I am glad to announce that the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC, is now approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) as a provider of continuing education.

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. 

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.

I Graduated Already, Why Do I Have to Take Continuing Education Classes?

You completed your undergraduate program, and then your master’s degree. You might even have completed a Ph.D. program. You took a licensure exam. You worked under supervision for a year or two. Finally, you were fully licensed. 

But you’re not done with your education just yet. In fact, you likely won’t ever be done - not as long as you want to keep practicing in your profession.

Counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists - in fact, most healthcare professionals - typically are required to take continuing education classes throughout their careers to maintain licensure. 

You can check your state’s CE requirements here. 

Each state has licensure laws that set minimum continuing education requirements. Why?

Clinicians often wonder, “How can I provide therapy to active-duty military members and veterans?” There is an immense need for comprehensive mental health services among this population and the growing field of telehealth has allowed clinicians more access than ever before to provide services to military personnel, veterans, and their families.

Recently, Ray Barrett sat down for an interview with Dr. Mark Stebnicki, a mental health counselor and instructor for the Clinical Military Counseling Certificate Program, and Randy Phelps, CEO of Give An Hour- a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive, no-cost mental health services to veterans.

HIPAA and TeleMental Health: Get Compliant!

Is your telemental health practice HIPAA compliant? It’s a question that can cause a knot in the stomach of even the most experienced telemental health professionals. For those just starting out in telehealth, it may even cause a bout of panic. Exactly how does HIPAA impact counselors who are using telehealth? Are the rules different than the rules for in-person therapy?

Even if you’ve taken a continuing education class covering HIPAA, it may not have covered telemental health and you may have questions. 

Let’s start with some basics: 

Dr. Yolanda Fountain, Ph.D., LPC, RPT-S, ACS, NCC, founder of Play Wellness, Inc. developed the Play Wellness Certificate - PLAY THERAPY TRAINING CERTIFICATE (PTTC). Dr. Fountain is also a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor as well as a consultant and educator at numerous universities in Georgia.

In July 2020, Dr. Fountain and Ray Barrett of the Telehealth Certification Institute discussed the use of telemental healthcare with play therapy.

What do we call behavioral health sessions where the client and clinician are not in the same location but rely on technology to communicate?

There are so many terms and definitions for this that it often causes confusion. Knowing which term or definition to use is often determined by context. Among other terms used, social workers have used the term technology-assisted social work, psychologists have used the term e-psychology, and counselors have used the term distance counseling. Clinicians who specialize in using texting for therapy have referred to it as text therapy, and providers marketing to tech-savvy clients have used the terms web-based or cyber-counseling.  

The Psychological Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) is an interstate agreement created by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) to allow licensed psychologists to provide telepsychology and temporary in-person services across state lines — without having to obtain multiple licenses. Initially approved in 2015, PSYPACT became operational in 2019 and continues to expand, enabling greater access to care and professional mobility.

✅ What PSYPACT Allows

Licensed psychologists in PSYPACT-participating states can:

• Provide telepsychology across state lines with an E.Passport and Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT)

• Offer temporary in-person, face-to-face services (up to 30 workdays per year per state) with an Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC)

These credentials streamline practice across jurisdictions while maintaining accountability, professional standards, and public protection.

🟢 E.Passport Requirements (Telepsychology)

To apply for the E.Passport, psychologists must meet the following:

• Hold a current, active license in at least one PSYPACT-participating state

• Have a doctoral degree in psychology from:

• An APA or CPA accredited program, or

• A program designated by ASPPB/NRHSP, or

• A NACES-recognized foreign credential evaluation service

• Pass the EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology) with a qualifying score

• Submit graduate transcripts directly from the institution to ASPPB

• Have no disciplinary actions on any psychology license

🔁 Renewal Requirements

• Renew annually

• Submit:

• Proof of current active licensure in a PSYPACT state

• Renewal fee

• 3 hours of CE related to the use of technology in psychology (CE may include academic coursework or approved sponsor CE)

📄 View the E.Passport Quick Guide (PDF)

🟡 IPC Requirements (Temporary In-Person Practice)

Psychologists who wish to provide up to 30 days/year of in-person services in a PSYPACT state where they are not licensed must:

• Hold an active license in an ASPPB jurisdiction

• Apply for and obtain the IPC

• Notify the PSYPACT Commission before beginning services in another state

• Renew the IPC annually

🌎 Current PSYPACT Member States

As of May 2025, over 40 states, along with the District of Columbia and select territories, are active PSYPACT participants.

To view the latest interactive map of member states:
🔗 PSYPACT Map

🤝 Benefits of PSYPACT

For psychologists:

• Seamless interstate practice

• Avoids redundancy of multiple state licenses

• Supports continuity of care

For clients:

• Greater access to specialized services

• Continuity during relocation

• Improved access in underserved or rural areas

📚 Related Reading: CE Hours Requirements

If you're planning to practice under PSYPACT, you must stay current on continuing education expectations. For a full breakdown of CE hours and helpful course recommendations, read our new article:

👉 Continuing Education Hours for Psychologists Practicing Under PSYPACT

 The use of mobile devices and mobile apps has become the norm. Mobile apps solve people's need for purchases, information, connection, health and nutrition tracking, and mental health. Deciding which mobile app to use for a specific mental health need, such as managing depression, can be difficult. There are thousands of apps to choose from and the information available on the apps’ sales pages are often not adequate to make an informed decision.

Clinicians need to be competent at reviewing apps before recommending them to clients. Individuals seeking to utilize apps also need guidance in making a smart decision. Professional organizations have carefully created guidelines for evaluating apps for mental health. For example Raymond Barrett, our CEO, as a member of the American Telemedicine Association has been on an ATA task force for establishing tool for evaluating mobile apps for depression.

Steven Levenkron, M.S., one of our alumni, is a groundbreaking and well-known psychotherapist specializing in anorexia, self-mutilation, OCD, and sexual abuse. He is the author of both fiction and non-fiction books that provide theoretical analyses of his areas of expertise. In a career that began in 1970,  Levenkron has provided over sixty thousand hours (and counting) of therapy and boasts a 90% recovery rate for his patients.

Ray Barrett of Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC recently sat with Steven Levenkron to discuss his years of experience and the success he has experienced when using technology in his treatment of patients.  Levenkron has found that abuse victims are more open when care is provided at a distance. When those clients find themselves alone in a secure environment and at no physical risk from others, they tend to open up more quickly and disclose to the provider - hence, care and treatment begin much faster. For abuse victims, non-verbal communication (such as email) is the most effective for opening up, followed by audio (telephone), and video conferencing. The least effective style of meetings for this clientele is same-location sessions.

Interview with Dr. Christina Strayer, Ed.D, LPC, CCTP, AAT, NBCT, a Doctoral level Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Counselor in Trauma Procedures (CCTP), and trained as an Animal Assisted Therapist (AAT). Dr. Strayer shares how she got started with telebehavioral health, how she uses her therapy pets during her psychotherapy sessions, and advice for other online therapists. You can contact Dr. Strayer at 919-901-5349

Check out how you can earn the Animal Assisted Therapy Interventionist Credential (AAT-I) using the program Dr. Strayer co-created and co-teaches.

How do we, as therapists, help our clients with digital dating? A new study cited by the American Psychological Association links swiping with self-esteem issues. Dee Wagner, BC-DMT, LPC, recently wrote a blog post on her site, LustierLife.com, that addresses profile writing in the digital dating process. Dee shares: