Waiving Goodbye to Telehealth Progress

Waiving Goodbye to Telehealth Progress

An interview with Dr. Ben Caldwell, LMFT about the impacts of rolling back the covid telehealth waivers. Curt and Katie talk with Ben about how the expiration of emergency orders will impact the profession. As a case study, we talk through how the California professional boards and associations are navigating these challenges, including looking at disciplinary action that has caused alarm (although we don’t think it should). We also talk about calls to action to get involved now, so you can shape future policy on telehealth, tele-supervision, and remote work.

It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.

Interview with Dr. Ben Caldwell, LMFT

Dr. Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#42723) and the Continuing Education Director for SimplePractice Learning. He currently serves as adjunct faculty for California State University Northridge in Los Angeles. He has taught at the graduate level for more than 15 years, primarily in Law and Ethics, and has written and trained extensively on ethical applications in mental health care. In addition to serving a three-year term on the AAMFT Ethics Committee, Dr. Caldwell served as the Chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee for AAMFT-California for 10 years. He served as Editor for the User’s Guide to the 2015 AAMFT Code of Ethics and is the author for several books, including Saving Psychotherapy and Basics of California Law for LMFTS, LPCCs, and LCSWs.

In this episode we talk about:

• As a case study: the California Board of Behavioral Sciences rolling back covid waivers and losing the progress made during the pandemic
• The emergency orders - covid waivers - that are expiring related to telehealth, tele-supervision
• The specifics of remote supervision when emergency orders are rescinded. Looking at permanent legislation concerns as well as the best-case timeline for when remote supervision can come back
• The concerns about moving backward and losing all progress made during the pandemic related to electronic and telehealth efforts
• The short-sightedness of requiring an in-person meeting when starting telehealth or tele-supervision
• Disciplinary action case regarding remote supervision and a prelicensed individual working from home – but there’s so much more nuance than that
• Current legislation related to where mental health employees can work (which is actually quite flexible in CA)
• Equity and access issues related to not allowing clinicians to provide mental health from home
• On-going responsibilities for supervisors to ensure confidentiality and data security
• The requirements that supervisors have regardless of where supervisees are working
• Calls to Action to attend Board meetings for your licensing board, so you can be informed and help to shape future policy.