We Need Each Other: How Lawyers and Mental Health Professionals Can Team Up to Better Serve Our Clients
Three attorneys from our Westport office – family law attorneys Livia Barndollar and Jill Bicks, and health care attorney Stephen Cowherd -- led a webinar on the topic, “We Need Each Other: Lawyers and Mental Health Professionals - Teaming up to Better Serve Our Clients.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause stress for families and individuals as well as all aspects of the health care delivery system, this timely presentation covered the following topics while leaving ample time for a question and answer session between clinicians and our attorneys:
Getting Coverage: Mental Health Parity Law Update – this discussion reviewed requirements of the Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”) as well as Connecticut Public Act 19-159, An Act Concerning Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits, including a discussion of the enforcement actions aimed at health plans to ensure compliance with the law when making coverage and reimbursement determinations.
Bringing the Therapeutic Perspective to the Divorce Process – family lawyers and mental health professionals often find themselves guiding a mutual client through one of the most traumatic events of their lives. This session illustrated how therapists and attorneys can work together for the betterment of their clients and explain why understanding and coordinating roles and responsibilities from the outset can greatly reduce stress for all concerned.
Confidentiality and Privilege 101 – this session covered provisions of HIPAA and state confidentiality statutes that every therapist should consider when treating patients who may be or become involved in divorce or other legal proceedings. Special attention were paid to applicable Connecticut law concerning subpoenas, the parameters that apply to disclosure of mental health records to the court as well as best practices concerning release of therapists’ records.
To watch the full webinar, please click here.