Dr. Black Hosts New Ethics Session Through Project ECHO Idaho
For three years, Dr. J. “Audie” Black, Ph.D., ABN has been a panelist for Project ECHO’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia series in Idaho. Now, the University of Idaho has invited him to host a special ethics session.
Project ECHO is a telementoring model, developed at the University of New Mexico, that connects medical specialists with local providers over videoconference for case-based learning, so expertise can reach communities that don’t otherwise have easy access to it.
“Project ECHO is a nationwide program that started in 2003. Local organizations host it to help train doctors and other healthcare providers, especially those working in rural and underserved areas,” Dr. Black said. “Idaho fits both categories.”
The Project ECHO team at the University of Idaho asked Dr. Black to host and present a special ethics session for behavioral health providers across the state, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. He agreed and brought together a panel to join him.
“Ethical Decision-Making in Dementia Care: Balancing the Caregiver’s Needs and Patient’s Best Interests“ is a live virtual session on September 8, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. MT on Zoom. Dr. Black will be joined by Laura LaForte, LCSW (LaForte Therapy & Consulting), Karen Kouba-McIver, LSW (Aging Strong, Jannus), and Kennette McWilliams, LCSW (St. Luke’s Health System). The panel will share a framework for handling complex ethical situations in dementia care, using real case examples to show how caregiver needs and patient autonomy can sometimes conflict.
This session offers 1 hour of ethics CE credit. It is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center, in partnership with North Idaho AHEC and the University of Idaho School of Health and Medical Professions Office of Continuing Education.
Providers can sign up at go.uidaho.edu/ethics.
