Ethical Dilemmas in Working with Mentally Impaired Clients – NOSSCR 2026 Fall National Conference – Track I (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Ethics questions turn concrete fast when the client is mentally impaired. This session works from real-life examples: a client who withholds information, lies in court, makes suicidal or violent comments, or denies the mental illness at the center of the case.

Each dilemma pulls in two directions. The client’s condition drives the conduct; the rules still govern the representative. Withheld information and courtroom lies implicate candor obligations. Suicidal or violent comments demand a response the rules must inform. Denial of the illness complicates the representation itself.

The speakers bring the authorities and the practice together: the rules and case law addressing each scenario, and practical tips for handling these dilemmas when they arrive in your own caseload — so the next one finds you prepared rather than improvising.