complaint investigation defense counsel | The Health Law Firm Blog

Tele-behavioral Health: Important Legal Considerations for Mental Health Providers

By Amanda I. Forbes, J.D.

Starting in 2020 and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, tele-behavioral health services, also known as “e-counseling,” rapidly expanded. Because individuals were quarantined or fearful to venture out, remote mental health care services became very popular among patients. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), including 36 million working-age individuals, revealed that tele-health services increased by 766% in the first three months of the pandemic.

Thanks to remote services like tele-behavioral health, the doctor’s “house call” is making a comeback; but instead of ringing the doorbell, your doctor will be ringing your smartphone.

What is Tele-behavioral Health?

The National Institute of Mental Health defines telebehavioral health […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:14-04:00January 2, 2024|Mental Health Law Blog|

Mental Health Counselors: Follow These Rules To Prevent Complaints and Keep Your Professional License

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Licensed mental health counselors, psychologists, and other mental health care professionals are potential targets of licensure complaints from clients in any practice setting. Many legal situations and cases arise because the therapist has strayed over the line and crossed the therapist-client boundary. In reviewing the many disciplinary complaints and lawsuits I have handled, I have put together a list of simple “straightforward” rules. Following these rules can help save you many hours of stress and mental anguish and thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees and costs defending yourself.

These rules may appear […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:21-04:00September 10, 2023|Mental Health Law Blog|