Coloring Inside the Lines: Applying Ethical Considerations to Telemental Health Practice
Enroll in the Online Self-Study course and complete it at your own pace.
1.5 CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians upon completion.
What happens when your ethical compass is pointed in one direction, but the law pulls you in another? In the rapidly evolving world of telemental health, behavioral health clinicians are routinely thrust into high-stakes situations where the "right" decision isn't always clear—and the consequences of getting it wrong can be life-altering.
Understanding how to "color inside the lines" can mean the difference between confident, competent care and costly missteps. This course empowers behavioral health professionals to untangle the ethical and legal challenges unique to telehealth, and find clarity in the gray areas.
Enroll in the 1.5 CE Online Self-Study for $45
Payment Options are listed at checkout
Ann Ordway, JD, PhD., brings a rare and powerful blend of legal and clinical expertise to this course. A former family law attorney and seasoned counselor educator, Dr. Ordway has spent decades guiding professionals through high-stakes ethical terrain, including work with high-conflict families and court-involved clinical practice.
Her teaching is grounded in practical examples and complex case scenarios, illuminating the risks and responsibilities that arise when providing behavioral health services via telehealth. Through this self-paced course, she offers clinicians real-world insights and actionable strategies for aligning their practice with the highest ethical standards.
You’ll explore layered ethical dilemmas involving confidentiality, dual relationships, duty to warn, suicide risk, social media boundaries, and informed consent. The course also unpacks jurisdictional regulations, interstate licensure complications, and how HIPAA compliance intersects with clinical care.
Instructor
Ann Ordway, JD, PhD, has a law degree and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. She is a retired family law attorney following approximately 20+ years of private practice in New Jersey, where she primarily worked with high conflict divorce dynamics, parenting coordination, and child advocacy. She received her MA and EdS in Counseling from Seton Hall University and completed her Practicum and Internship at the Counseling Services program on campus. Ann has been trained as a family mediator, a Guardian Ad Litem, and as a Parenting Coordinator. Clinical experience has included work with high-conflict families, victims of domestic violence, anger management with accused offenders of domestic violence, and school counseling. Ann has taught graduate-level clinical mental health and school counseling for nearly 14 years, both in-person and via distance learning. She was the College Academic Director of Counseling at a University in Phoenix, Arizona, and she is a former president of the Arizona Counseling Association. She is currently the program director at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, where she facilitates the delivery of trainings for an international, interdisciplinary audience of family law professionals.
Dr. Ordway’s doctoral dissertation on the experiences of parenting coordinators working with high-conflict couples engaged in intimate partner violence dynamics is the foundation of her current research. She is a national and international presenter, and has published in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to high-conflict families, the impact of divorce on children, ethics, and the preparedness of counselors for court-involved roles and general court involvement.
Key Takeaways:
Clarity on ethical standards: Gain a deep understanding of how professional codes of ethics apply in telehealth settings and across state lines.
Confidence in complex situations: Learn how to analyze, navigate, and resolve ethical dilemmas in telemental health using practical decision-making models.
Protection for clients and clinicians: Strengthen your ability to safeguard client confidentiality and navigate dual roles, all while staying compliant with legal standards.
Why this course?
A trusted authority: Dr. Ann Ordway’s unique combination of legal and clinical expertise ensures a comprehensive and credible learning experience.
Immediate application: Clinicians will walk away with tools and strategies they can apply right away to ethically strengthen their telehealth practice.
Backed by excellence: Offered by the Telehealth Certification Institute, a leader in behavioral health education committed to innovation, integrity, and client-centered care.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the specific provisions of various professional codes of ethics that guide telehealth practice in behavioral health.
Identify at least two ethical dilemmas that might arise in the context of providing telehealth services and apply ethical decision-making processes to resolve these dilemmas.
Explore the challenges of maintaining confidentiality and managing dual relationships in the context of telehealth.
Evaluate the implications of telehealth on informed consent and documentation practices in behavioral health services.
Ethical excellence in telemental health isn’t a given—it’s a skill that must be learned, practiced, and refined. Join us in this vital self-study course and equip yourself to deliver care that is not only clinically sound, but ethically unshakable.
Enroll now to boost your confidence and enhance your impact as a behavioral health professional.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.
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Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to attend: Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.
This program was recorded on November 1, 2024.
Testimonials
Bridgette Nalumu
Public health consultant, Green and Purple Consultancy Network
Lora Verley
Clinical Therapist, Bayless Integrated Healthcare
Jackie Tanna
Therapist, Region One Mental Health
Jackie Bell-Russell
Therapeutic Behavioral Strategist, Rialto Unified School District