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Now offering in-person (NJ) and virtual appointments (NJ & PA)

Psychotherapist:  For over 30 years, Leslie has been providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents and adults and empowering them to make positive changes in their lives.   Through a collaborative process, you will gain valuable and practical tools to help you cope with life's stressors, achieve your goals and improve your overall health and well-being. Find out more. 

 

Private Practice Building Consultant, Educator and Trainer:  As New Jersey’s premier ethics and private practice building consultant, Leslie offers a wide range of services for mental health practitioners focused on enhancing clinical skills, incorporating traditional business methods and minimizing malpractice risk.

Thinking of starting a private practice? Want to shore up an existing practice? Need help understanding what forms, consents and policies are required? With so much conflicting information out there, clinicians need someone who understands the clinical, ethical, practical, business related and legal aspects of starting and running a successful, fulfilling and ethically sound private practice.  

Leslie provides one-on-one and group consultations in order to help you launch your ideal practice and sells forms, templates and guidelines to ensure compliance with ethical guidelines, legal and 3rd party reimbursement requirements and best practice standards. Take your next step!

Leslie offers a series of clinical and ethics continuing education workshops approved by the ASWB/ACE Individual Course/Conference Approval program for New Jersey social workers and social workers who are licensed in states that recognize ASWB/ACE Individual Course/Conference Approval. According to ASWB, most states accept courses with ACE Individual Course/Conference status.  These courses are not accepted in New York and West Virginia.

CLICK HERE to verify your state's CE requirements. 

She is also available to customize a presentation for your agency, hospital, organization or peer supervision/consultation group. Contact Leslie is you are interested in hosting/sponsoring a workshop.  

WORKSHOPS CURRENTLY APPROVED BY THE ASWB INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE/COURSE APPROVAL PROGRAM:

 

Audit-Proof Progress Notes:

An In-Depth Look at Documentation and Record-Keeping in Private Practice

This workshop is designed for the intermediate clinician in private practice who wishes to gain a better understanding of how to create an audit-proof mental health progress note.

2 Clinical CE

Course Objectives: 

  • Outline key components of a mental health progress note in private practice

  • Identify general documentation and record-keeping guidelines and apply them when writing mental health progress notes in private practice

  • Identify the differences between progress notes and psychotherapy notes

Warning: Boundary Crossing Ahead

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the workshop scheduled for May 20, 2023

has been postponed.

5 Ethics CEs

This course is designed for mental health practitioners who serve as clinicians, managers, case workers, supervisors/supervisees, students, mentors and educators.

 

Course Objectives:

  • Identify and successfully manage challenging ethical dilemmas involving boundaries in mental health practice

  • Implement practical strategies to strengthen boundaries in the clinician/client supervisor/supervisee, and employer/employee relationships

  • Develop ethically based, technology-related, policies and procedures for mental health practitioners in a variety of practice settings   

Raves from past participants:

     “Leslie made it interesting with humor, case studies and her personality” – Alexia

     “Leslie was wonderful. Very passionate and kept my attention on what is usually a dry topic” – Marcia

     “A reminder of the ethical implications one may/will face eventually in practice. Helpful to identify           future pitfalls and how to prevent stepping into them” – Elizabeth M.

Everything You Need to Know:

Documentation for New Jersey Workers in Private Practice 

This workshop is designed for the intermediate level private practitioner who wishes to gain a better understanding of how to fulfill their ethical and legal obligations to create, maintain and protect their clients' clinical/medical records..

5 Ethics CEs

New dates coming soon

Course Objectives:

  1. Identify and apply general documentation and record-keeping guidelines

  2. Outline key elements of the clinical medical record

  3. Recite the essential features of a compliant progress note

  4. Discuss ethical standards and legal mandates around privacy and confidentiality relating to clients and others access to the medical record and the social worker's obligations to release/protect the client record

Perpetrating Fraud? Accurate Diagnosis, Documentation, Billing and

Coding in Private Practice

Formerly, Are You Ready for An Audit? Diagnosing, Documenting, Billing and Coding in Private Practice

June 11, 2023

11:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST

ZOOM, LIVE INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

5 Ethics CEs

NEW DATE ADDED

 

This workshop is designed for the intermediate level private practitioner who wants to avoid committing fraud and to gain a better understanding of the most accurate and ethical ways to diagnose, code, document and bill.

Course Objectives: 

  • Identify fraudulent practices around billing, coding diagnosing and documentation

  • Outline key elements to ensure accurate and compliant billing, coding, diagnosing and documentation practices

  • Develop and implement practice policies and procedures that ethically and legally support and facilitate clients' access to mental health services 

 

What past participants have said about their experience:

     "Every time I attend one of Leslie's seminars I walk away with new information that is applicable to my       

      practice. She stretches me to consider situations that I may not have encountered and always provides a   

      friendly environment to allow for discussions and questions. I highly recommend Leslie's seminars

      and feel we are lucky to have someone of this caliber in NJ to consult and learn from." -DW

     "This was one of the more helpful ethics workshops I have taken. Very clear and practical information." -KG

     "This workshop was "thorough, relevant to practice, comprehensive, and presenter was very

      knowledgeable and informed about the topics"- Anonymous

     "All clinicians in private practice need this training in order to operate an ethical and legal practice" -Laura T.

Avoiding the Slippery Slope in Private Practice:

Managing Complex Ethical Issues

This course is designed for intermediate social workers and mental health professionals

in private practice.

5 Ethics CEs

New dates coming soon

Course Objectives:

  • Identify, approach, manage and avoid complicated ethical issues

  • Recognize the most frequent ethical issues encountered by private practitioners

  • Develop a framework to approach ethical decision-making

  • Apply 6 key steps to reduce ethical malpractice risk

 

What prior attendees have said about this workshop:

    “This workshop was excellent” -Anonymous

    “…very engaging presenter. To be honest, I often dread ethics trainings but found this training surprisingly

     enjoyable!” - Lynne

    “After years of practicing, we can become a little less diligent so this course was extremely helpful in 

    displaying and understanding ethical pitfalls.” - Robin Guterman

    “Very relevant to the work we do! Leslie really breaks down ethics in an understanding, non-threatening

    and nonjudgmental way!!”- Lena Suarez-Angelino, MSW, LCSW

    “It was informative, interactive, and interesting!” - Giovanna Coppola

Using Technology as a Mental Health Professional: Ethical and Legal Implications

Formerly, Using Technology in Social Work Practice: Ethical and Legal Implications

This course is designed for all mental health professionals who use or plan to use any form of digital technology (ex. e-mail, text, social media, video-conferencing, PMS/EHR) in their work.

5 Ethics CEs

New dates coming soon

Course Objectives:

  • Cite the various laws, ethical guidelines and regulatory standards that impact the use of digital technology in mental health practice.

  • Apply the information received to guide in the development and implementation of technology-related policies and procedures.

  • Apply, analyze and integrate ethical and legal principals into the use of digital technology in mental health practice.      

What previous attendees have to say about this workshop:

“Leslie leads excellent workshops. She is mindful of time, involves participation, is patient, explains the complications of legal issues.  She’s simply an excellent teacher and trainer. Important information presented in a clear and articulate manner for technology now used in social work practice.”- Judith Zucker LCSW

“I thought the pace of the workshop was easy to follow and allowed time to process the information accurately…well organized and structured which I appreciated.” Christina C.

“I learned so much about the current regs but really appreciated the resources given.” - MaryLou D.

“Lots of great information in the ever-changing world of telehealth and social work” - Denise

Minors' Rights Vs. Parents' Rights: Untangling the Web for New Jersey Clinicians

New Workshop

This course is designed for New Jersey social workers and mental health professionals who work with minors and their families.

Ethics CEs

New dates coming soon

Course Objectives:

1. Apply the relevant New Jersey state laws, federal laws and ethical standards to determine New Jersey minors’ rights regarding consent to treatment and privacy and confidentiality.

2. Weigh the various clinical, ethical, practical and legal issues when working with minors whose parents are divorced, divorcing or separated.

3. Describe under what circumstances a minor in NJ can consent to their own care and maintain control over who may gain access to their health care information.           

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