Telemental Health Practice and Implications of the Law
Across State Lines
Enroll in the Online Self-Study course and complete it at your own pace.
3 CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians upon completion.
When state lines become ethical fault lines, behavioral health professionals can’t afford to guess. This course demystifies the legal risks of cross-jurisdictional telemental health and gives you the tools to practice with clarity, confidence, and compliance.
From licensure compacts to conflicting state laws, clinicians are increasingly caught in a maze of legal obligations when delivering care remotely. This course invites you to protect your license—and your clients—by equipping yourself with legal knowledge that translates directly into everyday clinical decisions.
Enroll in the 3 CE Online Self-Study for $99
Payment Options are listed at checkout
Dr. Ann Ordway, JD, PhD., brings decades of experience at the intersection of law and counseling. A retired family law attorney and counselor educator, she has worked with high-conflict families, served as a parenting coordinator, and trained mental health professionals across the globe. Her extensive courtroom experience and leadership roles in counselor education uniquely qualify her to help clinicians navigate the high-stakes legal landscape of telemental health.
Dr. Ordway’s approach is direct and grounded in real-world application. With a clear-eyed review of law, ethics, and case dynamics, she breaks down complex legal constructs into practical knowledge that clinicians can immediately apply—whether they're seeing clients across state lines or preparing to respond to subpoenas or board complaints.
This course explores how jurisdictional authority, HIPAA compliance, and state-specific regulations intersect with telehealth logistics. It examines the nuances of informed consent, differences in mandatory reporting laws, exceptions to confidentiality, and compacts like PSYPACT and the Counseling Compact. You’ll also explore how legal proceedings may involve you as a clinician—intentionally or not—and how to proactively protect your practice.
Instructor
Ann Ordway, JD, PhD,
Ann Ordway, JD, PhD, has a law degree and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. She is a retired family law attorney following approximately 20+ years of private practice in New Jersey, where she primarily worked with high conflict divorce dynamics, parenting coordination, and child advocacy. She received her MA and EdS in Counseling from Seton Hall University and completed her Practicum and Internship at the Counseling Services program on campus. Ann has been trained as a family mediator, a Guardian Ad Litem, and as a Parenting Coordinator. Clinical experience has included work with high-conflict families, victims of domestic violence, anger management with accused offenders of domestic violence, and school counseling. Ann has taught graduate-level clinical mental health and school counseling for nearly 14 years, both in-person and via distance learning. She was the College Academic Director of Counseling at a University in Phoenix, Arizona, and she is a former president of the Arizona Counseling Association. She is currently the program director at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, where she facilitates the delivery of trainings for an international, interdisciplinary audience of family law professionals.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand core legal concepts: Learn how jurisdiction, rule of law, and conflicts between state laws can impact your telemental health practice.
- Anticipate complex dilemmas: Gain insight into the challenges clinicians face when legal obligations differ between their state and their client’s state.
- Prepare for legal proceedings: Know when and how you might be involved in a case, and what steps to take to minimize legal risk.
Why this course?
- Timely and relevant training: Telemental health is here to stay, but the laws governing it are still evolving—this course helps you stay ahead.
- Expert-led content: Dr. Ordway’s unique blend of legal expertise and counseling experience ensures a balanced, informed perspective tailored for clinicians.
- Ethics and compliance-focused: Offered by Telehealth Certification Institute, whose mission is to empower clinicians with knowledge that promotes ethical, high-quality care.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss two legal concepts that apply to providing telemental health services when the therapist is located in a different state than the client.
- Assess a dilemma involving inconsistent professional legal obligations in the jurisdiction where the therapist is located and the jurisdiction where the client is located.
- Explain the circumstances under which a therapist providing telemental health services may be involved in a legal proceeding involving a client.
Whether you're already practicing across state lines or planning to do so under an interstate compact, this course offers clarity in a field full of gray areas. Join us to gain essential knowledge that helps you serve clients confidently and safeguard your professional integrity.
Enroll now to begin learning instantly.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 3 hours of video instruction and a post-test.
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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:
Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.
This program was recorded on October 31, 2024.
Testimonials
Iveyana Kiara Smith
Jessy Hainbach
Bryant Wilson
Ben Keyser
Mei Chan
Meghan Co, LCSW-C, LICSW