Ethical Considerations in Emergency Mental Healthcare: Navigating Involuntary Commitment and Crisis Response 2/28/26

CEU Creations presents:
Ethical Considerations in Emergency Mental Healthcare: Navigating Involuntary Commitment and Crisis Response 2/28/26

FEATURING:

• Practical strategies to recognize and assess mental health emergencies while balancing client safety and autonomy
• Clear guidance on legal processes, risk assessment tools, and ethical standards when involuntary treatment is considered

EVENT INFO:

Saturday, February 28, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Events open 15 minutes before the hour. Registration ends 30 minutes before the event opens.

COST:

Registration: $99.99
Unlimited CE Bundle Members: FREE

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS:

Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 5 Ethics CE credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 5 Contact hours
Psychologists
APA – 5 CE credits
Counselors 5 Contact hours or 5 Ethics Hours
NBCC ACEP – 5 Contact hours
NY State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – 5 Contact hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 5 Contact hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 5 Ethics hours

*Some states do not recognize Ethics hours for counselors. In those cases, Contact hours will be awarded.

Attendance or applied credit certificate available for other credentials.
Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credits.

Target Audience: Social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses, and case managers

Counseling Skill Group:

2. Clinical Assessment
3. Treatment Plan
4. Counseling Services
8. Legal, Ethical and Professional Development

OVERVIEW:

Many helping professionals face uncertainty about how to respond in a mental health crisis. Ideally, clients experiencing acute psychiatric distress will consent to evaluation and treatment. Unfortunately, barriers such as fear, prior negative experiences, systemic challenges, or psychiatric symptoms (paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, etc.) may prevent individuals from voluntarily seeking help. In such cases, states across the US have legal processes that allow for involuntary evaluation or hospitalization when a clinician determines there is a substantial risk of imminent harm to the self or others, or an inability to provide for one’s own safety. While these processes are designed to protect clients and communities, they are also filled with ethical dilemmas. This course will provide an overview of how to identify and respond to a mental health emergency, explore common clinical and legal considerations in emergency settings, and highlight the ethical standards that guide decision-making when involuntary measures are necessary.

OBJECTIVES:

By attending this training, you will be able to:

• Identify signs of a mental health emergency.
• Demonstrate knowledge of suicide/homicide risk assessment, mental status exams, and substance use evaluations.
• Differentiate between commonly used legal mechanisms for involuntary psychiatric evaluation and treatment across states.
• Communicate clear expectations for clients and families who may be placed under involuntary hold or evaluation.
• Apply professional ethical standards when navigating dilemmas in emergency mental health settings.

AGENDA (all times are Eastern):

8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Log in and Networking
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Ethical Considerations in Emergency Mental Healthcare, Ralph Menard, MS, LPC, CPCS, PhD(c)
12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. Midway Reset
12:40 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Ethical Considerations in Emergency Mental Healthcare, Ralph Menard, MS, LPC, CPCS, PhD(c)

PRESENTER BIO:

Ralph Menard, MS, LPC, CPCS, PhD(c)
Ralph Menard has 7 years of experience working in crisis assessment and stabilization. He currently serves as the Director of Social Services for Coastal Harbor Health Systems in Savannah, GA, and is an adjunct professor at South University. Ralph is a graduate of Auburn University with a BA in Psychology, an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and is in the dissertation phase of a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Mercer University. Mr. Menard has conducted several seminars on topics related to trauma, mental illness, and crisis intervention at conferences and seminars in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Menard has published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Counseling Research and Practice.

COURSE PARTICIPATION INFORMATION:

To ensure you are ready to participate, please review these tips and tricks to ensure a better webinar experience.

This live webinar is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions. A computer or mobile device is required. Zoom account is not required.

You will receive a reminder email approximately 24 hours prior to the start of the training and a link to join the webinar will be in your CEU Creations account under Member Profile.

To receive credit, you must log in on time, attend the entire presentation, and interact.

POST EVENT: When the training ends, your attendance will be processed using Zoom analytics. Once processed, the evaluation link will be available in your account and we ask that you complete it within 3 days of the training. Once your evaluation is complete, your certificate will be available in your CEU Creations account within 24-72 hours.

Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions.

FINE PRINT

SOCIAL WORKERS: CEU Creations, #1239, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/24-11/22/27. Social workers completing this course receive 5 Ethics continuing education credits.
CEU Creations, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0616. This activity is approved for 5 Contact hours.

PSYCHOLOGISTS: 5 CE Credits
CEU Creations is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CEU Creations maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

COUNSELORS: 5 Contact hours or 5 Ethics Hours
CEU Creations has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6941. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  CEU Creations is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
CEU Creations, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0199. This activity is approved for 5 Contact hours

ADDICTION PROFESSIONALS: This course has been approved by CEU Creations, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 5 CEs. NAADAC Provider #324725, CEU Creations is responsible for all aspects of its programming.

NURSES: 5 Contact hours. CEU Creations is an approved provider of nursing CEs through the California Board of Registered Nursing. Provider number: CEP17905. All states retain their own licensing authority through their own boards. Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure transferability of the CE credits.

Cancellation Policy: Registrants must cancel their registration in their CEU Creations account. No email, faxes, or mail cancellations will be accepted. Cancellation fee: $25. Refunds will not be given for cancellations within five (5) business days prior to the workshop date.

Accessibility Accommodations: At CEU Creations, we are dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all individuals. We strive to ensure our continuing education content, website, and services are usable by everyone, regardless of ability. We are continually working to enhance accessibility and user experience for all of our users. If you encounter any barriers, have questions, or wish to request accommodations, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us at [email protected] and a member of our team will review your message and respond promptly.

Event Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy: In the event that CEU Creations cancels or reschedules an event, registered participants will be given the option to receive a full refund, a credit toward a different event of the same value, or to transfer their registration to the rescheduled date.