Final answer:
Practicing in a manner detrimental to public health and welfare can lead to severe consequences and is characterized by failures in adhering to best practices for safety and risk assessments, mishandling contagious diseases, or unethical behaviors such as substance abuse.
Step-by-step explanation:
The consequences of practicing in a manner detrimental to public health and welfare can be significant. According to the Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5204() (2) (B) (4)), the Secretary is expected to outline reasonable best practice standards for risk and safety assessment within two years, which includes addressing issues such as domestic violence and substance abuse.
Practice areas deemed detrimental by the Board might include failing to diagnose or properly manage contagious diseases, which poses a direct threat to public health, or engaging in unethical behaviors such as substance abuse by the professionals themselves, which could compromise their ability to provide safe care. Moreover, actions that could lead to the persons needing care becoming a financial burden to the government are also considered detrimental.