Modern technology provides an exciting opportunity for behavioral health professionals to deliver clinical services virtually, allowing many providers to significantly expand their client base and work remotely. Though many behavioral health professionals have always utilized technology for providing clinical services, more and more are accessing this option as the demand for telehealth has grown.  But, clinicians often jump into providing clinical services through the use of technology without FIRST assessing their level of competence and receiving the training to ensure legal and professional compliance.

Alison Bowles, LMHC shares her experience as an online counselor who treats couples and those struggling with anxiety and depression.

Learn from our interview of Elizabeth (Liz) Grady, LPC, LPCS, DCC from eSupport, PLLC. Liz and her colleagues noticed a need for online counseling and clinical supervision in North Carolina and have worked to fill that need.  Liz shares how she prepared for, implemented, and succeeded at providing these important services. 

In order for an LMHC to retain their license in NY they must complete 36 hours of continuing education every three years by a CE provider who has been approved by the NY Mental Health Practitioners Board.  Only 12 of these hours can consist of self-study activities.  Live webinar courses are considered live hours.

The military and VA use telehealth more than any organization I know of.  They also have conducted research which shows that it reduces no-show rates and hospital readmissions and provides access to many clients who normally would not have received care.

Both, working with the military and providing telebehavioral health services require specific awareness and skills.  Our interview with Mercia Cummings provides you a view of what it is truly like to provide the services. 

Hear what it is like for an expert counselor, who specializes in working with clients who have been affected by difficult relationships, to provide psychotherapy online.

I am excited to announce that the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is now an approved provider for continuing education by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners and the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work.

LCSWs and LMHCs in NY can now earn CE hours while qualifying to become a credentialed telemental health provider.

Georgia is using telemental health for assessments, treatment, supervision, coordination of care, school-based services, and in many other facilities. The Partnership Georgia Partnership for Telehealth has had 240,000 telehealth patient visits in 2014, and it currently includes over 600 locations with over 200 specialists and healthcare partners. Georgia has had a telehealth parity law since 2006. Georgia has been requiring counselors, social workers, and MFTs to receive 6 hours of CE training in telemental health. Georgia’s Office of Telehealth & Telemedicine is establishing a new sophisticated telemedicine network.

If you want to start offering telebehavioral health services in Georgia, I highly recommend earning a telebehavioral health credential. A training credential in telebehavioral health will not only teach you important best practices but will inform referral sources of your credibility.

Read about Georgia's CE requirement for telemental health.

North Carolina is greatly utilizing telemental health. The Statewide Telepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP) in NC anticipates connecting eighty or more hospital emergency departments with psychiatric assessments and consultations. Most major insurance companies in NC are reimbursing for telebehavioral health services. The Center for Rural Health Innovation’s Health-e-Schools program provides school-based telehealth services to thirty-three schools in four counties. North Carolina has a proposed telehealth parity law, HB 283. Both Licensed Professional Counselors and Social Workers in North Carolina can now receive supervision hours through the use of technology.

The expansion of telemental health in North Carolina is helping overcome the barriers to access to treatment. If you are a behavioral health clinician in North Carolina, I encourage you to seek training in telemental health.

You can earn you Telemental Health Training Certificate (THTC) by taking one of our upcoming courses. Click here to find a training that fits your needs.

Are you a behavioral health educator?

Can you effectively connect with students online?

Will students truly be prepared for providing behavioral health services after attending an online program?

In this interview, learn from Corinna Costello PhD, LCPC, ATR-BC, a seasoned faculty member, what it's like to educate behavioral health students online.

If you lead or teach within a graduate behavioral health program in counseling, family therapy, social work or psychology, consider offering your graduate students a TeleMental Health Training that will prepare them to reach their future clients through telehealth: Graduate Programs & TeleMental Health Training