Telehealth in Mental Health: Legal and Ethical Guidelines

---

How to Take This Course:

• 1 View Course Worksheet -  View the course worksheet or print it out to review later
• 2 Read the Course Material -  As you read through, mark your answers on the course worksheet to be prepared for the exam
• 3 Take Exam -  You must achieve a score of 75% or higher in order to earn credit for the course.
• You don't need to pay for an exam until AFTER you pass it. If you have any questions or need more information, please click here.

---

CE Course Description

Telehealth has been a method of delivering mental health care for over 50 years. The use of telehealth services increased significantly at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and for some time afterwards. Although data indicates a decline in telehealth use over the past few years, it remains a vital modality for accessing and delivering mental health services. Some data have also demonstrated that despite the decrease in overall telehealth use, mental health professionals continue to use it at a rate that is higher than many other health care professionals. As telehealth is expected to remain a part of the way mental health professionals provide care to clients, they must be knowledgeable about the legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the ethical considerations, for delivering services. This course will review foundational information about telehealth, including common terms and definitions, types of technology, telehealth models, and the advantages and disadvantages for both clients and mental health professionals. The legal and ethical aspects of providing mental health care via telehealth are also thoroughly examined. Mental health professionals will learn best practices for service delivery, including navigating crises and developing safety plans. Lastly, resources for evaluation, quality improvement, and Joint Commission and CARF accreditation standards are outlined.

Author: Amy Colver, MSSA, MA, LISW

CE Course Objectives 

1. Identify common terms and the types of technology used in telehealth care. 
2. Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using telehealth for both clients and mental health professionals.
3. Describe telehealth models, including fully virtual and hybrid.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements that are imperative for the provision of mental health services via telehealth, including federal and state laws related to privacy and security, licensure and scope of practice, informed consent, duty to warn, and mandatory reporting. 
5. Recognize commonalities between law and ethics, and summarize additional ethical considerations in telehealth care.  
6. Explain the steps for navigating crises and developing safety plans in the telehealth setting.
7. Use best practices for delivering mental health services via telehealth.

Course Date: 2025-10-16

Content License

Our courseware includes the text content found on our websites as well as video, audio, and exam questions that make up our courses. You can link to and access our courseware free of charge for personal use. You may not modify or redistribute our courseware under any circumstances.

Although we allow free access for personal use, you may not use our courseware for any commercial purposes without an agreement in place. This includes (but is not limited to) using our courseware for internal training, redistributing our courseware for sale, and copying all or parts of any of our courseware.

If you're interested in licensing our content for commercial purposes or have any other questions, please contact legal@edcompassedu.com.

Proprietary Interest Policy

We will disclose, in advance, any proprietary interest in any product, instrument, device, service, or material to be discussed during the learning event, as well as the source of any third-party compensation related to the presentation. This policy applies to both our organization and contractors. If such proprietary/financial interests exist, we will publish a disclaimer in marketing or instructional materials for a course.

No conflict of interest or relevant financial relationship was identified for this learning activity for individuals in a position to control content.

System Requirements

In order to view this course, you will need to be able to view a PDF document for the course material. If your device doesn't have the capability to view a PDF, you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat for free.

Special Needs

If you require ADA or other special needs accommodations, please contact us by email: support@mindfulceus.com or by phone 1-800-413-3797, so arrangements can be made.

‹ Return to Courses