Resources for Clinical Telehealth Guidelines, Standards, Policies . © 2020, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-657-0270, www.nasponline.org, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, P: 301-657-0270 | Toll Free: 866-331-NASP | F: 301-657-0275, © 2020 National Association of School Psychologists, NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists, A Career in School Psychology: Frequently Asked Questions, Information for Principals and Administrators, Model School Psychology Intern Supervisor Recognition, Guidance Regarding Graduate Intern Hours in Response to School Closures, Proposal Submission Guidelines for NASP Publications, Suggestions for Funding PREPaRE Trainings, Organizations That Have Held PREPaRE Workshops, Excellence in School Safety and Crisis Response Recognition, Stress and Anxiety: I’m Not Just the Presenter, I’m Also a Client, Social Media and Crisis Intervention: Opportunity and Danger, Thinking Versus Knowing: The Key to Measuring Intelligence, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), Testing Accommodations: From the 2019 Admissions Scandal to the Bigger Scandal of Poor Decision-Making, Trauma, Stress, and the Postpandemic Opening of School: Let’s Not Pathologize Students’ Emotional Needs, How to Prevent Students From Experiencing Psychosis, Promoting School Psychological Service Delivery Through Active Self-Care, Problem-Solving the Complexities of Reading Comprehension, National School Psychology Certification Board Members, Excellence in School Psychological Services (ESPS) Recognition Program, Graduate Program Approval and Accreditation, Informal Ethical Problem Solving of Colleague's Misconduct, Notification of NASP Ethical Disciplinary Action, Ethics and Professional Practices Board Members, Using Ethical Problem-Solving to Respond to Racism (Webinars), State School Psychology Credentialing Requirements, NASP 2020 Practice Model Organizational Principles, Government and Professional Relations (GPR) Committee, 2020 Presidential Election Results: A Promising Future for School Psychology, NASP Outlines Vision for Effective Schools, UASP's Successes through Visibility, Advocacy, and Partnership. Although rating scales, interviews, and possibly home-based observations could be conducted remotely, it is important to remember that students’ behavior during the time of school closure may not be typical for that student, which may reduce the utility of those assessments, particularly when planning interventions that may eventually be delivered when school resumes. The Great Divide - Reaching Across the Aisle, NASP Releases Federal Policy Platform for 116th Congress, The Impact of 2018 Midterm Elections on the Future of Education, Achieving Funding Equity through State Funding Formulas. Advocate for equitable access to whatever instruction is being provided. Introduction of health care and medical education through Telemedicine is here to stay and grow. Emphasize the need to maintain positive relationships with students. The ATA developed guidelines for live, on demand, Primary and Urgent Care. Although most school psychologists will benefit from continuing professional development in best practice for telehealth service delivery, it is permissible under NASP’s ethical standards to provide services remotely that an individual has the skills to deliver face-to-face, so long as the particular practices are appropriate (or appropriately adapted) for this delivery modality. Be sure to consider the needs of low income, economically marginalized families, English learners, and the needs of students with disabilities. Document everything you do. Assessments should be administered remotely only on platforms designed for that purpose. These guidelines are designed to address the developing area of psychological service provision commonly known as telepsychology. A multi-stakeholder letter from several medical, patient advocacy, and industry groups supported the call for such a report.1Initial searches in response to this request confirmed that there is a large volume of literature consisting of bo… Furthermore, state and international psychological associations have developed or are beginning to develop guidelines for the provision of psychological services (Ca- School Psychology Awareness Week Comes to New Jersey! Some organizations, such as the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), have made the development of standards and guidelines a priority. If there ever was a time to get up to speed on the necessities and opportunities of online counseling, this is it. Advocate for sensible workloads for teachers (and yourselves). Telehealth is simply the modality used to connect and provide care – it connects clinicians or any other person(s) responsible for providing care to patient/s and carer/s. Generally, a state-issued credential to provide school psychological services does not limit the ability to provide telehealth services. The participant will be linked to an extensive, categorized, annotated list of resources that is maintained by the author. For COVID-19 treatment, insurers must do this without requiring cost-sharing of any kind, such as co-pays and coinsurance. Consider working with the school’s or district’s web team to add a page on the website with available resources (e.g., handouts, websites, activities) so they are available when needed. Be kind to yourself and others as we progress through this crisis. Guidelines on the appropriate role of occupational therapy during a pandemic; NASP COVID-19 Resource Center. and payment for the provision of telehealth services by Medicare and private industry, the development of national guidelines for the practice of telepsychology is timely and needed. How Field Supervisors Can Encourage Advocacy Efforts Among Interns, Suicide Prevention within COVID 19 Pandemic, COVID-19 School Psychologist Practice Impact Survey, National and State School Psychology Association Membership Amidst a Global Pandemic, Secretary DeVos issues Waiver Requests to Congress, Senate Passes COVID-19 Education Stimulus Fund, Developing Relationships: Friend, Foe, or It’s Complicated, Vision 2020 - Advocacy in Action at Convention, Applications Open for FY 2019 STOP School Violence Grants, NASP Priorities Funded in FY 2020 Spending Bills, Nevada Finds its Advocacy Focus for SPAW 2019, What is Your Focus? This travel warning arises from a board regulation related to the delivery of health care services through telehealth. 309 0 obj
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These relationships will likely matter more in supporting students’ eventual return to school than their academic work. School-Based Mental Health Advocacy Day in Missouri! It is recommended that organizations and individuals providing Telehealth services The Telehealth Guidelines are a generic high level resource, and include a toolkit of templates and checklists which can be customised to meet local need. 9. ]. What follows are some recommendations for navigating the COVID-19 crisis. The Telehealth Guidelines are available for sites that are part of a telehealth consultation (at both ends), to provide a Discuss with students and parents and work with the IEP team to adjust IEPs as needed. NASP also welcomes school psychologists and districts who engage in telehealth practices to provide Telepractice is the application of telecommunications technology to the delivery of speech language pathology and audiology professional services at a distance by linking clinician to client or clinician to clinician for assessment, intervention, and/or consultation.. Resources for special education, crisis & mental health, families & educators, and professional & credential preparation; NASP: Countering Coronavirus Stigma and Racism: Tips for Teachers and Other Educators. Even when appropriate supports are available, school psychologists should still identify and report any validity issues given the student’s level of anxiety, disruptions during the testing session, etc. The NASP COVID-19 “Ask the Experts” series offers suggestions for school psychologists for how they can better support their, Ask families what they need and be respectful of their responses. It may be more important to discuss current coping strategies, celebrate small successes, and plan for return to school, rather than focus on past difficulties. Remember that confidentiality agreements can be different depending on the circumstances, but what is essential is that everyone knows what has been agreed to and is willing to follow the agreement. Because students, families, and our colleagues need support during this time, and because we cannot be physically present with them to provide such supports, we are obligated to figure out how to best provide support within the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. For the purposes these recommendations, telehealthis defined as any school psychological service that is being provided remotely—that is, without being in the same physical space as the individuals who are receiving services. The Notorious RBG, a Pandemic, and an Election. 299 0 obj
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Clinical guidelines in the area of Telehealth should be based on empirical evidence, when available, and professional consensus among involved health care disciplines. The participant will have practical, defensible guidelines for ethical and legal telehealth practice. Consider also how to communicate this information to families with limited internet access (e.g., newsletters by mail, delivering packets to students’ homes). Page 2 of 18 Northeast Telehealth Resource Center • 11 Parkwood Drive • Augusta, ME 04330 1-800-379-2021 • netrc@mcdph.org • www.netrc.org Center for Connected Health Policy. An equity lens must also be used so that the most vulnerable youth are not further disadvantaged by decisions that neglect their needs. NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists About NASP NASP Store Career Center Create an Account Join NASP Login. When making decisions about practice, follow a detailed, ethical decision-making process as reviewed in. Such practices could also yield unreliable or invalid results. Let them know you care and that they aren’t expected to know how to do this perfectly or even well. Consider whether telehealth services are safe, effective, and appropriate. However, most school psychologists are unaware of how telehealth can be practiced and what issues are raised when services become virtual. Work with school administrators to establish methods for students or families to contact you when such needs arise. If adaptations are made for remote administration, there must be high-quality evidence that such adaptations produce results that are similarly reliable and valid to the face-to-face administration. Be sensitive to the multiple demands on students and parents/caregivers during school closures, and keep expectations reasonable for availability and communication. 14 Specific Tips plus resources Ask students to generate strategies that have worked for them in the past when they faced challenges. This informed consent includes discussing with parents any modifications or adaptations to services being provided, as well as limitations, risks, and benefits that result from remote delivery. The new CMS guidelines recommend a gradual transition and encourage health care providers to coordinate with local and state public health officials, and to review the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies, workforce availability, facility readiness, and testing capacity when making the decision to re-start or increase in-person care. Access to mental health treatment is critically important during the COVID-19 crisis. Telehealth is the use of digital technologies to deliver medical care, health education, and public health services by connecting multiple users in separate locations. Before assessing platforms, it is important to define the needs of the technology to help achieve the stated goals. As school psychologists are called on to provide services remotely, questions continue to arise regarding legal, ethical, and pragmatic limits on what activities school psychologists can and should perform. Work with colleagues to develop strategies for connecting with students and families that are not participating in remote learning activities. The RACGP’s Telehealth video consultations guide has effectively consolidated current resources into a single point of reference. Telepsychology is defined, for the purpose of these guidelines, as the provision of psychological services using telecommunication technologies as expounded in the “Definition of Telepsychology.”. Exhibitors Opportunities; Live Sessions; Ask for their ideas on how to best support students and families. Telehealth includes telemedicine (diagnosis and treatment While some parents are at home with their children, many may also be trying to balance home and remote work responsibilities. Find out what they think they are doing well and celebrate those steps. As many situations will not have perfect solutions, utilize collaborative problem-solving, ongoing evaluation (and documentation) of the chosen solution, and adjustment of solutions as needed. Student Mental Health During COVID: Telehealth, Licensure, and Responding to Students in Need Virtual Live Briefings Health, Safety, and Well-being Student Success AVP or "Number Two" Mid-Level Senior Level VP for Student Affairs Students may need to grieve a wide variety of losses, and it is important to allow for processing not just of obvious losses, such as deaths, but more subtle ones (e.g., loss of transition experiences like graduation or prom). If the evaluation or reevaluation cannot be completed safely, ethically, and/or legally, school personnel should communicate with parents about this and request extensions to timelines until a date when the comprehensive evaluation can be completed with integrity. x���Mk�@����=Jovf�!�8
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School psychologists should carefully consider whether there is sufficient evidence to support the continued need for special education services without further 1:1 testing for individual students. It is unlikely that confidentiality can be assured for individuals or groups, and students need to be aware of that. Telehealth policy barriers. Telehealth is an emerging area of practice for many health care professionals. NASP: FAQs on Telehealth and HIPAA During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency NASP Webinar: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Remote School Psychological Services USDOE Guidance for IDEA Service Delivery FAQ for School Psychologists Any such adaptions should be documented in the evaluation report. Telehealth services substitute for an in-person encounter. These ideas are discussed in the “Ask the Experts” webinars that address strategies for engaging and supporting, Depending on the history of your previous interactions, your teachers and administrators may not know what kind of valuable services you can offer at this time. NASP 2021 Virtual Convention. Note that telehealth service delivery includes technology-based services (e.g., using Zoom or other video platforms, email) as well as more traditional methods (e.g., phone calls, notes or resources sent via standard mail). Medical Council of New Zealand – Statement on Telehealth(Updated March 2020) So the burden is shifted to the practitioner to verify that all states that the patient travels to have been vetted so as to allow the practitioner to work with that California resident patient who happens to … 292 0 obj
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The integrity and therapeutic value of the relationship between client and health care practitioner should be maintained and not diminished by the use of Telehealth technology. We recognize that standard assessment practices may not be possible, and we want to provide guidance on how you can use PAR products via telehealth technology while still retaining the integrity and security of the measures. Obtain the appropriate licensure/certification—and, if needed, liability insurance—to cover telehealth services. The 2003 National Initiative for Telehealth (NIFTE) Guidelines and Clinical Standards and Outcomes were used a measure for alignment. For the purposes these recommendations, telehealth is defined as any school psychological service that is being provided remotely—that is, without being in the same physical space as the individuals who are receiving services. The guide is designed to support general practices in making use of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)-supported telehealth video consultations, and provide safe facilitation and coordination of these consultations. Appropriate training is needed for both the school psychologist and any individual at home who assists the student. Telehealth is the delivery of healthcare at a distance using information communications technology (ICT). Offer suggestions and educate them about the breadth of your skills and how they might be helpful at this time. Be persistent in trying to develop supportive connections with these families. Ask them how those strategies might work now. Some students who do not currently receive services may need brief school psychological services during school closures. Celebrating School Psychology Awareness Week, US Department of Education Hosts First Ever School Psychology Roundtable, U.S. Department of Education School Ambassador Fellowship, "Nothing is More Powerful than an Idea Whose Time has Come", Joint Statement from Members of the Disability Community and Allies on Gun Violence Prevention Policy and Mental Health Disabilities, School Safety and Gun Violence Prevention Messaging Should Not Escalate Anxiety, Namaste: Incorporating Advocacy into your "Practice" - Back to School 2019, Building Capacity for Safe and Successful Schools: 2019 Public Policy Institute Recap, 2019 NASP/GW Public Policy Institute Featured Speakers, House spending proposal addresses several NASP priorities, Affecting Change Through Social Media: Tips to Stay Engaged and Informed After Convention is Over. Telehealth encompasses a broad definition of technology-enabled health care services. �d�cA�:���P+~��Q߆غ�Pݵ�BB�C"��p�����UJu`�s��[����a�Ώ��֏J|Ə"��{���ǺR��j_k�t+���t��� ?�T
Ask how you can be supportive. Regulations, policies, and standards are in flux until a "gold standard" becomes consensus; but that has not stopped technology from entering into mainstream practice. Some schools are providing hardware (e.g., Chromebooks), mobile hotspots, or alternatives to electronic communications (e.g., delivering materials to students at home). The development of guidelines and standards for telemedicine is an important and valuable process to help insure effective and safe delivery of quality healthcare. Assessments must be administered in the manner in which they were developed and validated. 8. NASP Influence on Efforts to Reduce Violence and Improve School Safety, NASP Hosts Congressional Briefing on School Safety, 2018 GW/NASP Public Policy Institute: Early Bird Registration Ends 5/28, Federal Legislation to Address the Critical Shortage of School Psychologists, Statement of NASP President John Kelly Federal School Safety Commission Public Listening Session, NASP Leader Addresses the Effect of Media Coverage on School Violence at Federal Safety Commission Meeting, Advocacy, Leadership and Legislation...”Are we there yet?”, Advocating for School Mental Health Services within State Policy, Congress Poised to Provide Increased investments in Education, Mental Health, and School Safety, Government & Professional Relations Awards, Paul H. Henkin Memorial Scholarship Award, Resources to Assist States/Territories Recovering from Natural Disasters, Large-Scale Natural Disasters: Helping Children Cope, Helping Children After a Wildfire: Tips for Parents and Teachers, Relocating to a New School: Tips for Families, New Schools for Students With Disabilities: Tips for Relocated Families, Natural Disasters and Relocated Students With Special Needs, Legal and Ethical Decisions for Remote School Psychological Services.”, “Wading through a Sea of Ambiguity: Charting a Course for Special Education Services in the Pandemic.”, Strategies for Engaging and Supporting Parents During the Pandemic”. The use of telehealth services is expected to grow from 250,000 persons in 2013 to 3.2 million persons in 2018 (National Conference of State Legislators Partnership Project on Telehealth, 2015). School psychologists may have great resources to share, yet emails sent to families may get lost amidst the many communications coming from the school. Finally, it is important to use a preventive lens; we are trying to mitigate long-term effects from the crisis and be well-positioned to serve when schools reopen. Services requiring face-to-face interaction should not be conducted during the time of school closures while the risk of contagion is high, as this practice places the health of the student, family, and practitioner at risk. Selecting a Technology Platform. endstream
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. TELEHEALTH: The Department of Public Health has issued guidance that requires all commercial insurers, self-insured plans, and the Group Insurance Commission to cover medically necessary telehealth services, whether related to COVID-19 or not. Telehealth in the schools has been rapidly expanding in a range of professions, including school psychology. %%EOF
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Go. What is the Cost of Providing Students with Adequate Psychological Support, Brunch with a Legislator: Creative Engagement with Policymakers, School Psychologists are Critical to School Safety and Preventing Violence, Advocacy in Action at the 2018 Convention, Public Service Loan Forgivness and School Psychologists, School Psychologists: Advancing Policy and Practice to Support ALL Students, Using Social Media to Advance Advocacy Efforts, School Psychology Graduate Students in Missouri are Outstanding Advocates, The Importance of State and Local Advocacy, The Every Student Succeeds Act and School Psychologists, NASP Calls for End of Ban on Gun Research, House Passes The Every Student Succeeds Act, NASP Urges Congress to Pass the Every Student Succeeds Act, Successful 2015 GW/NASP Public Policy Institute, Senate Passes ESEA Reauthorization Legislation, The President's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Request, The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA), Advocacy in Schools: A Graduate Student Example, School Psychologists as Change Agents: Advocating for Our Own Profession, Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Week 2016, 2016 PPI Participants, Prepare to be Inspired, Successful #NASPadvocates Twitter Campaign at the 2016 GW/NASP Public Policy Institute, Advocacy in Action around ESSA Implementation in Kentucky, Urge Congress to Preserve Funding for Title IV Part A of ESSA to Ensure Comprehensive School Mental Health Services, Advocacy: Relationships that Create Change, State Planning at ESSA Town Hall Meeting in Missouri, 2016 Presidential Candidates’ Statements Regarding NASP Policy Priorities, What the Trump Administration Could Mean for Public Education, Secretary DeVos Releases New ESSA Guidance, Tips for Open and Respectful Dialogues in the Classroom, Dynamic Speakers to Present at the 2017 Public Policy Institute, Graduate Students Serving as a Bridge in the Research-to-Practice Gap, The Potential Impact of Tax Reform on School Psychology Graduate Students, Leadership and Advocacy Tools and Resources.