California Labor Code § 6401.9 (SB 553)

Workplace Violence
Prevention & Clinician Safety

“Because deep down, everyone deserves to feel safe, seen, and heard.”

Our trauma-informed safety protocol tailored specifically for remote telehealth therapists and occasional in-person encounters at Collectively We Heal.

Plan Administrator: Mani Saeidi

Direct Line: Google Chat DM

Compensated: 100% Paid (W-2 Admin Time)

Grounding nature & trauma-responsive care in practice.

Telehealth laptop and sanctuary workspace

California Labor Code § 6401.9

Statutory Clinician Rights & Protections

Statutory Protections

Our Written Plan & Employee Rights

Your physical and psychological safety as a mental health provider is protected under California law.

24/7 Access to Written Plan (Open Google Drive )

Our full written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan is stored on our shared Google Drive for your review at any time.

Absolute Zero-Retaliation Shield

California law strictly shields you from disciplinary action, reduced caseloads, or retaliation for reporting threats or ending unsafe sessions.

Clinician Involvement in Safety Policy

We directly consult our therapy team during annual hazard evaluations and policy updates to reflect actual clinical realities.

Compensated Training Time

As W-2 clinical staff, completing this safety module is paid time. Please record this under Administrative Pay on your timesheet.

Statutory Classifications

The 4 Types of Workplace Violence

Cal/OSHA defines four statutory classifications of workplace hazards. Here is how they apply to mental health care:

Type 1 • Criminal Intent

Strangers / Data & Cyber Intrusions

Perpetrators with no legitimate clinical relationship (e.g., unauthorized data access or cyber harassment).

Type 2 • Primary Telehealth Risk 90%+ of Clinical Focus

Client / Patient Aggression & Boundary Violations

Verbal harassment, boundary violations, sexually explicit conduct, or threats directed at clinicians during video or phone care.

Type 3 • Internal

Worker-on-Worker Hostility

Lateral harassment or bullying between team members. Collectively We Heal maintains zero tolerance.

Type 4 • Remote Workspace Risk

Personal Relationships Spillover

Domestic violence or stalking spilling into a therapist's home office or private clinical environment.

Practice Checkpoint 1 of 3 • Threat Recognition

Required to Advance

Clinical Scenario

During a video intake, a prospective client becomes agitated after being informed about your cancellation policy. They begin yelling, use derogatory slurs, and demand your personal cell number and home address. Which statutory category does this threat fall under?

Virtual Hygiene Shield

Remote Defense

Digital Safety & Boundary Shield

Protecting your home address, personal phone number, and private sanctuary.

1. Virtual or Blurred Backgrounds Mandatory

Always maintain a neutral blurred backdrop during video sessions. Ensure diplomas showing physical town names, street views, and family pictures are never visible.

2. Authorized Practice VoIP Channels Exclusively

Never message or call clients from personal cell numbers or unmasked caller IDs. Use only Collectively We Heal authorized VoIP and Jane EHR channels.

3. Doxxing Defense & Public Record Scrubbing

We strongly encourage clinicians to opt out of public data broker records (Whitepages, FastPeopleSearch). Mani can provide step-by-step guidance upon request.

Trauma-Informed Clinician Safeguard

Your Full Authority to Disconnect

Your emotional and physical safety supersedes finishing any clinical appointment.

Step 1 • Set Boundary

“This language and behavior is unacceptable. If it continues, I will end this session immediately.”

State once calmly if you feel safe to do so.

Step 2 • Terminate

“I am ending this session now and notifying clinical leadership.”

Disconnect immediately. Do not readmit to the room.

Step 3 • Zero Fault

You will never face clinical fault, reprimand, or loss of wages for disconnecting from an abusive client.

100% leadership-backed protocol.

Practice Checkpoint 2 of 3 • Safety Protocol

Required to Advance

Clinical Scenario

You are 20 minutes into a telehealth session. The client becomes increasingly hostile, brandishes an edged weapon on camera, and states they know what city you live in. You gave an initial boundary warning, but the escalation continued. What is the mandatory protocol?

Approved Suites Only

Rare Encounters

In-Person Safety Protocols

Core physical safety guidelines for our rare in-person therapy encounters.

1. Chair Closest to the Exit Door

Always position your chair closest to the primary exit door. Never allow furniture or client positioning to block your path out of the room.

2. Google Chat Buddy Ping

Send a quick ping on Google Chat to Mani Saeidi right before starting and immediately upon concluding any in-person meeting.

3. Immediate Evacuation Over Physical Restraint

Never attempt physical restraint. If an in-person client makes physical threats or brandishes a weapon, evacuate immediately, close the door, and call 911.

Crucial Telehealth Safety Rule

Cross-Jurisdiction Emergencies

When requesting emergency dispatch for a telehealth client in crisis across California:

Do NOT Just Dial 911 from Your Personal Phone

Dialing 911 connects to your local emergency dispatch, not where the client is physically located.

Step 1: Always Verify Physical Location at Intake

Ensure the client's current physical address is confirmed at the beginning of sessions so it is on file if crisis intervention is required.

Step 2: Contact the Client's Local PSAP / Police Dispatch

Call the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or local non-emergency/emergency dispatch for the client's specific city or county.

Message Mani on Google Chat for co-pilot support during active clinical crises.

Practice Checkpoint 3 of 3 • Cross-Jurisdiction Protocol

Required to Advance

Clinical Scenario

You are providing telehealth therapy from your home in Long Beach, CA. Your client is located in Sacramento, CA, and states they have taken a lethal overdose. Why must you NOT simply dial 911 on your mobile phone?

Internal Pathways

Incident Reporting

Prompt notification protects you, your peers, and practice compliance.

1 Notify Mani Saeidi via Google Chat or email within 24 hours of any session termination or threat.

2 Collectively We Heal records the threat in our internal 5-Year Violent Incident Log as required by Cal/OSHA.

3 Clinicians always maintain the right to report threats directly to law enforcement without fear of retaliation.

Critical Privacy Rule

The Strict HIPAA Firewall

Cal/OSHA expressly forbids recording client names, medical record numbers, or diagnoses in safety logs.

WHAT WE LOG:

Date, time, violence classification (e.g., Type 2), the specific threat behavior, and corrective safety actions taken.

WHAT WE NEVER LOG:

Client name, date of birth, phone number, physical address, or clinical diagnostic notes.

CARE & RECOVERY

Trauma-Informed Post-Incident Care

Our clinical leadership provides direct, dedicated debriefing without corporate bureaucracy.

1. Leadership Debrief

Prompt check-in with Mani Saeidi to evaluate your well-being, review the event, and discuss next steps.

2. Clinical Case Action

Assessment of client safety contracts, referral to in-person/higher level of care, or administrative discharge.

3. Schedule Flexibility

Immediate schedule adjustments after any distressing encounter so you have time and space to decompress.

4. Community Lifelines

Direct connections to 988 Crisis Lifelines and California Peer-Run Warm Lines whenever external support is helpful.

California Labor Code § 6401.9 (SB 553)

Annual Compliance Exam

Question

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Question title goes here...

Section 14 • Verification

Statutory Sign-Off

California Labor Code § 6401.9 requires Collectively We Heal to retain signed annual records of your safety training for our official compliance file.

Training Standard: California SB 553

Compensated Time: 15 Mins Admin Pay

8-Question Assessment: 100% Passed

Designated Plan Administrator

Mani Saeidi, Co-Founder

Google Chat DM mani@collectivelyweheal.com

Clinician Verification Details

Please input your details and confirm the statutory acknowledgments:

Full Name (First & Last) *

Clinical Role / Licensure *

Safety Questions or Comments for Mani Saeidi (Optional)

I confirm I have access to view our written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan in Google Drive. I understand my full authority to immediately terminate and disconnect from any unsafe or abusive session. I will log this training time on my timesheet under administrative pay.

Workplace Violence Prevention & Clinician Safety

Our Written Plan & Employee Rights

24/7 Access to Written Plan (Open Google Drive )

Absolute Zero-Retaliation Shield

Clinician Involvement in Safety Policy

Compensated Training Time

The 4 Types of Workplace Violence

During a video intake, a prospective client becomes agitated after being informed about your cancellation policy. They begin yelling, use derogatory slurs, and demand your personal cell number and home address. Which statutory category does this threat fall under?

Digital Safety & Boundary Shield

1. Virtual or Blurred Backgrounds Mandatory

2. Authorized Practice VoIP Channels Exclusively

3. Doxxing Defense & Public Record Scrubbing

Your Full Authority to Disconnect

You are 20 minutes into a telehealth session. The client becomes increasingly hostile, brandishes an edged weapon on camera, and states they know what city you live in. You gave an initial boundary warning, but the escalation continued. What is the mandatory protocol?

In-Person Safety Protocols

1. Chair Closest to the Exit Door

2. Google Chat Buddy Ping

3. Immediate Evacuation Over Physical Restraint

Cross-Jurisdiction Emergencies

You are providing telehealth therapy from your home in Long Beach, CA. Your client is located in Sacramento, CA, and states they have taken a lethal overdose. Why must you NOT simply dial 911 on your mobile phone?

Incident Reporting

The Strict HIPAA Firewall

Trauma-Informed Post-Incident Care

1. Leadership Debrief

2. Clinical Case Action

3. Schedule Flexibility

4. Community Lifelines

Annual Compliance Exam

Question title goes here...

Statutory Sign-Off

Clinician Verification Details

Annual Training Certified

Workplace Violence
Prevention & Clinician Safety