Telehealth Learning Series for SUD TX and Recovery Support Providers

The Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network, the Center for Excellence on Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI), the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers, and the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT) at the University of Nevada - Reno (UNR) are facilitating a FREE, national online discussion and resource sharing opportunity for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers and peer support specialists faced with transitioning their services to the use of telephone and videoconferencing methods in response to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.

The series will feature:

• Live, one-hour sessions every week for at least 5 weeks via Zoom video conferencing (we may add more weeks based on demand!). Each session will include at least 45 minutes of peer-to-peer conversation and information exchange and “Top Five” tips and lessons learned
• Access to experienced providers and others with expertise in providing services using videoconferencing (telehealth) and telephone for SUD treatment and recovery support
• Access to professionals with expertise in protected health information and 42CFR Part 2
• Training tools, checklists, and other relevant resources

Who Should Attend?
SUD treatment providers, including peer specialists, counselors, administrators, peer support officers, and others providing and/or interested in providing care to patients/peers via videoconferencing platforms (telehealth) and/or telephone.

Registration
No registration required for the live sessions. Simply click on the zoom link at the appropriate date and time to join the discussion. No CEs will be provided for these sessions.

When?
Weeks of March 30 through April 27. Join one, two, three … or all of the live sessions! Combine your live session attendance with review of a curated list of resources that will soon be available on this page!

HITEQ Webinar Takeaways:

• The Top 5 tips section of the session is available as a recording. The slides are available here.

1. Consider Ethics and Liability - Review informed consent, compliance with state licensing board, and confirm that telebehavioral services are covered by malpractice insurance.
2. Assess Appropriateness - Assess patient experience with technology, review patient diagnosis or dual diagnosis, and suicidal or homicidal ideations
3. Enhance Patient Safety - Plan for emergencies. Establish a safety plan and a “safe word” (e.g., signals that session should be ended), identify patient’s current location, and update emergency contact information.
4. Safety Plans - Provider should prepare for a session by notifying colleagues and placing a “Do not disturb” sign in a visible location. Make sure a clock is visible. Minimize all computer programs. To end the meeting appropriately, make sure to fully close the session and remove and unplug headset. Remove the “Do not disturb” sign.
5. Be Prepared - Environment is not controlled (e.g., technical issues, patients may join video from public spaces or with family present). Also, telehealth visits may require fewer visits per day.