It’s not easy to get through a lawsuit – and malpractice risks are all-too-common for mental and even allied health professionals. The best thing you can do to mitigate the damages is stay secure on many levels.
Step 1: Prepare for the worst. During the lawsuit, you will need to sustain your practice. Professional Liability Insurance for Mental Health Professionals is the best preventative measure to make sure that, if you do have to go through a lawsuit, your income does not have to fund a good defense.
Step 2: Maintain your own mental health. Seek social comfort from those experienced in the situation. Another professional or a support group familiar with the situation can alleviate much of the associated stress and panic.
Step 3: Safeguard your practice. Identify critical areas where your practice is out of control. Not only may these points of your practice cause unneeded anxiety, but they may protect against future malpractice suits. Rather than feeling discouraged, set new goals and work towards them.
Step 4: Get introspective. Take a look at yourself objectively and review the events in question. It is also important to refrain from ‘beating yourself up’. Mistakes are part of life we can learn from the past and use it to create a better future.
The NIH provides many resources for identifying the best way to handle malpractice. Check out coping with a medical malpractice suit to learn more about what to expect and how physicians may react in the situation. Discover the stages of litigation, and what to do to stay ahead of the process.
