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 which provide theoretical analyses in 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 and in a secure environment and at no physical risk from others, they tend to open 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.

The process of billing can be a great hassle for providers, and risky business. Often telehealth providers do not know how to correctly bill for their services and sometimes create legal and ethical issues by billing incorrectly. Debbie Duran the owner of Mental Health Billing & Consulting in Louisiana shares from her 28+ years of experience billing for mental health providers.

Telehealth services help to ensure that patients are able to receive the care they need when they need it. Same day care is available from providers using services such as virtual visits or video visits. By minimizing travel time, extending availability, and increasing flexibility, caregivers can offer more opportunities for providing much-needed healthcare services.

Virtual counselors provide an array of online therapy options that include couples counseling, online marriage counseling, and online Christian counseling, to name just a few. Online therapists use a variety of mediums to communicate and "meet" with clients, providing the same standard of care as a traditional practice.

In January, 2019 the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth published an article by Nathaniel Lacktman, Esq. and Dr. Neil Nerwich entitled, “Teleconsultation Services for the Mobile Workforce- Considerations and Guidelines for the Provision of Global Services in Compliance with Regulations and Best Practice Clinical Standards of Care.”  The International Society for Telemedicine & EHealth (ISfTeH), founded in 2011, is a “nongovernmental and not-for-profit society that services primarily as the umbrella association for national Telemedicine and eHealth organizations,” advising on international standards and best practices for telemedicine.  

Many ask, “Can EMDR be provided via a video session?” Bruce Woods Patterson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, EMDRIA approved consultant and training facilitator, and EFT provider explains how he uses this powerful method of treatment in virtual therapy.

Link to Podcast

Ray Barrett of Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC recently appeared as a guest on the Mental Health News Radio Network podcast with Kristin Sunanta Walker to discuss the various aspects of telemental health services and the changes that have occurred over the years.

Virtual healthcare is a burgeoning field, expanding rapidly as the technology that supports it becomes increasingly available and user-friendly.  But, is the demand for telemedicine really there?

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.

As of December 2018, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has adopted an official ruling that text messages will be considered an informational service (such as emails) versus a telecommunication service (such as telephone calls). Click here for the ruling.  This distinction is highly relevant, as communications classified as “telecommunication services” must be transmitted by cellular carriers and are not permitted to be blocked or altered whereas informational services can be.

As text messaging has grown in popularity over the last decade, texts have carried an ambiguous status; this ambiguity has allowed cellular carriers to make independent decisions regarding transmission, with many carriers defaulting to handle texts as informational services.  For the December ruling, the FCC took into consideration that cellular providers have already been filtering text messages (in an effort to minimize spam) and that allowing all texts to go through could burden consumers.