Date & Location
Monday, May 8, 2017, 12:00 AM - Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 11:59 PM

Course Overview

This course offers an overview of the legal and ethical issues pertaining to a therapist’s duty to warn and protect in cases where a patient may commit violence. It begins with a discussion ofthe 1968 case of Tatiana Tarasoff, which established legal precedent for a duty to warn. Then, using illustrative examples and interview material, it surveys how different states implement the duty to warn and protect, provides a framework for determining when and how to intervene with a potentially violent patient, and offers ethical guidance for balancing confidentiality with the safety of patients’ potential victims.

There was no commercial support used in the development of this educational activity.

Content last reviewed: March 9, 2022


Target Audience
Specialties - ALL SPECIALTIES
Professions - ALL

Registration
There is no registration fee but you are still required to register.
In this activity, learners will engage with the content by moving through a series of brief video lectures with links to related readings, downloadable resources, and quizzes.
 
The Structure of the Course
 
This course is divided into six lectures:
  • Introduction to Tarasoff and the Duty to Warn (6:41)
  • Legal Obligations by State (6:58)
  • The Appelbaum Model (3:00)
  • The Appelbaum Model, Case Studies (4:20)
  • A Conversation with Paul S. Appelbaum (13:45)
  • Confidentiality (3:35)
Each lecture includes a list of suggested readings that provide more detail about what was discussed. Links to external readings will lead you to an abstract or, if available, the full article.
 
Successful completion of this educational activity and receipt of certificate of credit includes achieving a minimum score of 80% on the post-test.

Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, Penn Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.  
 
Physicians: Penn Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
This activity has been designated by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania for 1.0 hour of Patient Safety/Risk Management.
 
Nurses: This program provides 1.0 NCPD Hours.

Credits
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance / Participation (1.00 hours), NCPD Hours (ANCC) (1.00 hours)