At New Life Counseling Services, we realize that people have very busy lives that can make it difficult at times to come to the office for an appointment. This is why we also offer HIPAA-secure online counseling appointments for your convenience!! You can still receive quality, secure, and confidential counseling services from the comfort of your home, office, car, or any other location you please!! All you need is an internet-enabled device, such as, your computer, tablet, or smartphone!! Contact us today for more info!!
Telehealth and Behavioral Health:
Telehealth is a safe and convenient option for getting mental/ behavioral health care at home. You may be able to attend appointments without needing transportation, taking time off work, or arranging for childcare. Those factors can be important in a long-term treatment plan.
Many behavioral health services are available remotely. Virtual visits can be a convenient way to access:
One on one therapy
Group therapy
Substance use disorders
Mental health screening
Referrals
Anxiety and depression monitoring etc.
The Benefits of Online Mental Health Services Easy Access:
Telehealth services are now within easy access for everybody. This benefits most people who live in remote and rural areas where there is limited access to health care services.
Time and Cost-Efficient
Those who have problems with their work schedule, can’t leave their house, or those in the nursing home will benefit most from telehealth services. For some, visiting going to therapy will take time because of the long waiting cues, plus traveling may be costly. There’s no need to take time off work to talk to your therapist, and you can do it even in the office.
Eases Stigma
Some individuals do not seek mental health care because of the stigma. They are afraid of what other people might say. So if you don’t want to be seen walking out of a mental health counselor’s office, you can always opt for telehealth. This way, you can have video sessions and behavioral health therapy in private.
Improved Patient Engagement
Face-to-face mental health services sometimes aren’t as effective because of poor patient engagement. The patient may sometimes feel embarrassed to share personal information. With telehealth sessions, this can be avoided since the patient can share what they feel. This improves patient engagement, with a high success rate in treatment.
Telehealth Sessions Information:
(A) Teletherapy means the use of real-time audio or audiovisual communications that permit accurate and meaningful interaction between at least two persons, one of whom is a therapist. For the purposes of this rule, modalities, including but not limited to phone, video, text, email, instant messaging/chat, are considered teletherapy.
(B) All therapists providing counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy via teletherapy to persons physically present in the client residents shall be licensed in that state.
(C) Therapists shall screen client(s) for appropriateness to receive services via teletherapy throughout the course of treatment, which includes considering their current mental and emotional status, conducive treatment modalities, and ongoing effectiveness of the service. The licensee shall screen the client(s)'s technological capabilities as part of the intake process and document any assistance provided to facilitate access.
(D) Therapist shall regularly review whether use of teletherapy is meeting the clinical needs of the client(s).
(E) Therapists are not responsible for client(s) misuse of teletherapy devices during the provision of services.
(F) Client(s) shall be given sufficient opportunity to ask questions and receive answers about teletherapy. These discussions should be documented in the client(s) record.
(G) Therapists shall not provide services without client(s) informed consent which can be documented through verbal acknowledgement, online signature, or by signing a hard copy form. Licensees must make available to the client a copy of the consent documents regardless of the form of consent by the client.
(H) Therapist shall confirm the client(s) location at the time services are rendered.
(I) Therapist shall comply with all requirements under state and federal law regarding the protection of client confidentiality while providing services. Each provider shall ensure that any username or password information and any electronic communications between the provider, client, or third parties are securely transmitted and stored.
