ABSTRACT
Telemental health (TMH) is a demonstrated and effective aspect of the overall mental health system and considered a standard of care for many treatments. It has been shown to be a solution to many access barriers, to promote health care delivery efficiencies, and to save costs. TMH also has a robust history, yet the promise of TMH remains to be met with broad implementation success. Much of the implementation failure is due to the limited practical references that provide clinicians with how-to guidance using real-world examples and solutions. This chapter is designed to help fill implementation gaps by providing practical guidance on the use of technology in mental health practice, with a focus on synchronous audio and visual services. Topics include administrative factors such as conducting a needs assessment, developing policies and procedures, marketing services, and training; clinical factors include establishing rapport and therapeutic alliance, HIPAA compliance, verification of location, setting boundary standards with patients, and managing safety within the context of the environment.
