Syllabus

1. What social media services are mental health professionals using personally and professionally?
   • Overview of common social networks
   • How do clinicians use them professionally and personally?
2. How are mental health professionals using social media services for professional purposes and what are the ethical benefits and risks?
   • Consultation and referral requests
   • Discussion of professional news and issues
     • Discussing fees
   • Using online discussion groups and email listservs
3. Are any social media networks more or less ethically risky than others?
   • Ethics code references that explicitly cover use of social media
   • The basic ethical risks that arise when using social media
   • Common ethical pitfalls in each network
4. What technical and behavioral steps can and can’t be taken to reduce the risk of ethical violations in social media?
   • Privacy settings
   • Moderating comments
   • “Professionalism-compatible” posting and behavior
   • Social media policies