New-ish Therapist, Family Dynamics and Mandated Reporting
Wanted to get input from others regarding family situations and mandated reporting. A younger family member has been having significant behavioral and mental health concerns. I encouraged the parent to seek help, and they stated they already had and that professionals were not concerned. More recently, another family member shared that the behaviors and angry outbursts had escalated.
I responded by saying that if I hear certain things involving safety concerns, there may be situations where I would have to make a report to help protect the child and others. Somehow this got relayed differently, and the parent became upset, saying I was threatening to call CPS. They then became defensive, referenced HIPAA, said they were handling it, and hung up on me.
This has been difficult emotionally because I work with high-acuity youth and regularly navigate mandated reporting conversations with families. I understand parents can feel scared, angry, or defensive, but it’s hard when those dynamics start showing up in my personal life as well. I’m wondering how others navigate situations where professional responsibilities and family relationships begin to overlap.