Law and Ethics June 2025 - Mastering Mandated Elder and Dependent Abuse Reporting via CAMFT

Although elder and dependent adult reporting is one of the most common legal issues therapists navigate in practice, it tends to receive much less focus than child abuse reporting. This workshop will provide a detailed overview of the mandated reporting procedures outlined in California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, including the different types of reportable elder and dependent adult abuse, the types of California agencies that receive mandated elder and dependent adult abuse reports, and how much time mandated reporters have to make these reports.

The workshop will also address some of the most complex reporting issues therapists face, including: how the reporting requirements differ when alleged elder or dependent adult abuse victims reside outside of California, how to determine if a patient constitutes a “dependent adult,” and the types of abuse for which elder and dependent adult abuse reporting is mandated (as opposed to optional).

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Participants will be able to identify the six categories of elder and dependent adult abuse California mandated reporters are required to report.
2. Participants will be able to identify the specific California agencies that are authorized to receive mandated elder and dependent adult abuse reports.
3. In applicable circumstances, participants will be able to distinguish the amount of time California mandated reporters have to make initial phone reports of elder and dependent adult abuse vs. written follow-up reports regarding elder and dependent adult abuse.
4. Participants will be able to state which forms of elder and dependent adult abuse are optional (as opposed to mandated) for mandated reporters to report, under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act.

Bradley J. Muldrow, Esq., CAMFT Staff Attorney takes member phone calls regarding law and ethics issues and contributes articles on those subjects to CAMFT's publication, the Therapist. Prior to joining CAMFT’s legal team, Brad worked on litigation and regulatory matters as an attorney for San Diego Gas & Electric Company.

Since becoming an attorney, Brad has given law and ethics presentations to attorneys and judges as a member of the J. Clifford Wallace Inn of Court. He has also served as a board member for the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation, a San Diego-based nonprofit.