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telemental health is is rising in in access and utilization professional counselors may
be licensed in multiple states and therefore counselor educators need to to discuss the the ethics and legality of working with technology Even if CITs have no no desire to to practice telemental health counselor educators and supervisors need to to to address the the likelihood clients will
have a a a a a a a a a a a smartphone smartphone and therefore access to to potentially bene cial smartphone smartphone applications applications While these applications applications cannot replace the the the counselor-client connection they can can help assist a a a a a a a client client outside of the the counseling room For example utilizing smartphone applications such as MyFitnessPal or or eMoods which can track activity and mood shifts respectively Or helping connect clients to resources
outside of of crisis helplines in in in time of of stress such as Calm Harm or or or or notOk or or or or Worry Knot that addresses self-harm behavior suicidal ideation and and anxiety Counselor educators and and supervisors need to to to challenge CITs in in skills and and practicums/internships to to consider the the pros and and cons cons of utilizing these applications as as well as as the the the the potential costs to the the the the client Beyond utilization of these applications CITs critical thinking skills about how they evaluate the the the the types of interventions (applications)
they choose for their clients Counselor educators need to to start teaching CITs about the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) App Evaluation Model (n d d d d d )
)
This model can can help reduce clients nding of non-bene cial applications while increasing compliance with treatment APA’s method of evaluation is a a a a a a a a a ve-step tiered process: 1) review general
information about the application 2) assess risk and privacy/security concerns 3) evaluate research regarding the the the application application 4) test
out the the the the ease of of of use of of of the the the the application application application and 5) look at at at at interoperability of of of of of the the the the the application application If any of of of of the the the early aspects of of of of the the the evaluation are questionable such as as lack of of of of general
information or or high risk of of of privacy concerns then the the the the evaluation of of the the the the app can be stopped With this tool tool in in in their counseling toolbox CITs can begin to to to to meet clients clients where they are and help clients clients utilize tools at their ngertips In 2014 the the American Counseling Association (ACA) released a a a a a a new new Code
of Ethics that introduced a a a a a a new new section Section H: Distance Counseling Technology and Social Media in in in in an an an attempt to begin acknowledging this new digital age This began a a a a a a a a a a a a dialogue from an an an ethical perspective and perhaps even a a a a a a a a a a a a a legal one However ve ve ve ve years later it is is time to address distance counseling technology and and social media from a a a a a a a a a a practical standpoint As counselor educators and and and supervisors we need to prepare our students and and and supervisees for the the careers and and and world they will
actually be engaged in Dr Michelle E Wade LCPC (MD) LPC (VA) NCC ACS BC-TMH
Fall 2019
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