Telehealth for Clients with Intellectual Disability

Description

What happens when your clinical tools weren’t designed for the population you most want to serve? For people with intellectual disability (ID), standard counseling approaches often fall short—unless providers know how to adapt. This course invites you to become part of the next chapter in ethical, inclusive, and effective care.

The need is urgent—and the solutions are within reach. Through a trauma-informed, relationship-centered approach, this course empowers you to reach clients with ID more effectively through telehealth. Whether you’re new to this population or looking to refine your skills, you’ll walk away with tangible strategies that help bridge gaps in access, communication, and care.

Dr. Jason Buckles, PhD, LPCC, is a nationally recognized expert in behavioral health care for individuals with intellectual disability and dual diagnoses. Drawing on over two decades of experience—as a clinical director, consultant, and university instructor—Dr. Buckles guides learners with clarity, compassion, and clinical insight.

This self-study course combines real-world telehealth adaptations with current research and historical context to help you better understand and serve individuals with ID. Dr. Buckles challenges biases, introduces practical tools, and highlights ethical and relational considerations for this underserved population.

Topics include the definition and criteria for intellectual disability; adaptive behavior and its role in therapy; trauma and attachment considerations; referral pathways; assessment modifications; and real-world accommodations for providing remote therapy. You’ll also explore how to collaborate with caregivers and interdisciplinary teams while preserving client autonomy and confidentiality.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand core definitions and history: Gain essential knowledge about intellectual disability, its diagnostic criteria, and how historical mistreatment still impacts access to care.

• Apply practical accommodations: Learn how to adapt assessment and therapeutic techniques to meet the unique communication and cognitive needs of clients with ID.

• Leverage telehealth effectively: Discover how remote care can enhance inclusion, improve therapeutic outcomes, and foster continuity of care.

Why this course?

• Unmatched expertise in the field: Dr. Buckles brings decades of frontline experience in behavioral health services for people with intellectual disabilities.

• Real-world tools and strategies: The course focuses on solutions that are ethical, inclusive, and clinically effective—not just theoretical best practices.

• A mission-driven learning experience: Offered by the Telehealth Certification Institute, this course aligns with a deep commitment to excellence, kindness, and equity in continuing education.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain general concepts of intellectual disability (ID)

• Discuss a brief history of treatment and mistreatment of people with ID in the United States

• Explain how telehealth may benefit people with ID in specific ways

• Discuss recent literature on this topic

• Illustrate ways assessment and counseling methods may be modified for this population

This training is both a practical guide and a call to action—an invitation to extend your care, deepen your understanding, and deliver high-quality behavioral health services to a population too often overlooked.

Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 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 Dr. Jason Buckles, Ph.D.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jason earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology at New York University in 1996. While there he worked on diagnostic projects at Bellevue Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He earned his Master’s in Counseling at The University of New Mexico in 2001 and PhD in Special Education at The University of New Mexico in 2016. His dissertation focused on the experiences of direct support professionals who support people with sexually challenging behavior. Since 2002 Jason has been owner of Talkabout Inc., a Behavior Consultation agency specializing in supports for people with intellectual disability and concurrent mental health diagnoses. From 2012 through 2016 Jason was the Statewide Clinical Director of the New Mexico Department of Health – Bureau of Behavioral Support overseeing statewide systems of behavioral support consultation. From 2016-2019 Jason was the Executive Director of A Better Way of Living, a CQL accredited agency that provides life-wide supports for people with intellectual disability. He is currently a contracting consultant with the New Mexico Department of Health where he supervises the sexual risk screening program, the ongoing development of behavior support systems, and provides statewide trainings on co-occurring mental health conditions for people with intellectual disability among other topics. For several years Jason has also served as the Program Manager for the Developmental Disability/Mental Illness project with the University of New Mexico. For most of the past 20 years he was a part time instructor at both The University of New Mexico teaching Introduction to Intellectual Disability and at New Mexico Highlands University teaching DSM Assessment for Counselors.

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 1.5 continuing education hours of credit.

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 1.5 clinical 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 90 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