Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists
Frances Cullen PC helps to protect your license, your livelihood, your career, and your reputation if you are investigated or accused of wrongdoing by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, or are charged with criminal conduct.
Under O.C.G.A § 43-10A-17, the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, has the authority to refuse to grant a license or sanction a licensee for a wide range of acts of unprofessional conduct, including but not limited to:
- Sexual contact by professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists with a patient
- Potential Boundary Violations for engaging in multiple roles by having a social relationship, lending money, or employing a patient or former patient
- A violation of patient confidentiality
- Providing services for which the professional counselor, social worker or marriage and family therapist has not been trained or licensed
- Overseeing or permitting unlicensed practice
- Alcohol and/or drug dependence or abuse
- False advertising by a professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists
- Unprofessional, unethical or negligent acts committed by a professional counselor, social worker or marriage and family therapist
- A professional counselor, social worker or marriage and family therapist inappropriately sharing his or her own problems and/or focusing therapy on himself or herself rather than the patient
The Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists generally does not address fee and/or billing disputes, issues related to general business policies and practices, and personality conflicts, but a complaint about these issued can prompt an investigation by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists and focus attention on you or your practice, and sometimes begin an inquiry into other related matters.
Although billing disputes are not within the purview of the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, the Board could take issue with a therapist if there is a complaint by the Department of Community Health/Medicaid.
All cases are opened upon the filing of a complaint. Complaints can be filed by any member of the general public: a patient, a former patient, a member of a patient’s family, an employee or former employee, and, often, complaints are filed by a subsequent therapist. If the complaint involves a serious violation (for example, an allegation of sexual misconduct, a boundary violation, or gross negligence, the case may immediately assigned to an investigator employed by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
If you are contacted during the investigative process, we highly advise all therapists not to attend any “conference,” ”meeting” or “interview” without experienced and qualified legal representation. While a licensee might be willing to discuss the details of the complaint and wish to provide “their side of the story”, this meeting is not an opportunity to present your version of the facts and, without legal counsel as your witness to the interview, your statements can be interpreted differently than you intended and later used against you in a Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists action.
The Board does not have authority over individuals licensed by other boards (for example, psychologists and psychiatrists). These complaints are usually referred to the State Board that has jurisdiction over the individual (the Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists—“the Georgia Psychology Board”—or the Georgia Composite Medical Board).
Any attorney can represent a licensed professional, but you should protect your license and career by selecting an attorney who is highly experienced in Georgia professional license defense. Don’t risk your license and your livelihood, and settle for any lawyer when you can obtain an attorney experienced in Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists issues.
Criminal Defense Related to Substance Abuse
In addition to the licensing issues medical professionals face related to the use of controlled substances, or substance abuse and addiction, they also can be subject to criminal charges. Our firm’s experience allows us to effectively represent professionals against criminal accusations for writing improper controlled substances. Frances Cullen PC will work as a zealous advocate on your behalf to provide you with sound legal advice prior to the filing of charges, through the indictment or accusation process, in negotiation with prosecutors, and in fashioning the most favorable plea on your behalf before State or Federal Criminal authorities.
As a former Fulton County District Attorney, Frances Cullen is also familiar with the broad range of criminal laws and can provide a capable defense to charges of criminal conduct.
Frances Cullen, PC has defended numerous health care professionals when State or Federal criminal charges are brought against them and has also worked closely with other criminal defense attorneys to provide solid advice on how best to address potential criminal charges so that professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists can resume or later return to practice.
Representative Cases
In a case where a former patient alleged inappropriate contact, Frances Cullen PC provided valuable information to the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists to deter their bringing charges against a Professional Counselor.
Frances Cullen, PC has successfully defended Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists before the Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists against charges for testing outside of the scope of their license.
Contact Frances Cullen, PC
Frances Cullen is a former Assistant Attorney General who represented the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists in reviewing cases against professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists and in bringing disciplinary action against them. She is therefore knowledgeable about the disciplinary process and will offer you a strong defense in any investigation or with potential action brought by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
For a powerful and winning defense in investigative interviews or with potential disciplinary action brought by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists call Frances Cullen, PC.
Proviso: Due to the professional stature of my clients and the sensitive nature of the issues that are the subject of these matters, client names are not provided for these cases.
