California Law & Ethics: Secrets and Privacy in a Chatbot World
Detailed discussion of how therapists can address new challenges brought on by the widespread use of artificial intelligence and the modern political environment. Includes information on recent and planned changes to state law and professional ethics codes as of April 2026. Meets California BBS requirements for a 6-hour Law & Ethics CE course for LMFT, LPCC, or LCSW license renewal.
On-demand video format. Complete at your own pace.
| Please note - This 6-hour CE course is intended to fulfill requirements for license renewal for fully licensed LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs. It is not a prep course for the Law & Ethics Exam. Please visit our Exam Prep collection for courses built to prepare you for the L&E Exam. If you're looking for the 3-hour Law & Ethics CE course required for associates, please see Law & Ethics for BBS Associates. |
Course Description
Is privacy dead? With clients and clinicians alike using new technologies including artificial intelligence, states seeking to prosecute health care providers for the services they provide, and clients concerned that their mental health records could be used against them, therapists are facing privacy challenges we've never faced before. This course examines our legal and ethical obligations around privacy and the various ways we can help keep client information safer. The course includes discussion of recent and planned changes to California state law and professional ethics codes that impact the work of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs). Specific topics include planned changes to the licensure process, breach notifications, and the use of AI in documentation, clinical services, and therapist training.
This course is designed to fulfill California BBS requirements for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs to complete 6 hours of continuing education in Law & Ethics in each two-year license renewal period.
Course Information
- Introduction (0:09)
- Changes in state law (1:41)
a. 2025 and earlier changes
b. 2026 changes in state law
c. Planned changes in licensing
d. Other planned changes - Changes in professional ethics codes (0:56)
a. AAMFT and CAMFT (new)
b. ACA (draft)
c. Possible NASW (future) - Artificial intelligence (1:22)
a. Documentation
b. Delivery of clinical services
c. Supervision and training - Protecting client privacy (0:35)
a. Areas where privacy is desired
b. Relevant state law
c. Methods for ensuring privacy - Data breaches (0:28)
a. Defining a breach
b. Responding to a breach - Privacy in the real world (0:52)
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify at least two methods for protecting client privacy for sensitive content in documentation
- Define "deskilling," and identify at least one potential cause and one potential consequence of deskilling among mental health professionals
- List at least three required elements of a data breach notification
- Describe at least two recent changes to state law impacting mental health care in 2026
- Describe at least two planned future changes to statutes and regulations impacting California mental health professionals
- Identify at least one common theme in recent and proposed changes in professional ethical standards
Published May 15, 2026
about the presenter
Ben Caldwell, PsyD
Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Adjunct Faculty for California State University Northridge. He is the author of Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs, and lead author of AAMFT’s Best Practices in the Online Practice of Couple and Family Therapy. He has published and presented around the country on issues related to law, ethics, technology, supervision, and professional development.
Administrative Information
To complete the course, watch all required video components, complete a quiz on course content with a score of at least 80%, and complete a satisfaction survey. When all course components have been successfully completed, your certificate will issue automatically and can be downloaded from your dashboard.
Our policies on Accommodations can be found on our Accessibility page. All course videos are captioned. Our other CE policies, including policies on refunds and grievances, can be found on our CE policies page.
On-demand video format. Total running time approximately 6 hours, 1 minute.
All video segments include captioning.
Continuing Education Provider Approval
High Pass Education is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs. High Pass Education maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. CAMFT CEPA provider #137848. This course meets the qualifications for 6 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, and/or LPCCs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
