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This online, self-study program is designed to prepare you to effectively provide telemental health services.
It covers all of the essential competencies of using technology in practice and of providing services from a distance.
The TeleMental Health Training Program is designed to prepare professionals to safely, legally, and effectively provide telemental health services. It covers the essential competencies of using technology in practice and of providing services from a distance. This program is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Technology is helping many clinicians offer services in various modalities and allows clients to safely access the care they need, but the ethical, legal, and cultural competencies of using technology in healthcare are not always evident. Participants are introduced to the benefits, drawbacks, history, and research on telemental health, the different settings and locations in which telemental health is utilized as well as key resources for up-to-date telemental information. The legalities of providing services remotely when the clinician and client are not in the same location and state licensure law in the United States can be confusing. Steps to take and important legal information when you practice in a different state (or nation) than where you are licensed are addressed. Understanding how to become compliant to both federal and state privacy laws and the uniqueness of behavioral health services related to confidentiality protects both you and your client. This program covers the rules of several privacy laws including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 and explains the process of becoming legally compliant. Legal entities and professional associations including APA, ATA, NBCC, NASW, ACA, AAMFT, and ASWB have provided guidelines, suggestions, and requirements for the use of technology in healthcare. Clinicians are instructed how to select technology that allows for compliance with the applicable laws and ethics for your profession, as well as address specific cultural needs. This includes electronic health-record systems, practice management programs, video conferencing, phone systems, faxing, data storage technology, payment processing technology, and messaging technology (email, texting, chat).
A thorough review of the clinical aspects of providing behavioral health services via video and phone sessions is critical before offering services remotely. Clinicians need a clear and documented plan for responding to emergencies both in the midst of and between sessions. You will address best practices for establishing tailored emergency management plans for each client, different locations, and modalities of communication. Learn to assess whether or not an individual is likely to be a fit for receiving behavioral health services from you or your organization depending on if they are going to receive services at your office, through video conferencing, a phone session, or via secure messaging. This program extensively covers the ethical and clinical skills of providing video sessions and phone sessions to your clients. You will cover the competencies of setting up the technology, the clinical setting, preparing the client, responding to technical issues, technology options, how to effectively use technology, communication skills specifically for video conferencing and phone sessions, and documentation.
Instruction consists of 15.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.
There are ten topics in this program:
- Introduction to TeleMental Health
- Legal Aspects of TeleMental Health
- Ethics of Using Technology in Behavioral Health
- Privacy Law for TeleMental Health
- Ethical, Legal, and Clinical Aspects of Selecting Technology
- Emergency Management Planning for TeleMental Health
- Screening for Fit for TeleMental Health Services
- Ethical and Clinical Skills of Video Sessions
- Ethical and Clinical Skills of Phone Therapy
- Cultural Competence and Telehealth
- Offer your clients more ways to have sessions with you.
- Meet the demand for online counseling.
- Reduce risk for your client, your license, and your practice.
- Adhere to your code of ethics and practice within your boundaries of competence.
- Become a preferred provider for insurance companies, EAPs, and organizations who are seeking telemental health providers.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the history, research and settings of telemental health.
- Explain how to determine if or when you can legally practice telemental health by reviewing and discussing state licensing laws and federal regulations.
- Explain how to ensure you practice within your boundaries of competence when using digital or communication technology in your practice, by holding telemental health services to the same standard of care expected for same-location/ face-to-face services.
- Describe the clinical, legal and ethical considerations when selecting technology, including HIPAA considerations, so you can apply these considerations to technology decisions you employ in your practice.
- List and explain the possible benefits, drawbacks and risks of telemental health.
- Demonstrate how to establish with the client an emergency management plan for each session in both a supervised and unsupervised environment and the process of responding to an emergency during a telemental health session.
- Use three criteria to assess if a prospective and/or current client is a fit for telemental health services.
- Demonstrate how to provide an effective video or phone session from start to finish.
- Demonstrate how to prepare the client for a video or phone session and to address technological challenges.
- Define cultural competence and cultural humility as it relates to ethical professional practice.
- Adapt technology, assessment, and treatment services to fit specific cultural needs.
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: Instructions for attending and completing a course can be found here.
Raymond Barrett is the founder and CEO of the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC (TCI). A licensed mental health counselor (LMHC and LPC), Ray is an innovator and leader in the field of telemental health. He’s an expert telehealth trainer, a respected speaker, and a trusted consultant.
Ray’s inspiration for TCI came from his clients that started asking him to conduct their therapy sessions over the phone. Ray had discovered a knowledge gap in mental health training. He wanted to fill that void with comprehensive and practical training in telemental health - so Ray created that training for himself and fellow clinicians.
Since 2014, TCI has delivered comprehensive telehealth training and consultation to a global network of more than 40,000 healthcare organizations and professionals. TCI now offers over 180 specialized courses, a vast array of telehealth resources, and ongoing free continuing education opportunities for telehealth providers. Among the most sought-after courses offered by TCI is the Telemental Health Training Certificate (THTC Certificate) program.
Ray played a significant role in developing the initial curriculum for the Board Certified Telemental Health credential (BC-TMH) for the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE). He reviewed every training module. He helped draft content, including questions for exams. He even wrote and developed the initial draft of one of the training modules: Telemental Health Settings and Coordination of Care.
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) - the most respected organization for telehealth - recently overhauled its guidelines. Ray was on the writing committee that developed Best Practices in Synchronous Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health in March 2022.
In 2019, Ray participated in a task force for developing a clinical rating process for mobile apps designed to help treat depression. The recommendations were presented to ATA.
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides accreditation services worldwide at the request of health and human service providers. As part of the International Standards Advisory Committee (ISAC), Ray helped establish CARF’s standards for virtual services.
Ray also is a frequent speaker and consultant for professional organizations. He has presented for over 20 organizations since 2015.
Disclosure Statement: The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.
The THTC program consists of 15 hours 42 minutes of video training.
Credit Hours: This course consists of 15.5 continuing education hours of credit (7.5 of which are ethics)
Counselors:
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Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.
Social Workers:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 15.5 total credits including 8 clinical and 7.5 ethics continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Addiction Professionals:
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This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Psychologists:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 930 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course.
This course was updated on June 11, 2021.
