Advanced Topics in Interpersonal Practice

The practice of telemental health is a field that is rapidly growing. As it continues to grow, the need for understanding the ethical, legal, and clinical implications is important for social workers in order to provide services rooted in social work core values and ethics. This mini course will provide a definition of telemental health; provide a brief history of the telemental health field; explore the challenges and opportunities in providing telemental health services; provide an overview of the research and describe the current status of laws and telemental health; Alert providers to the challenges inherent in delivering services online; provide examples of best practices to reduce potential risks; and provide basic steps of what it takes to get started in the telemental health field. Special attention will be given to recognizing similarities and differences between in-person and teletherapy sessions, best practices for building a therapeutic alliance, and clinical considerations in termination. Course participants will apply knowledge gained in class through group discussion, case-studies, self-study, and role-playing.