Dangerous Clients and the Threat Of Violence

Target audience and instructional level of this course: foundational

There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support related to this CE program.

Course Description

Improve your understanding of dangerous clients and the treat of violence in context of clinical situations with this course. It is likely that clinicians will at some point encounter clients who have the potential to be violent to others. The course addresses a wide variety of clinical situations involving potentially dangerous clients. As stated by Phillip Kleespies, PhD, ‘caution is necessary because there is a moderate elevation in risk of violence in people dealing with some mental and emotional disorders. According to a report published by Kleespies, between 35% and 40% of psychologists in clinical practice are at risk of being assaulted by a patient at some time during their careers (Kleespies, 2009). Other studies suggest that assaults occur more frequently in psychologists’ early careers. Indeed, newer therapists may be less alert to cues of violence, may set fewer limits and allow aggressive behavior to escalate (Guy and Brady, 1998).

The materials for this program are provided by Gary R. Schoener, Executive Director of Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis. They explore the legal duties of clinicians in circumstances involving dangerous clients and the clinical approaches to working with dangerous clients. This knowledge can be applied to other professional contexts.

Learning Objectives

After completing this training the professional will:

• Describe the legal duties of clinicians in circumstances involving dangerous clients.
• Identify clinical approaches to working with dangerous clients.

Gary Schoener, M.Eq.

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