Telepsychology in Practice: Administrative Foundations and Ethical Clinical Applications

Time: 9:00am-4:00pm

Location: Virtual

Instructor: Sara Smucker Barnwell, Ph.D.

CE credits: 6 CE's (pending)

Course Description:

Telepsychology is having a profound influence on professional practice. Through telepsychology, we can provide psychological services that can be accessed by underserved populations, advance social justice, and advocate for equity. The purpose of this course is to identify the natural integration of the pillars of counseling psychology with the major domains of telepractice, including ethical and legal factors. This 6-hour webinar will review Telepsychology fundamentals, including operational definitions, clinical examples, implementation strategies, and information regarding risk management. What types of technology are appropriate to deliver care? When should I offer in-person vs. remote services? How can I mitigate risks? What are the laws impacting telehealth? How will digital therapeutics and AI fit into my work? The speaker will offer guidance to psychologists who are contemplating what role telepsychology will play in their practices after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency concludes. The discussion will include video demonstrations. Time in the webinar will be divided between lecture, demonstration videos, and live Q&A with participants.

 Objectives:

At the end of this training participants will be able to:

1. Apply APA telepsychology guidelines to real-world administrative and clinical decision-making.
2. Evaluate clinical appropriateness, competence, and risk in telepsychology service delivery.
3. Integrate best practices for rapport, assessment, supervision, and training in telepsychology.

References:

American Psychological Association. (2024). Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology. Washington, DC: Author.

Campbell, F. A. Millán, & J. N. Martin (Eds.), A telepsychology casebook: Using technology ethically and effectively in your professional practice (pp. 141–164). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Perle, J. G., Smucker-Barnwell, S., Morland, L. A., Villalobos, B. T., Moore, H. D., Frye, W. S., Wright, C. V., Loew, M. M., & Wright, S. D. (2025). A compendium for the 2024 APA Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology: Guideline applications and resources. The American psychologist, 10.1037/amp0001579.

Smucker Barnwell, S.V. (2019). A Telepsychology Primer. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 45, pp. 48–56.