At first glance, telemedicine sounds like a word from the future. Indeed, the concept of a face-to-face video call between a doctor and a patient may feel like it comes straight from science-fiction. But not really — because the future of medicine is now.
Telemedicine grew rapidly during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, as patients and physicians looked for ways to administer care in a safe environment. The rise in its usage was as dramatic as it was swift. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 154% increase in telehealth during the last week of March 2020 (the week lockdowns started) compared to the same period in 2019.
Far beyond the pandemic, telehealth continues to remain an integral part of many facilities’ care delivery strategies. In fact, increased investment in virtual care, regulatory changes designed to make telehealth easier to use and an increasingly positive attitude toward telehealth assure it will not fade away once the pandemic subsides.
At its core, the concept of telemedicine is simply combining two of the most primal urges in human society: the motivation to communicate and the wish to help others. Mental health professionals need to know how to use the counseling tools of the future. Pursuing an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree in counseling, can help them develop the skills to provide services and care to their patients in remote settings when face-to-face counseling isn’t possible.
What Is Mental Health Telemedicine?
At first glance, telemedicine sounds like a word from the future. Indeed, the concept of a face-to-face video call between a doctor and a patient may feel like it comes straight from science-fiction. But not really — because the future of medicine is now.
Telemedicine grew rapidly during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, as patients and physicians looked for ways to administer care in a safe environment. The rise in its usage was as dramatic as it was swift. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 154% increase in telehealth during the last week of March 2020 (the week lockdowns started) compared to the same period in 2019.
Far beyond the pandemic, telehealth continues to remain an integral part of many facilities’ care delivery strategies. In fact, increased investment in virtual care, regulatory changes designed to make telehealth easier to use and an increasingly positive attitude toward telehealth assure it will not fade away once the pandemic subsides.
At its core, the concept of telemedicine is simply combining two of the most primal urges in human society: the motivation to communicate and the wish to help others. Mental health professionals need to know how to use the counseling tools of the future. Pursuing an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree in counseling, can help them develop the skills to provide services and care to their patients in remote settings when face-to-face counseling isn’t possible.
The Future of Telehealth Counseling
The future of telehealth counseling is bright. As telehealth continues to grow and expand, more examples emerge of the concept in action.
The Pandemic’s Impact on Telehealth Counseling
Telehealth counseling amid pandemic lockdowns and social distancing recommendations helped keep individuals protected from COVID-19, but it also provided them with a convenient avenue to address the anxieties or stresses that may have flourished during quarantine.
The convenience and accessibility of telehealth counseling will make it an ongoing staple long after society emerges from the pandemic. It is set to remain an integral part of the therapeutic process. This is especially true as people seek out therapeutic solutions to assess their feelings and develop coping strategies to help them adjust to everyday life in a post-pandemic world.
Interstate Licensing
Whether counselors provide general guidance at a school, or help with mental health issues in another setting, they need to be licensed in their state of practice. This could pose a potential problem for mental health telehealth counseling, since remote virtual connections naturally transcend state borders. Fortunately, workarounds are being created to address this issue head-on.
For example, Counseling Compact is a licensure compact that enables counselors to apply to expand their licensure across multiple states. The compact will go live once 10 states enact it into law, which could occur by 2022. Other organizations such as the American Mental Health Counselors Association are also working on various portability initiatives that will enable the interstate practice of telehealth counselors.
Additionally, several states enacted emergency provisions allowing interstate telehealth services due to COVID-19. Some states, such as Florida and Vermont, have chosen to keep these provisions on a long-term or permanent basis.
Telehealth Tools
As the use of telehealth becomes normalized, counselors will have several options to choose from to deliver remote help and guidance to their patients. These tools are typically based around a specific aspect of counseling, which can make counseling to a defined demographic more efficient and convenient.
For instance, the telehealth service ReGain focuses on providing counseling and therapy for individuals and couples. Betterhelp also provides individual and couples counseling, but also provides services for teen counseling. The service Pride Counseling specializes in providing telehealth for the LGBTQ community.
4 Benefits of Telehealth for Mental Health
There are a wide range of benefits that can come from the use of telehealth for mental health patients. These advantages reside on both the counselor side and the patient side.
1. More Immediate Access to Help
Telehealth counseling removes several roadblocks that could otherwise interfere with arranging for a telehealth session. By eliminating elements common to in-person sessions like commuting, wait times, and scheduling issues, patients can receive quicker and more efficient access to care.
2. Better Quality of Care
It is often lamented in the counseling field that the locations where counseling care is most needed are the locations where it is hardest to find a qualified counselor. Patients in rural or underserved communities may not even be aware of counseling as an option, much less have access to visit a counselor on any regular basis. Telemedicine creates an opportunity for those patients to have immediate access to the care they need.
3. Mitigation of Counselor Shortage
As the need for improved mental health becomes less stigmatized, it has become more of an in-demand practice. This has led to the realization that, when confined to a traditional office or clinical setting, there is a shortage of counseling professionals. However, telehealth works to solve this. It enables counselors to penetrate a wider area of prospective patients that live in areas where fewer counselors, if any, practice.
4. A More Comfortable Setting
Going to a clinic and sitting in the waiting room for a counseling session may create anxiety or discomfort for a patient, particularly new patients. Telehealth can mitigate this issue by giving patients the access they need while allowing them to stay in a familiar place. This added level of familiarity and comfort could make counseling a more appealing option.
Mental Health Care for the Future
There are some elements to telehealth for mental health that remain to be addressed. These include how to handle insurance reimbursements and how to establish the necessary dynamic of trust between a virtual counselor and the patient. Still, telehealth has already established itself as a viable counseling option and, throughout the pandemic and beyond, the service has proven to be an invaluable resource for patients who need help.
The level of convenience, immediacy, and comfort that telehealth provides all but guarantees it will be a relevant part of the counseling landscape long after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
Today’s students who are pursuing a counseling degree, such as the one offered through Wake Forest University’s online Master of Counseling program, will be the arbiters of how telehealth counseling grows and advances now and in the future. At the same time, their work can ensure that counseling patients receive the same care and protection through telehealth as those in a traditional setting.
Discover how the Wake Forest University online Master of Arts in Counseling can give you the skills to help others and thrive in a rewarding career.
Recommended Readings
How an Advanced Counseling Degree Can Help with Different Types of Crisis Management
How to Become a Marriage and Family Therapist: Why a Career as a Counselor Can Be Fulfilling
Serving Humanity: Career Opportunities in Mental Health
Sources:
American Counseling Association, Telebehavioral Health Information and Counselors in Health Care
American Mental Health Counselors Association, Separate Portability Initiatives Endorsement
Forbes, Telepsychiatry vs. Teletherapy: What’s the Difference?
McKinsey & Company, Telehealth: A Quarter-Trillion-Dollar Post-Covid-19 Reality?
News Medical Life Sciences, What is Telemedicine?
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, School Counselors and Advisors
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Health Counselors