The Business of Practice: Are You & Your Practice at Risk?

California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists, Ventura County Chapter
THE COMMUNICATOR | MARCH - APRIL 2018

The Business of Practice: Are You & Your Practice at Risk

By Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

Elizabeth Irias, LMFT addressed the VC CAMFT January General Meeting about how clinicians typically put themselves at risk, and how to minimize this risk by properly documenting our work.

Elizabeth began by describing why documentation matters to clinicians. She tells us that documentation represents the story of who, what where, why and when. This applies to all therapists, including private practitioners, as well as clinicians working in agency and non-profit settings. Elizabeth observes that CAMFT attorney David Jensen calls clinical documentation a ‘persuasive tool’, which can be used for multiple purposes, including in custody cases or investigating complaints conducted by the licensing board. For an investigation, it may come down to whether our documentation can prove that our records are credible. Quality documentation reduces our liability, can increase our clinical reflection and responsiveness, and leads to improved UR outcomes. All of these lead to better quality of care…