Description

These guidelines are designed to serve as both a consensus operational best practice reference.

Telemental health is the use of electronic means or technology to provide mental health services by any mental health discipline.  It is not a separate medical or mental health service.  It is simply a different means through which a practitioner can deliver services that have historically been delivered in person in the mental health field.  Telemental health is discipline neutral, meaning that all mental health disciplines can use the technology modality to provide services.   

Telemental health practice guidelines have been developed by panels that include experts from the field and other strategic stakeholders and designed to serve as both an operational reference and an educational tool to aid in providing appropriate care for patients.   The purpose of these standards is to assist practitioners in pursuing a sound course of action to provide effective and safe medical care that is founded on current information, available resources, and client needs.  This course reduces risk and provides education and competency to meet regulatory and licensure requirements for practitioners providing telemental health services to clients while integrating appropriate client and practitioner communication.  Implementing client suitability, conducting risk assessments, developing rapport, all while providing proper documentation, and ethical screenings with appropriate referrals in and out will allow for a seamless transition to the use of telemental health. The goal of this course is to present client care protocols that practitioners can use as a pathway toward effective and high quality care.

This course is brought to you using a “virtual classroom” that can be accessed 24/7/365 on any device connected to the internet using any network.  Once enrolled it will never leave your account and will be updated as needed.