs, and 30 business days prior for in-person programs prior to the date of the program will be refunded, less a processing fee. For registrants, you may send a substitute, but we ask that you notify us in writing of this change at conferences@mimh.edu . If you do not attend or send a substitute, you or your employer will be responsible for the registration fee and/or exhibit fee in full.
Course Completion Requirements:
- Attend course
- Submit the online course evaluation
- Your CE Certificate will be available in your Canvas account upon submission of the course evaluation
Deadline to Register: Registrations may be taken up until one hour before the start of the program to allow for time to receive instructions and login.
System Requirements:
- An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (4G/LTE or 5G)
- Speakers and a microphone – built-in, USB plug-in, or wireless Bluetooth. Participants’ audio and video functionality will initially be off during the webinar. Participants may choose to turn on their own video and/or audio, but are not required to. Participants may type questions in the Q&A or Chat functions in Zoom. The host or speaker will read each question/comment and respond to them during the training.
- A webcam is not required for participants. Participants may choose to turn on their own video and/or audio, but are not required to. The speaker and the host will have their webcam and audio functionality turned on throughout the webinar, so you may see the speaker, host, and slides.
Certificate of Credit:
- Certificate of credit will be available in your Canvas account after the course evaluation has been submitted
- Save your certificate of credit and any pertinent course information (flyer, brochure, program, schedule, agenda, etc.) for your records
- UMSL | MIMH, Professional Training Center will maintain a record of your attendance and certificate of credit for seven years after program start date
Organization Responsible for Course:
UMSL | Missouri Institute of Mental Health, Professional Training Center
RCEW Building
8225 Florissant Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63121-2020
Website: www.mimhtraining.com
Contact Information: conferences@mimh.edu | 314-516-8419