Liability Risks
Psychiatrists who treat students attending colleges a substantial distance from home need to be cognizant of legal risks that may accompany such a situation (see Original article: “Treating College Students Means Doing Your Homework”). Experts in psychiatric risk-management issues offer the following advice for psychiatrists who continue to treat these students:
Obtain contact information for the student's roommates, resident advisors, campus mental health staff, and campus police. | |||||
If the student's college is in a state different from the treating psychiatrist's, explore licensure issues with medical boards in both states. | |||||
Coordinate care with other clinicians, if any, who are treating the student on campus. | |||||
Document all treatment decisions. | |||||
Be aware of the college or university policies on the confidentiality of student health information. | |||||
