Telehealth Services
Telehealth services are mental health services provided by phone or video, rather than face to face in the same room.
Therapy in this case is considered to occur wherever you, the client happens to be. And since I am only licensed in the state of California, I can only offer telehealth services to those in California at the time of the service.
Your Rights
1. You have the right to receive services via telehealth or via an in-person visit.
2. The use of telehealth services is voluntary, and your consent to using this service can be withdrawn at any time. Withdrawing your consent to meet via telehealth will not affect your ability to access covered services in the future.
3. If you are using Medi-Cal insurance, you may have coverage available for transportation to in-person services.
Risks & Benefits
As with traditional psychotherapy, telehealth has both benefits and risks. Because of the technology involved in telehealth, there are more risks to confidentiality than simply sitting in a traditional therapy office. Dr. Lord has adopted a HIPAA compliant platform for providing telehealth services to protect your privacy and be in compliance with various legal and ethical guidelines.
Risks: A potential risk of receiving telehealth services include delays in mental health services due to technological equipment failure, a lack of access to all relevant information, or a security breach. There is the possibility, despite reasonable efforts on the part of Dr. Lord, that the transmission of your medical information could be disrupted or distorted by technical failures; the transmission of your medical information could be interrupted by unauthorized persons; and/or the electronic storage of your medical information could be accessed by unauthorized persons.
An important part of therapy is sitting face to face with an individual, where non-verbal communication and energetic shifts are readily available to both therapist and client. Without this information, telehealth may be slower to progress or less effective.
Benefits: In addition to the risks of telehealth, there are benefits as well. Telehealth provides a way for us to remain connected and continue the work together, even when we cannot meet face to face due to illness, travel or transportation issues. Continuing to do the work in these circumstances is more beneficial than taking a break from therapy.
You are being offered the option of telehealth services as I have determined that this is an appropriate option for you, our therapy, and the stage of work we are at. The appropriateness of telehealth services will be something that is being continually evaluated, and if at some point Dr. Lord determines it is no longer appropriate, we will discuss our other options and/or discontinue telehealth services.
Policies & Procedures
With telehealth, the therapy is considered to be occurring in whatever location you the client is at and the laws, rules and regulations of that state are the ones that apply to the telehealth services. As I am only licensed in the state of California, we can only utilize telehealth services while you are in California. This is something you need to consider for when you travel out of state.
Part of my responsibility is to obtain the address of your physical location when we meet, as I am required to document this in my notes.
Privacy Considerations
In order to get the most out of your telehealth services, there are steps that you will need to take.
1. Choose a private location to place your telehealth call.
2. In order to provide the best call environment, you should reduce background light from windows or light emanating from behind you.
3. Your camera should be placed on a secure, stable platform to avoid wobbling and shaking during the telehealth session. To the extent possible, your camera should be placed at the same elevation as your eyes with your face and shoulders clearly visible.
4. The presence of any third party must be disclosed and agreed to by both you and Dr. Lord prior to the telehealth session. Dr. Lord reserves the right to end the telehealth session at any time in order to protect your privacy and your health information.
Technology failures
In the event that the video technology or internet services fail and we are unable to continue the telehealth session:
1. Dr. Lord will place a phone call to your cell phone in order to determine what the next best steps are.
2. If we are unable to connect via phone, I will send an email to check in with you.
3. If there are any safety concerns and we are unable to reconnect within the hour, I may determine a welfare check is needed to ensure your safety and/or the safety of others.
4. If you are feeling unsafe and we are unable to reconnect, you should take steps to get help locally. The San Diego Crisis Line is 888-724-7240.
Emergency Procedures
It is part of your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the resources in the physical location that you will be in. Your therapist will also familiarize herself with those resources so that you can be directed to any needed resource. We will document these in a Telehealth Crisis Plan.
Billing
You are responsible for the cost of telehealth services in the same manner you are responsible for the cost of traditional face to face services. Payment is due at the time of the service.
