Event Description:
The integration of technology with mental healthcare services, or telepsychology, has seen rapid expansion in utilization. Due to COVID-19 prompting countless providers to transition to technology-based services out of necessity, understanding the ethics and legality of telepsychological practice has never been more important. An adequate understanding is not only necessary to foster appropriate evidence-informed practice, but to also avoid ethical and legal dilemmas that may arise from the new modes of assessment or intervention.
To assist providers, the Demystifying the Ethics and Legality of Telepsychology webinar aims to provide an introductory outline of key research-informed aspects of the use of telepsychology in clinical practice. Following the defining of telepsychology and other telehealth-based services, current research-based findings will be outlined. The majority of the presentation will then detail ethical and legal components, focusing on: (a) licensing and jurisdiction factors, including cross-state work (e.g., PSYPACT); (b) methods of evaluating patient appropriateness; (c) components to include in informed consent processes; (d) aspects of therapeutic boundary setting; (e) methods of safety planning; and (f) data security/HIPAA considerations. Helpful resources for practice will also be provided.
3 Continuing Education Credits are available
**Meets the Ethics Requirement for DC Licensure**
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
1) Identify and detail at least three of the common ethical and/or legal considerations for telehealth-based practice
2) Describe considerations with cross-state telehealth-based practice.
3) Identify at least three resources to assist in ethical/legal practice of telepsychology.
Presenter : Jonathan Perle, PhD, ABPP
Jonathan Perle, PhD, ABPP is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist, an Associate Professor and Director of Telepsychology at West Virginia University School of Medicine. He has significant experience providing clinical assessment and interventions within diverse clinical settings (e.g. medical centers, primary care, schools, university clinics) and roles (e.g. interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, outpatient, inpatient).
In addition to his current responsibilities that include teaching, supervising, mentoring, and conducting research, Dr. Perle provides both face-to-face and virtual psychological care at a multi-specialty practice. Beginning in his graduate education and spanning his ongoing career, Dr. Perle has studied, written about, and taught about telehealth modalities. Combined works have resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications, articles in national periodicals, professional presentations, collaborative projects, consultative services, a forthcoming book from Routledge publishing, and his design and implementation of one of the first recognized telehealth-specific doctoral-level courses for clinical psychology students.
Dr. Perle has also been recognized as a psychological innovator by the American Psychological Association’s Monitor for his work designing an evidence-based and HIPAA-compliant smartphone application related to parent management training. In addition to serving as a reviewer for multiple journals, he serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Sciences.
*DCPA Refund Policy: Refund requests more than one week prior to the webinar should be sent to info@dcpsychology.org If the request comes within one week of the webinar, only credit will be offered.
