Summary: <p>Online Counseling<br> Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes Ph.D., LMHC, LPC-MHSP<br> Charles Snipes IT Director<br> AllCEUs.com & DataTriangle.com<br> Overview<br> ~ History of Online Counseling<br> ~ Reasons for Online Counseling<br> ~ Methods of Online Counseling<br> ~ Ethics of Online Counseling<br> ~ The Business Aspects<br> – Choosing a Virtual Office<br> – Possible Features<br> – How much to charge<br> – Marketing: Making a Place in Cyberspace<br> History<br> ~ 1970s several hospitals linked via video feed to provide doctor-to-doctor consultation<br> ~ 2000 the first independent practitioners started making a name for themselves<br> ~ 21st Century people have begun communicating more by text/IM<br> ~ 2006 several states passed laws indicating that telehealth must be compensated at the same rate as face2face<br> ~ 2010<br> – The majority of insurers are compensating for telehealth services<br> – Florida created a state-certification for e-therapy.</p> <p>Reasons<br> ~ Access experts on a particular problem worldwide (must be licensed in the state of practice and the state where the client resides)<br> ~ Often more cost effective for the practitioner and the patient<br> ~ Provides a degree of anonymity making many people feel more at ease<br> ~ Enduring record<br> ~ Many of the youth of today prefer etherapy…You lived on the phone as a teen, they live on their iphone or text.<br> ~ An adjunct to traditional therapy<br> Methods /Ethics / Cultural Appropriateness<br> ~ Phone<br> – Benefits<br> – Drawbacks<br> ~ Text/IM<br> – Benefits<br> – Drawbacks<br> ~ Video<br> – Benefits<br> – Drawbacks<br> ~ Email<br> – Benefits<br> – Drawbacks<br> Ethics<br> ~ Who and Where<br> ~ Verifying identity<br> ~ Assessment<br> ~ Treatment Issues<br> – Addictions<br> – Anxiety<br> – Depression<br> – Bipolar<br> – OCD<br> – PTSD<br> Ethics- Informed Consent<br> ~ Verifying Identity<br> ~ Who will have access to the information<br> ~ How to handle power or internet outtages<br> ~ How to handle mental health emergencies<br> ~ How to schedule and reschedule<br> ~ Payment policies<br> – Fees<br> – What shows up on credit card<br> – Alternate payment methods (checks / money orders)<br> ~ Releases of information<br> ~ Information Security and Risks<br> ~ Methods for protecting privacy (clearing cache / deleting recent history, etc.)<br> Ethics<br> ~ Handling disinhibition<br> – Suicidal threats<br> – Flaming<br> – Repeated calls/texts/emails<br> ~ Information about expected response time for<br> – Text<br> – Email<br> The Business Aspects<br> ~ Choosing a Virtual Office<br> – Virtual office vs. a web presence<br> – Partnering with someone else vs. Independent Office<br> Advertising/Marketing<br> Commissions<br> HIPAA<br> Payment</p> <p>Business Aspects cont…<br> ~ Possible Features<br> – Web presence<br> – Interactive online appointment book<br> – Fillable assessment and intake forms<br> – Secure IM/Text chat (imbedded or downloadable)<br> – Secure email<br> – Secure video chat (imbedded or downloadable)<br> – Instant services</p> <p>Business Aspects<br> ~ How much to charge<br> ~ Marketing: Making a Place in Cyberspace<br> – SEO optimization<br> – HTML vs. Blog or CMS<br> – Designing your website (colors, usability)<br> – Finding a niche</p> <p>Online Therapists and Social Networks<br> ~ Keep your personal social networks separate from your clinical / practice network<br> ~ Add clients only to your clinical network if you have one<br> ~ Know whatever you say / put out there can possibly be seen and interpreted person</p>
