Reaching Out: Telehealth, Interstate Practice & Technology

Following the onset of the pandemic, the use of telehealth to provide outpatient mental health services has increased as never before. Many mental health professionals are providing services across state lines as their clients may no longer drive to the office but live a short distance away, across the boundary of the state. Clients and providers may have moved out of metropolitan areas seeking to be in less populated areas in a neighboring state. Similarly, the proliferation of telehealth platforms offers the mental health clinician the opportunity to be sought out by clients who previously would not be able to be seen in the office. This leads to a host of challenges related to interstate practice, appropriate use of technology and compliance with federal and state or provincial regulations, and clinical and emergency service provision when services are provided in distant communities.

This program will help participants sort through the various ethical and regulatory challenges to make more informed decisions about practice and provide a high standard of care. Using an interview format, supported by slides, two experts will be interviewed. They will address issues related to licensure and interstate practice, considerations when working with video platforms (including commonly used platforms that may not be HIPAA compliant but preferred by the client), and how to best get informed consent and routine paperwork signed when providing services remotely.

Webinars are converted to video on-demand programs with closed captioning after the live air date

• Describe the challenges and procedures needed to provide clinical services across state lines when using telehealth platforms.
• List key considerations and steps to assure informed consent and achieve a high degree of regulatory compliance.

Host: Jeffrey Zimmerman, PhD, ABPP

Presenter: Alan Nessman, JD, and Nicole Owings-Fonner, MA