What is TeleHealth?
Telehealth is the use of electronic communications to connect people to health and wellness professionals through interactive audio and video communiations. Teletherapy means to carry out a therapeutic session (e.g. individual, partners, family) using Telehealth.
Important Teletherapy Information
Prior to beginning Teletherapy, please take a moment to read over the following information.
Confidentiality. The protections of, as well as the exceptions to, confidentiality also apply to Teletherapy. We take judicious steps to ensure your privacy on my end of the screen. For more information, review the Notice of Privacy Practices.
Benefits & Risks. One of the benefits of Teletherapy is the ability to participate in a therapy session without having to be in the same place as the therapist. This may mean that extra steps are needed to make sure no one’s listening in on your end.
Appropriate Use. By law, therapists are resposible for determining whether Teletherapy is appropriate for the concerns that are brought to them. If this is the case, we will discuss options for in-person sessions or referral to another provider.
Technological Safety
There are unique risks to your privacy when Telehealth is involved. Regardles of the steps we take, an unauthorized person may obtain access to the transmission of audio/video communication or to the electronic storage of your health records.
To minimize these risks, we use SessionsHealth, Hushmail, and Spruce Health, which are apps and software with which we have privacy agreements. To connect for Teletherapy, you will receive a link to meet via SessionsHealth.
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If we use electronic communications methods, such as email, texting, online video, and possibly others, there are various technicians and administrators who maintain these services and may have access to the content of those communications. In some cases, these accesses are more likely than in others.
Of special consideration are work email addresses. If you use your work email to communicate with us, your employer may access our email communications. There may be similar issues involved in school email or other email accounts associated with organizations that you are affiliated with. Additionally, people with access to your computer, mobile phone, and/or other devices may also have access to your email and/or text messages. Please take a moment to contemplate the risks involved if any of these persons were to access the messages we exchange with each other. -
Secure communication refers to electronic communication between you and the staff that takes place on apps and web portals with which Kinfolk Healing Collective, PLLC has contracted (e.g. Spruce, Hushmail, SessionsHealth). All information related to such interactions are stored on each corresponding server and are subject to business associate agreement; your protected health information remains secured. Standard ("Non-Secure") communication refers to any electronic communication that is transmitted or originates outside of the aforementioned servers. For example, communicating via text message with the staff or sending/receiving emails without additional password protection.
To opt-in to standard ("non-secure") communication, select "OK to email" and/or "OK to call/text" under your Contact Preferences in the SessionsHealth Client Portal.
To opt-in again to secure communication, please notify the staff verbally or in writing.