Overview:
This course will discuss the ethical and legal requirements attached to telehealth services, whether providing services within or across state lines.
Providers will learn which technology tools and platforms meet HIPAA or HITECH standards and assist providers in successfully adapting in-person sessions to a telehealth forum, while responsibly avoiding ethical and legal violations and maintaining clients’ privacy.
Lastly, the session will address the slippery slope of common boundary violations in telehealth services and what you can do to avoid them and prevent licensure complaints.
Objectives:
- Discuss the ethical principles and guidelines as applied to telehealth.
- Discuss the Federal and State regulatory guidelines as applied to telehealth.
- Explain the inter-state issues as applied to telehealth.
- Manage boundary issues that might arise during telehealth services.
Course materials are only available to enrolled students.
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Dr. Melissa Westendorf
Dr. Melissa Westendorf is a clinical and forensic psychologist, a certified telemental health provider, and a licensed attorney. Her education and experience allow her to have a unique understanding of the interplay of psychological and legal issues. Her services include criminal and civil forensic evaluations for courts and attorneys around the country. She has also served as a correctional psychologist, providing treatment to chronically mentally ill offenders and sexual offenders in the institution and the community. Dr. Westendorf is the founder of the Technology Wellness Center, one of the first organizations to address the global issue of technology overuse (e.g., computers, video games, cell phones, etc.). Her books, “Unplug: Raising Kids in a Technology Addicted World,” and “Digital Distress, Growing Up Online”, define the problem of technology addiction and guides parents on how to find a balance between technology use and a healthy lifestyle for their children and family. Dr. Westendorf is a past Board Member for the Wisconsin Psychology Examining Board. She has also served on several committees and boards for the Wisconsin Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. She trains psychologists and lawyers on numerous topics, including suicide prevention, ethics in psychology, ethical and legal guidelines for providing tele mental health, and other relevant psycholegal issues.
National Approvals
eCare BHI, as the accredited and approved sponsor, maintains responsibility for all the programs and must abide by each board’s continuing education guidelines.

Professional Counselors — The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education Provider. ACEP No. 6703. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Addiction Professionals — NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute is officially on file with NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) as an Approved Education Provider. They are formally known as NAADAC Provider #139138. Please note that E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Social Workers — Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute, #1706, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. E Care Behavioral Health Institute maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 06-03-2020 – 06-03-2026.

CE Broker
CE Broker is a continuing education tracking system in which licensees track their compliance and report their completed CE hours credit (CE Broker Tracking #50-33336)
State Approvals
States that Accept ASWB-ACE Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee |
Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin |
Wyoming |
States that Accepts NBCC Approved Courses: |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Indiana |
Iowa | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Missouri | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
New Mexico | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota |
Tennessee | Texas | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
- Nevada CPC’s and MFT’s accept ASWB-approved training
- North Dakota Board Of Counselor Examiners LAPC and LAPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Rhode Island Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council LPC and LPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing – CMHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Washington State Department of Mental Health MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Wisconsin Council on Mental Health LPCS accepts ASWB-approved training
States that Accept NAADAC Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | Delaware | Hawaii | Indiana |
Kentucky | Maine | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Montana | Nevada | New Jersey |
New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oregon | Rhode Island | Tennessee |
Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
States that Accept APA Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Delaware | District Of Columbia |
Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas |
Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri |
Montana | Nebraska | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia |
Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |