Foundations of Telemental Health

Description

This course will satisfy the California, Florida and Louisiana 3 hour requirement for Telehealth training. Training and CEs are applicable for clinicians in any state. Please refer to CE Details for your state and license type.

You’ve worked hard to earn your license—but providing care across a screen raises a whole new set of questions, risks, and challenges. How do you stay legally compliant when your client is out of state? How do you maintain ethical boundaries, ensure privacy, or even build rapport without being in the same room? Telemental health isn't just a convenience—it's a clinical, legal, and ethical minefield unless you know how to navigate it.

This course gives clinicians the practical knowledge they need to feel confident, competent, and compliant when offering behavioral health services via video and phone. It’s your foundational guide to doing telemental health the right way, from the ground up.

Raymond Barrett, LMHC, is the founder and CEO of the Telehealth Certification Institute and a nationally recognized leader in telemental health education. With more than a decade of direct telehealth experience and a key role in developing national best practices and credentialing standards, Ray brings both authority and authenticity to this training.

Ray’s approach is direct, clear, and grounded in real-world clinical practice. He knows the challenges behavioral health professionals face because he has lived them—and designed this course to offer practical solutions with immediate clinical application.

This 3-hour self-study course covers the core components of providing telemental health services. Topics include: definitions and benefits of telemental health, key legal and licensure considerations, ethical standards specific to virtual care, technology selection and use, emergency management planning, preparing clients for remote sessions, and conducting effective therapy by video or phone.

Key Takeaways:

• Evaluate the pros and cons: Understand how to maximize the benefits and mitigate the challenges of telemental health.

• Navigate legal and ethical terrain: Learn how licensure laws and ethical standards shape what you can do and how to do it safely.

• Confidently conduct sessions: Gain a step-by-step guide to providing behavioral health services via video and phone.

Why this course?

• Trusted authority in the field: Developed by a leader who helped shape national best practices and telehealth credentialing standards.

• Immediate impact on practice: Learn practical strategies to streamline your workflow, protect your license, and improve client outcomes.

• Designed for real clinicians: Built with the realities of clinical practice in mind—not theory, but actionable guidance.

Learning Objectives:

• List three possible benefits and drawbacks of telemental health.

• Explain how licensure law in the United States impacts telemental health services.

• List three ethical standards that are specifically related to telemental health.

• Describe the process of conducting video and phone therapy sessions from start to finish.

Whether you're seeking clarity in a rapidly evolving field or striving to provide the highest standard of care for your clients, Foundations of Telemental Health equips you with the tools you need. Join the thousands of clinicians who have turned to this training as their trusted starting point.

Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 3 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

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: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Raymond Barrett, LMHC

Raymond Barrett is the founder and CEO of the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC (TCI). A licensed mental health counselor (LMHC), 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 for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 3 continuing education hours of credit ( 1 of which is ethics)

Counselors:

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:

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 3 total credits including 2 clinical and 1 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:

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:

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 180 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.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement