TeleMental Health Best Practices

Description

In today’s rapidly evolving behavioral health landscape, providing care at a distance isn’t just convenient—it’s a lifeline. Yet, without a firm grasp of the legal, ethical, and practical standards that guide telemental health, even experienced clinicians risk missteps that can compromise both client safety and professional credibility.

TeleMental Health Best Practices equips clinicians with the foundational knowledge they need to practice safely, ethically, and confidently in a virtual environment. This overview course provides clarity where confusion often arises—offering practical insights and actionable guidance you can apply immediately in your work with clients.

Raymond Barrett, LMHC, is a pioneer in telehealth training and the founder of Telehealth Certification Institute. With more than a decade of experience in telemental health, Ray has trained over 40,000 professionals, shaped national guidelines, and advised leading organizations. His expertise ensures this course reflects not only academic rigor but also the lived realities of practicing clinicians.

Ray’s approach is straightforward, practical, and grounded in real-world clinical experience. He translates complex regulations and ethical standards into plain language, using case-based examples and step-by-step strategies that help clinicians avoid common pitfalls and elevate the quality of their virtual practice.

This course covers the benefits and drawbacks of telemental health, research on its effectiveness, legal considerations at both federal and state levels, ethical standards specific to online care, privacy law and HIPAA essentials, technology selection, emergency management planning, clinical skills for video sessions, and common mistakes to avoid.

Key Takeaways:

• Clarity on benefits and challenges: Gain an understanding of the potential advantages of telemental health as well as the drawbacks to watch for.

• Legal and ethical guidance: Learn how U.S. licensure law and professional ethics uniquely shape telehealth practice.

• Confidence in your role: Acquire practical tools for aligning your practice with the highest standards of client safety, privacy, and professionalism.

Why This Course?

• Protect your clients and your license: Avoid costly missteps by learning the laws, ethics, and best practices that directly impact your work.

• Learn from a true authority: Ray Barrett helped write the field’s leading guidelines and has trained tens of thousands of clinicians—your training comes from a trusted expert.

• Get practical strategies, not just theory: This course distills complex standards into actionable steps you can apply in your very next session.

Learning Objectives:

• List three possible benefits and drawbacks of telemental health.

• Explain how licensure law in the United States impacts telehealth.

• List three ethical standards that are specifically related to telehealth.

In a field where the rules are constantly shifting and client trust is everything, staying current isn’t optional—it’s essential. This course provides both the knowledge and reassurance you need to serve your clients well and safeguard your professional standing.

Enroll today in TeleMental Health Best Practices and take the next step toward practicing with confidence and integrity.

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 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 1.5 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 a total of 1.5 continuing education credits (1 ethics continuing education credit and 0.5 clinical continuing education credit).

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