PRESENTER: Curt Widhalm. MA, MS, LMFT

Course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.  Registrants must attend the full 3 hours to receive CEs.

Title of Presentation: The 2026 California Law & Ethics Overhaul: Nicknames, Supreme Court Shockwaves, and Practice Compliance

The legal landscape for California therapists is shifting faster than ever. Between brand-new Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) enforcement rules, massive federal court rulings, and shifting healthcare mandates, the "standard" rules you learned a few years ago are no longer enough to protect your practice.

This 3-hour interactive course will elevate your practice by diving deep into the changes that directly impact your day-to-day work. We will break down exactly how to audit your public profiles under the strict new April 2026 BBS nickname and advertising rules, how to navigate the complex "Doctor" title restrictions, and how to legally execute permanent remote supervision. Moving into high-risk clinical territory, you will gain the exact tools needed to document minor consent for Medi-Cal youth, avoid devastating Medicare private-pay financial traps, and understand the practical reality of the Supreme Court’s blockbuster Chiles v. Salazar ruling on talk therapy.

Whether you are a seasoned private practitioner, an agency supervisor, or an associate navigating the road to licensure, you will leave this workshop with the confidence, checklists, and legal clarity needed to shield your practice and ethically serve your community.

Learning Objectives

In successfully completing and attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Identify current 2026 California board compliance mandates regarding public-facing practice nickname and former name rules and "Doctor" title restrictions

2. Explain the administrative and clinical parameters of the permanent remote supervision framework under SB 775, the mandatory 60-day remote assessment, and changes to prelicensee exam requirements

3. Analyze the necessary clinical documentation thresholds required to legally establish minor consent under AB 665 for Medi-Cal youth, alongside the proper application of a Medicare Private-Pay (Opt-Out) contract to avoid financial non-compliance penalties.

4. Differentiate between California’s active statutory ban on youth conversion therapy (BPC § 865) and the shifting constitutional landscape governing therapeutic talk therapy following the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Chiles v. Salazar.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Curt Widhalm, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist dedicated to bridging the gap between evolving legal standards and the day-to-day realities of clinical practice. As the founder and owner of Real Honest Therapy, a group practice with locations in Encino and West Los Angeles, Curt specializes in working with adolescents and provides comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) alongside Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Deeply invested in professional leadership and systemic advocacy, Curt serves as the Chair of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) Ethics Committee. His background in counselor education includes serving as a former lecturer at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where he spent years teaching Law and Ethics to graduate students in the MFT program.

Beyond the therapy room and the lecture hall, Curt is widely recognized as the co-host of the popular weekly podcast, “The Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide.” Through the podcast and his frequent speaking engagements nationwide, he tackles the shifting cultural, administrative, and technological landscapes impacting mental health professionals today. Known for his practical, transparent, and engaging presentation style, Curt specializes in demystifying complex regulatory changes to help therapists confidently navigate modern practice while maintaining clinical and ethical integrity.

This is an ONLINE presentation.

Inland Empire Chapter of CAMFT is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCS, AND/or LEPs. IE-CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. CE Provider # 62278