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.

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 emailed to us at 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.

Telemental health is not a separate service from mental health services. All state licensing boards require that licensed clinicians follow all the regulations for practicing under their license no matter what medium of communication is used. All licensing boards also require that clinicians only practice within the boundaries of their competence. This usually requires education, continuing education, and/or supervision in telemental health. Complete our telehealth training program to cover all the essential competencies of providing telemental health services and earn the THTC (Telemental Health Training Certificate).

Course was very informative!

David Hopkins

MS, LPC / Thriveworks Woodstock

Informative and brief

Tracy Gilbert

Well designed. informative, comprehensive program broken down into manageable segments.

Dawn M. Miskus

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) / Conscious Counseling & Coaching, Ltd.

This course offered a great overview of TeleMental Health and the important considerations that should be addressed when establishing an online practice.

Helen Geris

Registered Psychotherapist

Wonderful and approachable presenter, great information!

Sabrina Eads

I have completed the course requirements. Thank you a great program of videos and information.

Linda Lovisi-Dwyer

LCSW-R / Linda Lovisi-Dwyer, LCSW-R

Good introduction

Sylvia D. Jessup, MBA, MA

Owner / Sylvia Jessup Counseling Services PLLC

Very clear emergency planning laid out in this course, Helpful for many situation and settings.

Jane Schindler

The course was detailed.

Kelly Villarreal

MFT / Alan Behrman & Associates

EXCELLENT PRESENTATION

DAVID F. CIAMPI, Ph.D., LMHC.

Really chuck full of information and very helpful

Carolyn Spencer

social work

Great course!

Lashonda Jones

Ray's program is engaging and informative. I'm excited to extend my professional reach online.

Pamela Madsen

LAPC / Empower Counseling Center, LLC

Very informative session.

Valrey Richards-Lucas

Video was good, a little slow

Jessica Walraven

This is great material!

Erika T Johnson

Very Informative!!!!

DALAYNA MILLER

Really good training so far!

Erika T Johnson

LAC

Excellent information, extremely generous resources and so well paced. I am really grateful.

Carolyn Spencer

LCSW / Carolyn Spencer

Very thorough and informative

DALAYNA MILLER

This program is very informative and easy to use.

Gania Bruno Harrold

LCSW / IN THERAPY WE TRUST

Love the convenience and easy-to-understand information in this course.

Natalia Gourlay-Fernandez

LAMFT / Rock Springs Positive Coaching, Caring, and Counseling

Very informative. Help give an overview of tele therapy and starting an online practice.

Meg Maginn

L.C.S.W Private Practice / Eating Disorder Associates

The course was easy to follow and provided a lot of valuable insight into the benefits and limitations to teletherapy.

Katie-Ann Magnuson

Mental Heath Therapist / Kwenyan Professional Health Services

Wonderfully compact and rich in information, many areas i had not even considered!

VIRGINIA PROVENCHER

therapist / private practice

Very informative and guiding in educating all that you need to grasp to be properly compliant and aware.

Dena Damaskinos

A great overview for telehealth, including state to state

Susan Cortilet Jones

Integrative Lifeskills Coach

Great presentation!

Cristina Lazaro-Garcia

Mental Health Clinician, APC / CETPA, View Point Health

Oustanding presentation!!!

Michelle Collins

Helpful and inviting information to get started. Feel empowered to get this going and eager to start!

Dena Damaskinos

Well presented, easy to access and understand.

Sedonia Perrier

CEO / Steelhead LLC

This was very informative.

Wendy Pazdur

Substance Abuse Counselor / Transformation therapy

This course was full of detailed information, that I will utilize in my practice. I highly recommend this training to all interested in adding to their existing practice or transitioning to Telehealth Services.

Utopia Session

Class was informative.

Kimberly Horrell

This course was short yet informative.

Annette Cornish

Therapist / Dust 2 Destiny Counseling & Wellness

Great training!

Jacqueline Hayes, M.Ed., LPC, LMHP

Professional Counselor 4 / State of LA

Ray was a wonderful, interactive instructor who really captured the heart of counseling in the world of Telehealth. The course was thorough and beneficial. Two thumbs up!

Rachel Morales

Licensed Professional Counselor

Ray does a spectacular job presenting the ethics in technology! Thank you!

Elaine Marie Barclay

Licensed Professional Counselor/ Assistant Professor / Shorter University/ Capella University

Very beneficial and useful to the direction i am moving of providing therapy

Linda Marie Margosian, MS, NCC, LMHC

I thought the video was very informative and gave me a good back ground on Telehealth , hippa laws and things I needed to know to run an ethical and hippa complent practice .

Meg Maginn

Director /private practitioner / Eating Disorder Associates

I believe this is a good course to take because this is the new wave of society. As a therapist I would like to be able to offer clients the best tools available.

Wihletta Michelle Davis MA, LPC

Therapist / Find the Miracle Within...

Thank you for the introduction to telemental health.

Michele Frances Purvin

Psychotherapist / Michele Frances Purvin, LCSW, LCDC

Very good.

Franklin Castillo

Really excellent training full of valuable information and resources - surpassed my expectations!

Dori Ryherd

Therapist / The Cognitive Refinery

Great information with step by step instructions

Donna Tucker

Addiction Counselor / Spectrum Health

What a superb introduction to telemental health, well organized and packed with useful tips. I so appreciate this. Thank you.

Ann P Cahouet

Owner - Clinician / Equine Assisted Solutions LLC

Awesome job! This is a very insightful presentation.

ZUNILDA CHAUDRY

Licensed Therapist, LPC / Seasons of Change Behavioral Health Services, Inc

Ray is down-to-earth, warm, pragmatic and exceptionally well-informed.

G. Reid Doster, LPC, LMFT

Director of Behavioral Health, EXCELth Inc.Primary Health Network & Private Practice Psychotherapist / www.excelth.com

An excellent course, but needs more legal information regarding where the patient needs to reside.

Barry Barmann

Clinical Psychologist / Behavior Therapy & Family Counseling Clinic

This legal course was phenomenal saturated with much detail and clarity!

Elaine Marie Barclay

Licensed Professional Counselor, Assistant Professor / Capella University and Shorter University

Great and very informative! Will help me take my skills to a new level. Gave me a great idea of how the session should go.

Jessica Latin

LPC / JL Counseling

Course provided several case scenarios regarding Interstate counseling and resource websites for further research.

Cowenda Jefferson

Clinical Director / Wise Life Choices LLC

Course provided additional information regarding the legal aspects of TeleMental Health.

Cowenda Jefferson

Clinical Director / Wise LIfe Choices LLC

I have completed prior training by Raymond and greatly appreciate his detailed and thorough trainings.

Dr Lynn Duffy, PsyD, LCPC, NCC, CCMHC, BCPCC, BC-TMH, Diplomate/CMH in Trauma

Director/Counselor/Mediator / Lighthouse Counseling & Consulting Services

This course was most helpful in helping me make my practice more compliant for me and my clients.

Marlene Small

Private Psychotherapist

This is the 4th TMH course I have taken with Ray and it is BY FAR the best TMH training out there. I've learned so much that I can use every day in my practice.

Dawn Ferrara

LPC-S, LMFT

Very Informative

Naomie Pierre

community clinician / nps

I loved this course. It was very informative and provide a great deal of information about ethics.

Tracey Marshall

Easy to learn and easy to follow. User friendly on-line course.

Kelly Johnson

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

Awesome

Melissa J Davis

LAPC- counselor

This was a phenomenal training and necessary for the continued growth of all helping professionals. This will certainly improve the manner in which I conduct counseling.

Elaine Marie Barclay

This training was extremely informative and supportive for professionals looking to gain further knowledge in Telemental health.

Marcy Abramsky

LCSW / Marcy Abramsky LCSW, InspireAmind TM Counseling and Consulting

I found this video to be very informative and helpful.

Michelle Parker

Contract Therapist

Great course, very informative!

Ashley Simmons

BCBA / Northstar Psychological Services

Love the course, worth every penny!!! Definitely helped jump start my Tele-mental health services!

Nakia Clark

Owner/ Therapist / Insightfullly You, LLC

This gave me and my staff some important insights and information regarding telehealth..

Larry Cowan

Executive Director / Samaritan Counseling and Growth

This course was easy and user friendly

Vanessa Reiser

Social Worker / JBFCS

I learned a great deal from this program and look forward to implementing telemental health in my therapy practice.

Michelle Hitchcock

Therapist

It was fantastic! Just the forms he provides are worth the cost of the course!

Mark Wagemaker, LPC, NCC, DCC, CPCS

Counselor, Clinical Supervisor / Transitions Counseling

This was an excellent class and worth my time. Ray provided great information and is clearly an expert in TMH!

Jennifer Stuckert

Director / Restoration Counselor of Atlanta, LLC

I found these courses informative and helpful. They make establishing best practices policies and procedures for telemental health services and supervising those who provide them. so much easier. I highly recommend his courses.

Nena Rybarczyk, MA, EMBA, LPC, NCC, CPCS

Counselor / Strategies for Life Counseling, LLC

Ray's workshop was one of the most informative I have taken in years. He brought clarity to took a topic which has been intimidating and I left feeling empowered!

TRUDY POST SPRUNK, LMFT-S LPC CPCS RPT-S CPT-S EMD

Clinical Supervisor and Play Therapist / Georgia Association for Play Therapy

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