Great job! What would you say are the most challenging gaps between online sessions compared to traditional in-person sessions? What are your plans to bridge the gaps?
Very important area to explore. Let me first start by saying the the evidence suggests that telepsychiatry is as effective as in person therapy for adolescents (article link below), and our data shows that it is more engaging as measured by session attendance and number of weekly engagements.
That said, there are three primary challenges in the online environment.
First and most simply, it is harder to create rapport online. We require for that reason that all of our teens use the video sessions (in addition to messaging and the app), and we place high importance on the match itself (which we can do since we have a group of diverse counselors across California geos). We also place high importance on the therapeutic alliance and give our counselors techniques during training to develop that online.
Second, privacy can be a challenge in small or crowded homes. We work closely and set expectations with parents to ensure that our teen clients receive privacy during their session times.
Third, online counseling is still primarily best for mild to moderate acuity. At the more severe acuity levels, or with psychotic disorders for example, we haven't yet nailed how to treat online effectively and safely. We screen members during the assessment and refer them out if in-person counseling is better. We also put an emphasis on our online safety plan, which gives us knowledge of parent whereabouts and trusted contacts in the case that a crisis situation does escalate.
That said, there are three primary challenges in the online environment.
First and most simply, it is harder to create rapport online. We require for that reason that all of our teens use the video sessions (in addition to messaging and the app), and we place high importance on the match itself (which we can do since we have a group of diverse counselors across California geos). We also place high importance on the therapeutic alliance and give our counselors techniques during training to develop that online.
Second, privacy can be a challenge in small or crowded homes. We work closely and set expectations with parents to ensure that our teen clients receive privacy during their session times.
Third, online counseling is still primarily best for mild to moderate acuity. At the more severe acuity levels, or with psychotic disorders for example, we haven't yet nailed how to treat online effectively and safely. We screen members during the assessment and refer them out if in-person counseling is better. We also put an emphasis on our online safety plan, which gives us knowledge of parent whereabouts and trusted contacts in the case that a crisis situation does escalate.
Link to efficacy of telepsychiatry in adolescents: https://togetherthevoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AACA...