Telebehavioral Health Practice: Risk Management and Liability Considerations - NASW

This webinar discusses the emergence of telebehavioral health in the treatment of patients with behavioral health issues.  It provides discussion concerning special considerations when using this method when treating patients.  The presenter will discuss the standard of care issues.  The presenter will identify the importance of documentation when using this method.  The presenter will discuss the importance of safety precautions and will provide a case example as a method to illustrate this.  The presenter will explore privacy and security issues when using telebehavioral health.  The presenter will discuss various legal developments within the telebehavioral health space.  Additionally, licensure and location will be discussed as well as general termination issues.

Learning Objectives

On completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify the changing landscape through telebehavioral health.
• Discuss the importance of documentation and informed consent in telebehavioral health.
• Examine the importance of being aware of rules and regulations.

Target audience: Social Workers in settings that provide:

• Behavioral Health

• Health Care     

• Addictions Treatment  

• Community Services / Resource Dev.   

Who serve in the role(s) of:

• Case Mgmt    

• Counseling/Therapy

• Supervision/Admin. 

With populations that include:

• Children/Youth/Families 

• Aging  

• End-of-Life Issues/Grief & Loss  

• Victim or Protective Svcs 

• Physical/Intellectual Challenges

Agenda:

Background and overview of Telebehavioral Health 

• Statistics
• Increased Use

Standard of Care

• Rules and Regulations/Office Policies
• Privacy and Security
• HIPAA/State Privacy Requirements
• Psychotherapy Notes
• Use of Mobile Devices

Other Considerations

• Ethical Guidelines
• Licensure
• Competence
• Physical Environment

Legal Developments

• PsyPACT
• Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) Enactment
• Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2017

Patient Safety

Documentation

• Overview
• Documentation of Informed Consent

Patient Travel/Licensure

Termination

Store and Forward

Begin earning CE credits now!

• Get details and objectives, select a webinar, register, and create an account.
• View the webinar at your convenience (in whatever time increments are convenient).
• Pass an online exam and complete a brief online webinar evaluation.
• Download and print or save your CE certificate.

You are required to achieve a passing score of 80% or higher.

Important Notice

Because this webinar is on-demand, once you are registered and have created a login account, you can view the webinar at any time in whatever time increments are most convenient.

This online course is self-paced/non-interactive. Course questions can be directed to: contact@trustrms.com.

Having technical issues?

Please contact TRMS at contact@trustrms.com. For questions, concerns, or to request special accommodations, please call 800-477-1200.

Continuing Education Credits

This 1 credit webinar was developed in 2020 for social work professionals. The webinar will familiarize professionals with strategies and techniques to reach outcomes quickly, effectively, and demonstrably, providing a rationale and theory supporting ethical therapy and by incorporating information and strategies to reduce risk.

This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval #886836501-1503) for (1) continuing education contact hour for ethics.

Approval Date: 9/1/2023
Expiration Date: 9/30/2025

Trust Risk Management Services, Inc. Continuing Education Grievance Policy for NASW Courses

Trust Risk Management Services, Inc. (TRMS) is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the National Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics. TRMS will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content, and in the treatment of CE participants. TRMS will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content, and in the treatment of CE participants. The TRMS CE Director is responsible for complying with these standards. While TRMS strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken:

• If the grievance concerns the content of a live workshop, on-demand webinar, or the continuing education test, a TRMS representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CE Director or a TRMS representative will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering, or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid.
• Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual does not need to sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns TRMS, the CE Director or a TRMS representative will attempt to arbitrate.
• The timeframe for the grievance will be resolved within 30 days from the date of the complaint.

Direct correspondence to: 
Continuing Education
Trust Risk Management Services, Inc. (TRMS)
111 Rockville Pike, Suite 700
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: (800) 477-1200
Email:  grievances@trustinsurance.com

Presenter

Kristen Lambert, J.D., MSW, LICSW, CPHRM, FASHRM

Kristen Lambert served as the first TRMS Healthcare Practice and Risk Management Innovation Officer at Trust Risk Management Services, Inc. (TRMS). Ms. Lambert focused on developing a wide range of risk management content for Allied Healthcare Professionals across the country. Ms. Lambert has a wide range of experience in providing risk management advice to providers regionally, nationally, and globally.  

She has experience working for a global insurer, where she led risk management for behavioral health providers and professional liability lines. She also has worked as a defense attorney at a Boston law firm where she represented hospitals, nursing homes, medical providers and allied healthcare professionals on various legal issues—some of which include: representation during all stages of lawsuits, board matters, and general health law matters including guardianship and conservatorship issues. She has served as Guardian Ad Litem on child custody matters.

In addition, Ms. Lambert began her career as a clinical social worker in various inpatient and outpatient settings. She has worked with all populations but specialized in treating patients seen in the emergency department and issues involving women and children’s services, including working in maternity and the NICU.

She is a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law, obtained her Master’s of Social Work from Springfield College, and Bachelors of Arts from the University of Massachusetts. She is a member of the bars of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the District Court of Massachusetts, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts, and a Fellow of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management. She has published extensively and has presented nationally and regionally on legal and risk management topics impacting providers.