Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice: Confidentiality, Consent, and Competence
This three-hour ethics course equips licensed mental health professionals to analyze and apply established ethical standards to the use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice, addressing confidentiality, informed consent, professional competence, supervision, and liability. Through principle ethics, the ACA and NBCC Codes of Ethics, and current guidance from the APA, WHO, and HHS, participants build a defensible framework for responsible technology use. (Approximately 19,000 words.)
3
CE Hours
What you'll learn
- Analyze a proposed clinical use of artificial intelligence through the lens of the five core ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity) and the precautionary principle.
- Apply Section H of the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics and the NBCC Code of Ethics to evaluate the appropriateness of specific AI tools in counseling practice.
- Construct informed-consent language that discloses the nature, purpose, limits, and opt-out options for AI use, and evaluate a client’s capacity to consent.
- Evaluate the confidentiality and third-party data risks created when protected health information flows to AI vendors, including the role of Business Associate Agreements and consumer-grade tools that train on inputs.
- Assess one’s own competence and scope of practice before adopting an AI tool, and apply strategies to counter automation bias and clinical de-skilling.
- Appraise the liability and standard-of-care implications of AI-assisted clinical decisions and formulate behavioral commitments that preserve the human therapeutic relationship.
Who it's for
Licensed mental health professionals (LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, NCCs, psychologists) seeking ethics CE on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice.
Approval & credit
CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 3 NBCC-approved CE hours; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.