TeleMental Health Training - States' Rules and Regulations

States' Rules and Regulations

TeleMental Health Laws

This page provides behavioral health professionals resources for locating the laws, rules, and regulations for providing telemental health services in the United States of America. If you are a counselor, social worker, marriage and family therapists, or psychologists wanting to know the regulations for providing mental health services from a distance in the state you are licensed or in another state, you should find this information very helpful.

Telehealth is a rapidly changing field. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of the content shared on this site or any of the sites referenced. This information is not intended to give any legal advice. When practicing telehealth it is important to contact your own attorney and the state licensing board of both your location and the location of the client!

You can click on the names of the states below in order to view whether or not that state has specific regulations on telemental health services for your profession, laws regulating insurance reimbursement for telemental health, or provisions for out-of-state clinicians to practice in that state.

Since licensed clinicians are regulated by laws beyond their license, we have also included resources on other pertinent laws in other informational tabs on this page.

Licensing Boards’ Contact Information

On the following pages you can located the website and/or contact information of licensing boards in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

On the licensing boards’ websites you can find:

the requirements for licensure
rules and regulations
the license law and definition
whether adhering to a specific code of ethics is required by the license
the requirements for renewing a license

Counseling Licensing Boards

Social Work Licensing Boards

Marriage and Family Licensing Boards

Psychology Licensing Boards

Privacy Laws Per State

Many states have their own healthcare privacy laws. It is important to be aware of any healthcare privacy laws in any state you practice. At the Health Information & the Law Project site you can find health privacy law for most states. Health Information & the Law Project, is a project of the George Washington University's Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It is also helpful to contact your licensing board and state department of mental health to inquire if there are specific privacy laws related to mental health information.

Breach Notification Laws in States

When there is a breach of protected health information it is important that clinicians are aware of the breach notification laws that they are regulated by. Breach notification laws inform the clinician of what they are required to do when there is a breach and whom they are required to notify. As a behavioral health professional in the United States you might be regulated by HIPAA law, 42 CFR part 2, licensure law, and or state breach notification laws. The Mintz Levin law firm provides a great resource for finding state breach notification laws

Tarasoff Laws by State: Duty to Protect and Warn

When practicing in any state in the United States of America, it is important to know if that state has a duty to warn or duty to protect law. Some states’ laws require disclosing when a client may become violent and some permit it. Some protect the clinician from liability when they disclose this information and some do not. The National Conference of State Legislatures provides a great resource listing the duty to warn and duty to protect laws in the United States.

States’ Responses to COVID-19

Below you can find individual state’s responses to COVID-19.
Other resources include:

National Conference of State Legislators
Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to maximize telehealth's ability to improve health outcomes, care delivery, and cost-effectiveness. Their website covers all things telehealth policy, to include the current state laws and reimbursement policies, legislation and regulation tracking, state telehealth laws and reimbursement policies, as well as national policy and telehealth resources in the wake of COVID-19.
The American Psychiatric Association has published resources and guidance on their website in regards to COVID-19
Department of Health and Human Resources response to COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control information on COVID-19
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published resources on COVID-19 here.

International telehealth Laws

DLA Piper is a global law firm and has published their Telehealth around the world: A global guide document that provides an overview of telehealth laws and regulations for countries around the world.

For each country they look at the following questions:

Is telehealth permitted
How is it regulated
What fields of healthcare are providing telehealth services
Does the public health system provide telehealth services and how are they covered or reimbursed
What privacy laws apply
How should the collection and transfer of patient information be conducted across countries' borders
What codes of conduct are related to the use of healthcare technology
Are there any other laws or regulations expected in the future

The document covers the following countries:

Argentina
Asia Pacific
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Europe
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Luxemburg
Mexico
Middle East
New Zealand
North America
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South America
Spain
Sweden
Thailand
The Netherlands
UK
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States

Note: As this is a free resource and Rules and Regulations regarding Telehealth are always changing, we appreciate any updates or corrections. They can be This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a link to the source or a citation of the rule or regulation.

It was one of the best courses I’ve attended; clear, well-structured, creative, transparent and professional! Bravo.

Elizabeth Tramonte, PsyD

Private Practitioner / Elizabeth Tramonte PC

The course was very detailed and informative. It covered everything that is necessary to work with Tele mental health.

Cynthia Allison

Mental health Counselor / Friendly Therapy LLC

Amazing and relevant information conveyed over excellent format. This is a professional organization worth joining.

Summer Allan Wilson LCSW-S; Nationally Certified TFCBT

Pediatric Psychotherapist / East Texas Family Guidance Center

This course was very informative and very relevant to today's telehealth practices!

Keith Ayson

Housing Case Manager / Bridgeways

Great, course. Really helped me during this challenging time to connect with students.

Priscilla Robinson

School Counselor / Baltimore County Public Schools

Courses were very informative! Extremely helpful!

Carron D. Alexander

LPC / Premier Counseling Services

Necessary technological guidance!

Frances D Murdock

This course was very interesting and allowing me to understand the way telementalhealth services need to work correctly.

Patricia A Hill

Mental Health Counselor II and LCDC, MAC / Central County Services

Thank you for an informational, relevant course to help me obtain my TMH certificate. Excellent presentation.

Tomica Horton

counselor/therapist / Jodi Province Counseling Services

Very well done. Encourages active engagement in telemental health process while guiding effectively.

Chris Brotherton

Marriage and Family Therapist / Addiction Counselor / Brotherton Counseling LLC

Brillant concept and a great way to support counselors as they transition into on-line therapy/services.

Bianca Abrams

License Professional Counselor / The Wellness Institute of Atlanta

Educational and informative content that was easy to follow and comprehend.

Scott Lipp, Ph.D., LMHC, LAC, NCC

Licensed Mental Health Counselor; Adjunct Professor / Greater Things, LLC; Florida Atlantic University

Very informative. I learned things that I wasn't aware of about state laws!

Tamara Coleman

Counselor / Tamara Coleman Counseling LLC

The course was so informative and I was glued to my screen for the entire duration. I received so much knowledge concerning ethics in telehealth and I am greatly encouraged to read about all the standards and policies that pertain to my practice. Thank you!

Bridgette Nalumu

Public health consultant / Green and Purple Consultancy Network

I learned a lot in this course and will put what I learned into practice when I move my home office space.

Raymond Corbo

Clinical Supervisor and Counselor / Redeemer Counseling Services

The training was very informative, there was more in-depth information to the details of privacy and HIPAA on an electronic level that I was not aware of. The more technological part of it was new information to me.

Nellie Decker

Therapist II / Yakama Nation Behavioral Health

This course is more comprehensive than all the other HIPAA courses I've taken combined.

Michelle R. Gould, LMHC

Mental Health Counselor

Very informative training, instruction was clear and easy to follow

Jill Bogan-El

Therapist

Easily one of the best online or in-person workshops I have ever attended. The information was unbelievably relevant to current practice with our students doing e-learning and having to provide online therapy and support. Thank you so much for this workshop and the information.

Vincent Amador

School Psychologist / Thornridge High School

Vey helpful and user friendly. Most importantly informative. Very good information to enhance an individual's practice.

La Keicia Boyd

Licensed Professional Counselor / Private Practice

Very informative! Well organized! Takeaway- protect yourself- know your ethical code and standards/ be insured.

Brenda Staerker

Private practice / Thaxton Holistic Wellness

The training was well structured and presented by a knowledge individual. Information shared in the training was useful, clear, and concise and can easily be incorporated into future practice techniques.

Dora Falls

LPC, MAC Private Practice - / Private Practice

I took the Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider Training Certification Course in 2018, I feel so lucky to have found the TeleHealth Certification Institute. It's a top notch training center which has continued to provide me with tools and the knowledge to grow my private teletherapy practice. I recently participated in the TeleMental Health Preparedness Summit 2020 and was definitely not disappointed. The excitement and enthusiasm from the participants and TeleHealth Certification Institute staff is contagious. I've been inspired, since, to look into taking more courses, and joined their FaceBook group. I will likely join their consultation group in the near future. I don't believe there is another training institute out there that is as good as this one for everything telebehavioral health. Thank you Ray! You are a visionary!

Larissa Golloub, LCSW-R

Psychotherapist, solo practitioner / Larissa Golloub, LCSW

Wonderful free training. Helpful discussion on how to aid clients in breaking out of the negative thought trap.

Jaime Wright

This course was eye opening and highlighted some definite areas for improvement to better address emergency management planning.

Nikkita Scott

Director of Counselling & Student Activities / Bbermuda College

This course was extremely helpful understanding the legal requirements for interstate telehealth counseling.

Donald Kirk Henderson

Licensed Professional Counselor / Milestone Family Resources

This course is providing me with valuable information that will be helpful in providing competent and effective services for clients.

Nancy Sweet-Holp, LMSW

Therapist / Liberty House of Albany

This was quite beneficial. You explained well at a comfortable pace and you provided sufficient details for me to develop an Emergency Management Plan. Thank you!

Dr. STEPHEN KIURI GITONGA

I really gained a deeper understanding of Telehealth. I think this course helps pave the way for success in our field. This was very convenient. I am so blessed to take a course like this during the crisis we are facing as a nation. This course really helps me perform at a high level for my job. THANKS!!!!!!!

Jackie Tanna

Therapist / Region One Mental Health

❮

❯