Acquiring access to mental health treatments can be difficult for those who are not near mental health facilities. The growing field of telemental health addresses this problem by using video and telephone conferencing to provide patients with access to psychiatric professionals. However, the process faces challenges to gain adoption into mainstream medical practice and to develop an evidence base supporting its efficacy. In this comprehensive text, leading professionals in the field provide an introduction to telemental health and explore how to construct a therapeutic space in different contexts when conducting telemental health, how to improve access for special populations, and how to develop an evidence base and best practice in telemental health. In the past 15 years, implementation of telemental health has seemed to follow more from need than from demonstrated efficacy. The thorough and insightful chapters within this book show the importance of continued research and thoughtful development of ethical and responsible practice that is needed in the field and begin to lay out steps in constructing this process. Telemental Health will be an essential book for all clinical practitioners and researchers in mental health fields. Information in this book is focused on the clinical practice of telemental health, no other text is similarly oriented to clinical practice. Limited options for interested audience makes this text a top choice The Editors are experienced in multiple aspects of e-health across diverse clinical settings, and the authors are national leaders who are most knowledgeable regarding developments in the field Emphasis is on providing evidence-based care, and telemental health emerges as comparable to usual care, not a "second best" option; material is not esoteric but relevant to clinical practice. Readers will be able to readily find the equipment and other technology to establish their practice

Virtual care is the new normal. Are you prepared? In this comprehensive guide, therapist and certified telemental health trainer Joni Gilbertson discusses the entire virtual treatment process, from intake to termination (and beyond). Drawing from her own successful online practice, in addition to training thousands of professionals on telemental health, Gilbertson's straightforward, conversation style allows clinicians to see themselves in her case examples and clinical decision making. Designed with both the seasoned and newly minted therapist in mind, this guidebook provides a map to the essentials of a successful online practice, including: - Platforms that are both HIPAA-compliant and user-friendly - An ethical roadmap for navigating dilemmas common to virtual care - Up-to-date information on virtual care best practices and laws - Must-have risk management safeguards for your license, your practice, and your client - Customizable, legally sound forms, including informed consent, release of information, emergency plans, and more

This timely text provides foundational knowledge and skills pertaining to ethical and evidence-based practice for mental health providers engaging in or considering using distance modalities to treat clients. Targeting day-to-day application, the book explains the core functions of Telemental Health counseling (TMH) and its use across a broad spectrum of mental health modalities and settings. Using the framework of the ACA divisions, ASCA, and CACREP core areas to examine TMH, the text provides instructions to develop skills that readers can apply directly to their own counseling interactions. Providing a wealth of information based on empirical and impartial views, the book helps readers examine the benefits and risks of distance counseling in various settings. It encompasses the history of TMH, ethical codes, legal guidelines, and recent research. Case studies and opportunities for self-reflection enable readers to envision distance counseling in real-world contexts, ask critical questions, and form conclusions about its utility in their practice. Of particular value is the "Voices from the Field" feature, where practitioners from different settings describe using distance counseling. The "Challenges and Opportunities" features discuss the pros and cons of telemental health practice. The book is written through the lens of professional counseling which makes it an ideal companion to Counselor Education program courses in Counseling Skills, Pre-Practicum, Advanced Theory, or elective coursework pertaining to distance counseling and telemental health. Key Features: Includes critical content pertaining to the COVID-19 crisis Expands the view of distance counseling to include such varied professionals as mental health, school, family, couple, rehabilitation, addiction specialists, etc. Presents abundant case studies to provide context and practical application Addresses the positive and negative aspects of practicing distance counseling Includes ethical issues in each chapter pertaining to designated core areas or specialty Presents "Questions of Practice" to foster critical thinking regarding the use of TMH in specific roles or functions, Offers "Voices from the Field" with real-world examples focusing on practicing TMH within the designated core areas or specialties Emphasizes ethical, practical, and logistical TMH practice in all chapters Written through the lens of a professional counselor who is also a board-certified telemental health provider

Play Therapy and Telemental Health gives clinicians the tools they need to bring their therapy sessions online. Chapters present the fundamentals of play therapy and telemental health therapy and introduce play therapists to a variety of special populations and interventions specific to telemental health. Expert contributors discuss using a wide variety of telehealth interventions— including Virtual Sandtray®©, nature play, and EMDR —with children affected by autism, trauma, and more. Readers will learn how the fundamentals of play therapy can be expanded to provide effective treatment in web-based sessions. This is a vital guide for any clinician working in play therapy in the 21st century.

This book is a practical guide for mental and behavioral health care providers on using videoconferencing and other technologies to provide safe, high-quality care for their patients and clients.

In 1996, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its report Telemedicine: A Guide to Assessing Telecommunications for Health Care. In that report, the IOM Committee on Evaluating Clinical Applications of Telemedicine found telemedicine is similar in most respects to other technologies for which better evidence of effectiveness is also being demanded. Telemedicine, however, has some special characteristics-shared with information technologies generally-that warrant particular notice from evaluators and decision makers. Since that time, attention to telehealth has continued to grow in both the public and private sectors. Peer-reviewed journals and professional societies are devoted to telehealth, the federal government provides grant funding to promote the use of telehealth, and the private technology industry continues to develop new applications for telehealth. However, barriers remain to the use of telehealth modalities, including issues related to reimbursement, licensure, workforce, and costs. Also, some areas of telehealth have developed a stronger evidence base than others. The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) sponsored the IOM in holding a workshop in Washington, DC, on August 8-9 2012, to examine how the use of telehealth technology can fit into the U.S. health care system. HRSA asked the IOM to focus on the potential for telehealth to serve geographically isolated individuals and extend the reach of scarce resources while also emphasizing the quality and value in the delivery of health care services. This workshop summary discusses the evolution of telehealth since 1996, including the increasing role of the private sector, policies that have promoted or delayed the use of telehealth, and consumer acceptance of telehealth. The Role of Telehealth in an Evolving Health Care Environment: Workshop Summary discusses the current evidence base for telehealth, including available data and gaps in data; discuss how technological developments, including mobile telehealth, electronic intensive care units, remote monitoring, social networking, and wearable devices, in conjunction with the push for electronic health records, is changing the delivery of health care in rural and urban environments. This report also summarizes actions that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can undertake to further the use of telehealth to improve health care outcomes while controlling costs in the current health care environment.

Keeping kids engaged in therapy comes with its own set of challenges - and doing it over a screen is no exception. As clinicians increasingly make the switch to remote therapy, the need for kid-friendly telehealth interventions has become more crucial than ever. In Telemental Health with Kids Toolbox, Dr. Amy Marschall has created an arsenal of flexible, creative, and fun virtual interventions that will allow you to provide effective, evidence-based treatment while still capturing the attention of even the youngest of clients. Inside you'll find over 100 ready-to-use telehealth games, exercises, and activities that offer the same therapeutic benefits as your in-person sessions. Each intervention includes suggested age ranges and step-by-step instructions, equipping you with the tools you need to effectively (and confidently!) provide treatment through a screen. You'll also receive guidance on how to create your own kid-friendly, virtual intervention that are unique to your practice! Designed to fit with any therapeutic orientation, this toolbox targets a variety of skills: - Frustration tolerance - Perspective taking - Problem solving - Cognitive flexibility - Perfectionism - Empathy building - Winning and losing well - Impulse control - Decision-making - Emotion regulation - Following directions - And more!