Posts Tagged ‘ethics’

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We are working hard on putting together our new OTI magazine, TILT (Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology).

The magazine will be online and free, and launched in September 2010. It will be a blend of news, innovations, member profiles, articles, features, marketing toolboxes, news on textbooks, and advertisements of interest. We will have more news on this very soon as the first issue comes together.

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Each issue will include the following:

· Editors introduction and contents (Kate Anthony & DeeAnna Merz Nagel)
· News from the cyberstreet (tweets members, what is at OTI blog, new research news)
· New Breakthroughs column
· Online Therapist column (A Day In The Life)
· Online Supervisor column
· Ethical Dilemmas column
· Feature article 4000-6000 words
· Other article(s) – about 1500 words
· Marketing toolbox column
· Featured Verified website
· Letters/reader comments
· Book descriptions of 3 books per issue
· Advertising and conferences

If you have an article of up to 1500 words that you are burning to get out of your system on any topic related to innovative delivery of therapeutic services via technology (including coaching), please do submit it no earlier than August 1st and no later than August 20th to editor@onlinetherapymagazine.com

We’re very excited at this new development at the Online Therapy Institute and will let you know even more about the content soon!

We look forward to reading your article!

If you have other inquiries about the magazine including advertising options please email info@onlinetherapyinstitute.com

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Kate will be presenting at a conference in Brussels that begins on June 17th and DeeAnna will present at a conference in Pennsylvania that begins June 28th.  Details of both conferences and sessions about online therapy follow:

Employee Assistance European Forum Brussels Conference 2010  See the link for the full agenda.

Best Practices for Providing EA Services via Email Exchange

Ms. Kate Anthony, Founder “The Online Therapy Institute”, President of the International Society for Mental Health Online, U.K.

 2010 EAP-MAP Conference Villanova Conference Center, PA See the link for the full agenda.

Panel Discussion – “Let your Fingers do the Talking: Adding Online Counseling to your Therapeutic Repertoire”
Jane Weiler, LCSW – Program Coordinator, NY Presbyterian Hospital Workplace Services
Mary Ellen Gornick, MA – Senior Vice President – Global Products, Workplace Options
DeeAnna Nagel, MEd, LPC, DCC – Co-Founder, The Online Therapy Institute
Cedric Speyer, MA, MAEd – Clinical Supervisor of E-Counseling, Shepell

We hope to see you there!

 

The BACP Guidelines for Online Counselling and Psychotherapy are now in their 3rd Edition (Anthony & Goss, 2009 – see also Goss et al., 2001; Anthony & Jamieson, 2005) and now the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy have revised and amended the main Ethical Framework to reflect this (the full link is below, with references).

This embraces the importance of recognising online therapy – and indeed the function of technology in general –  as a vital component of the profession.

The new Ethical Framework states:

Variations in client needs and the diversity of settings within which counselling and psychotherapyservices are delivered have also been carefully considered. Clients vary in their requirements in order tocommunicate effectively and to gain access to services. Ethically aware services strive to meet theseneeds and to avoid excluding someone from receiving a service or lowering the quality of that servicesolely on the grounds of a client’s learning difficulty or physical disability. Services may be provided bythe independent practitioner working alone, one or more practitioners working to provide a service withinan agency or large organisation, specialists working in multidisciplinary teams, and by specialist teamsof counsellors and psychotherapists. Most work is undertaken face to face but there are also a growingnumber of telephone and online services. Some practitioners are moving between these different settingsand modes of delivery during the course of their work and are therefore required to consider whatconstitutes good practice in different settings. All practitioners encounter the challenge of responding tothe diversity of their clients and finding ways of working effectively with them. This statement thereforeresponds to the complexity of delivering counselling and psychotherapy services in contemporary societyby directing attention to significant issues that practitioners ought to consider and resolve in the specificcircumstances of their work.

The Online Therapy Institute embraces this amendment, as the work of BACP remains the basis of part of our own Ethical Framework for the Use of Technology in Mental Health (http://www.onlinetherapyinstitute.com/ethical-training/).

Kate

http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/

Goss, S., Anthony, K., Jamieson, A. and Palmer, S. (2001) Guidelines for Online Counselling and Psychotherapy. Rugby: BACP.

Anthony, K. &  Jamieson, A. (2005) Guidelines for Online Counselling and Psychotherapy 2^nd Edition, including Guidelines for Online Supervision. Rugby: BACP.

Anthony, K. &  Goss, S. (2009) Guidelines for Online Counselling and Psychotherapy ^3rd Edition, including Guidelines for Online Supervision. Rugby: BACP.

I will be traveling to the Phoenix area soon to facilitate another Distance Credentialed Counselor training.  The dates for this training are Feb 25 and Feb 26. I will be teaching the course at Rio Salado College in Tempe and would love to see you there!

The following week I will be in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Spring months take me to Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois and Georgia.

SAMPLING OF THE 20 COMPETENCIES COVERED:

• Determine Counselor Suitability to Distance Counseling
• Determine Client Suitability to Distance Counseling
• Learn Security and Confidentiality Strategies
• Create Individual Treatment Plans
• Discuss Ethical and Legal Issues
• Develop an Action Plan to Implement Distance Counseling in Various Work Settings
• Learn about Online Culture
• Handle Crises with Distance Counseling Clients

For full workshop details go to ReadyMinds at http://www.readyminds.com/training/dcc_event.asp.

You can also download a flyer. DCC Arizona

My full training schedule is available at http://www.deeannamerznagel.com/id5.html.

Hope to see you on my travels!

DeeAnna

Authored by DeeAnna Nagel, Stephen Goss and Kate Anthony, a new chapter called “The Use of Technology in Supervision” has just been published under the section heading “Emerging and Specialist Issues” in “The Clinical Practice of Supervision”, edited by Pelling, Barletta and Armstrong, published by Australian Academic Press (2009).

You can buy the book here: http://www.australianacademicpress.com.au/Publications/Books/4-921513312.html

In the chapter, we discuss

Technology Assisted Supervision
Enhancing the Use of Video and Audio through Analytical and Research Software
Extending Direct Observation
Delivery via phone, email, listserv, chat, videoconferencing and virtual worlds
Review of the Current Standards for issues such as contracting, informed consent, legalities, confidentiality and encryption, the use (and abuse) of verbatim material
Issues of transference and countertransference
The Suitability of the Supervisor regarding technical competency, training and education

The chapter concludes with questions and activities and has an OTI hand-picked selection of resources and references.

A worthy addition to any online therapy library, and wwe hope you enjoy it!

Kate

Some of you who are thinking about delivering therapy online are wondering what might be the best way to get started.  Some practitioners opt to deliver services straight from their own websites tapping into platforms such as Skype and Hushmail. Skype offers encrypted voice, web and chat services. Hushmail offers encrypted email and chat. Skype and Hushmail are but two examples of available services. Now many companies are offering encrypted communication platforms. Currently I use Skype and Hushmail because these services are free and user friendly for clients.

Others may opt to join an “E-Clinic” which is an easy way to describe a platform or portal that allows providers of services and potential clients to conduct therapy. There are some nuances across the E-Clinic menus but in a nutshell, it is a one-stop shop for the client and therapist. I have previously joined E-Clinics in the past and I am still listed on a few.  It might be interesting to note that I have been listed for several (a decade in some cases) years on some e-clinic sites and I rarely if ever receive an inquiry from a potential client. I’ll get back to that in a minute.  E-Clinics are convenient and easy. Some E-Clinics offer appointment setting, billing capability, credit card processing and an extensive listing. Conceivably, one could create a listing on such a site and use the listing as a website. Some E-Clinics offer customized or “branded” services so that you can integrate the platform into a custom website of your own.  And most E-Clinics conduct some variation of credentialing so that license and certification numbers as well as malpractice insurance information is verified.

So it sounds hassle-free. So, why not? Well, there are a few reasons why not.  One is cost. Some of these sites charge monthly fees. That’s great but if you also have a website of your own then you might be paying twice, so to speak. Remember I said previously that I rarely if ever receive client inquiries from these sites so just because they have a glossy “store front” and offer a suite of products to the therapist, it does not mean that the site is marketed well. If you want to know, do an internet search using keywords like online therapy, online counseling, online counselling, or etherapy. What comes up? Is the E-Clinic listed on the first page of results? That is but one way to find out how “popular” the service is.  The other way is to check press or media tabs on the websites. Has anyone interviewed the company? Is there any information about advertising campaigns, past, present or future?  Remember, you can create a listing anywhere on the World Wide Web. That does not mean people can find you. In the case of E-Clinics, make sure your money is working for you.

Another concern is security. Is the site encrypted? Is the information held on the company’s server? I often joke that we need to be careful about setting up our services using encrypted platforms that are hosted on Joe’s server located in Joe’s garage somewhere in an urban neighborhood across the country or the world. But seriously, the security and encryption of the site should meet very high standards. Does the E-Clinic serve via contract, any major government or insurance entities? That is one reasonable and simple way to know if the E-Clinic has “clout” so to speak. But even so, do your own security tests. Take the E-Clinic for a spin. Use their web, messaging or chat services with a colleague. When you are logged on, send the URL (which should begin with https://) via your regular email or chat (yahoo or gmail for instance). Can the person on the other end open the the URL? If so, the site is not secure. Why is this important? If you do this same test with sites like Amazon, Ebay or your bank once you have logged in, the other person will not be able to see your information and will most likely be sent to a login page for that site. The same process should occur for E-Clinic sites.

If you think you have found an E-Clinic you want to use, be sure to check out their Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and other Terms and Conditions.  You should be concerned with what you are agreeing to as the provider of services and what the consumer agrees to as the recipient of services. Does it match your legal and ethical responsibilities? Do you have the ability to upload your own informed consent documents to your clients? And if you take client referrals from these sites using their platform, what intake information do you receive? Does the site conduct any screening? Is the site set up to provide crisis intervention? If the site clearly states that online therapy is not for people in crisis, then consider whether you want to make yourself available immediately. Many of the E-Clinic sites offer instant sessions as a way to lure consumers into using the site. Some would say these E-Clinics are offering a viable service to people who are in immediate need. So I ask, is the immediate need a crisis or just needing to have a personal issue addressed right away, representing the immediacy of our culture? Be careful not to compromise standards of care. For instance, if you make yourself available immediately, what client information do you have on hand during this initial contact? Is the client allowed to remain anonymous? If so, what happens if the client is genuinely in crisis?  I recommend that if you are going to utilize the option of immediate availability that you use this option as an initial consultation- and treat that time much like you would if a client called on the phone inquiring about services.  Why? Well, consider your ethical responsibility to properly screen your client and to know the identity of your client. If you are providing crisis intervention then the site should clearly state that services are for people in crisis with the proper terms and conditions in place.  Counseling and psychotherapy services that occur within a contracted relationship are very different than crisis intervention services.

Remember that E-Clinics cater to many disciplines so be sure that you can follow your legal and ethical codes and that you remain within your scope of practice.  If you live in a geographic area that does not regulate your profession and you have no real code of ethics to fall back on for reference, then consider using best practice standards set forth by the Online Therapy Institute’s Ethical Frameworks for Mental Health Practitioners and Career and School Guidance.

Hoping this has been a helpful post~ perhaps this will generate a healthy discussion of the topic.

DeeAnna

Ethical Implications Online: Working and Socializing in Cyberspace
Presented by: DeeAnna Nagel, LPC, DCC
Dallas, Texas EAPA Pre-Conference Training
Co-Founder of the Online Therapy Institute

The Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) invites you to
Register For This Full-Day Ethics Course
Ethical Implications Online: Working and Socializing in Cyberspace
Tuesday, October 20 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM; 7.5 PDH/CE contact hours

This full-day workshop will discuss best practice with regard to communicating online with potential and existing clients, business associates, friends and other therapists. With the advent of Web 2.0 and Social Media, counselors and psychotherapists now must understand the boundaries of working and socializing in cyberspace. Topics to be covered include communicating confidentially with existing clients, how to handle the email inquiry from a potential client, the basics of ethical online counseling and the slippery slope of marketing your practice on the internet via social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Special OTI Discounted Price: $295
(You Save $60!)

Add This Full-Day Business-Building Course
For Just $100 More!

Essential Sales Skills for the Non-Sales Professional
Wednesday, October 21 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM; 7.5 PDH/CE contact hours

Presented by: Shelley Plemons MS, LCDC
President/CEO, Strategic Sales Solutions

The economy is poor and the behavioral health marketplace is increasingly competitive. As a mental health professional, you may be faced with the challenge of maintaining your current work-load while becoming more involved in sales efforts. You want to increase your client base and land business, but sales is not your first profession, and feels daunting. What do you do?

First, don’t panic! Second, participate in this unique full-day training session! This is the only sales training program for non-sales professionals, written and presented by a fellow clinician, and targeted to building the sales capacity of mental health and employee assistance professionals and their programs. Shelley will introduce you to the principles and skills of consultative selling. It’s a logical, non-manipulative approach that focuses on being responsive to the needs of your prospective client and matching them to your products or services. Enhance your confidence by using your personality and skills in consultation, relationship building, and communication to build business!

Total OTI Discounted Price for Both Courses: $395
(You Save $315!)

Offer Expires September 30, 2009!

Don’t Wait ‘Til It’s Too Late!
Use This Special Form to Register Today!

Learn more about EAPA’s 2009 Annual World EAP conference or download the conference preview book.
PDH/CE credit hours provided by:
Employee Assistance Certification Commission (EACC)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
California Board of Behavioral Sciences
National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC)

Yesterday I completed facilitation of a two-day Distance Credentialed Counselor training in Springfield, IL.  Every time I do a training I meet great people and I learn.  In this training there was much concern expressed about therapists being able to cross state lines; how to know what each state’s law says, and whether there is a “clearinghouse’ for such information.

Well, OTI has an Ethics and Law wiki and we do our best to keep it updated as we receive information about the legal and ethical aspects of practicing online counselling across the globe.  But still, this method relies on all of us to make sure the updates are received in a timely manner and that Kate and I can upload the information that is sent to us if a person does not enter the information to the wiki him/herself.

So in this training I heard of two more states that may have implemented restrictive language into their law regarding online counseling- not allowing a licensed practitioner in that state to offer online therapy services to anyone outside the state (MA and NE).  I am hoping I can get more clarification and actually see a copy of their language.

And so on my drive back the hotel it occurred to me that one way we can effect change as professionals in our various states and countries is to become active in our professional organizations.  If you are in the states and you are member of APA, ACA, NASW, get involved. Join taskforce committees.  To have influence in your state, join a state chapter.  Volunteer to be on the board. Be part of a government relations or ethics committee.  Become the ethics chair of your state chapter.  That is how we can begin to educate our colleagues about the value of online counseling.  I do not think we should be legislating WHERE online counseling can occur.  I think we should be legislating competency.

It is obvious to me that state licensing boards are way behind the curve when it comes to understanding the global community – and global e-commerce.  Placing practice restrictions on licensed professionals does not allow consumers choice in treatment, and seems to be a rather paternalistic stance.  And clearly, state licensing boards have no clue about the online culture.  Most states require practitioners to have taken a class on multiculturalism to obtain a license to practice, yes? Yet the boards do not understand that we have an entirely new culture of people who live within a mixed reality, choosing to receive professional services online through their global community.  So if we look at the online community as a culture, then we could make the claim that in this instance, our state boards are not being very culturally sensitive, could we not?

While this issue of “crossing state lines” is rather U.S.-centric, my point in this post is to encourage professionals to become involved in their local professional organizations no matter what country, so that we can all make a difference.  We want online therapy to be a viable option within the global community!!

Have a great summer day!

DeeAnna

The American Counseling Association has launched a blog that will offer posts of interest to people in the counseling profession.  ACA bloggers:

Paul Fornell has been a clinical counselor, a professor, a career counselor, and is currently ACA’s Director of Ethics and Professional Standards

Jessica Diaz is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland and an Affiliate Professor at Loyola College.

David Kaplan is a  Past-President of the American Counseling Association and it’s current Chief Professional Officer.

DeeAnna Merz Nagel is a clinical counselor, teacher, workshop presenter, sits on the ACA Cyber Technology Taskforce, and is co-founder of the Online Therapy Institute.

I am honored that ACA has asked me to join in!  Be sure to check it out:

http://my.counseling.org/

And follow ACA on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/CounselingViews

And please, if you are so inclined, comment on the ACA blog and RT on Twitter!

Have a great summer day!

DeeAnna

The Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work in conjunction with NASW Georgia Chapter recently invited me facilitate a workshop entitled Ethical Implications of Cyberspace: Understanding the Clinical Risks and Responsibilities. It has been a little over a week since I returned from Georgia having experienced a most welcoming group of workshop attendees. GSCSW recently published an article in their newsletter entitled Protecting Boundaries in a Boundary-less World- Part 1 of an Ongoing Discussion- Setting Boundaries in the Use of Email in Clinical Social Work. I look forward to reading the next discussion in this series following the workshop!

The workshop went quite well and we spent the afternoon working in small groups, pondering over 10 ethical dilemnas.  Each group gave feedback on how they would handle the scenario.  Kate and I brainstormed the scenarios and intentionallly developed them ranging from obvious…to …oh, that would never happen!  The workshop attendees had great feedback, thoughts and ideas about all 10 scenarios and it was such an eye-opening experience for all of us- the workshop attendees and Kate and myself, that we are going to present the scenarios one by one over the course of several weeks here on the blog.  We hope to generate loads of comments and thought-provoking discussion. 

Stay tuned for mind-stretch ethical dilemnas! As we all navigate the waters of online therapy, cyberpsychology and boundaries in cyberspace let’s put our collective heads together and see what we can come up with!  In the meantime, check out the GSCSW article!

Thanks again Georgia social workers!  You rock!

DeeAnna