We cover:
Top misconceptions about documenting intakes and assessments
Time management and logistics for intakes and assessments
Balancing ethics, legal obligations, and customer service
What Maelisa recommends covering in an intake session
Layering informed consent
How to minimize writing the same things over and over in assessments
Our upcoming CE training with Maelisa on documentation for new clients
We discuss:
Maelisa’s background and business, QA Prep
Why there aren’t black and white guidelines for documentation
How to determine what to include in documentation
The most common people who will read your notes
Informed consent and documentation, especially for vulnerable populations
Progress note templates and policies
Collaborative documentation in group practice
Why clinicians find documentation so stressful
Our upcoming CE training with Maelisa on Client Centered Documentation
We cover:
Managing confidentiality and availability of data
Having redundancies for worst case scenarios
Types of calendar syncs and their benefits and drawbacks
How to sync your calendars in a HIPAA-appropriate way
We cover:
Popular screen recording software, Loom, and why it’s not HIPAA compliance compatible
Google Vids being covered by the Google Workspace BAA
Use cases for screen recording software for group practices
Key reminders and usage notes for Google Vids
We discuss:
Devices being searched by Customs and Border Patrol at the US border
Why border agents can search devices without a warrant
HIPAA being the minimum security standard, not the ceiling
When HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI
How clients can be impacted when PHI is accessed by law enforcement
How to conduct a risk analysis of the potential impact of client PHI being accessed by law enforcement
What to remove from devices before traveling
Upcoming resources we will be providing on this topic
We discuss:
Common myths we hear about practicing telehealth across jurisdictions
The risks of unpermitted practice
The threshold of client risk (and the only instances where cross-jurisdictional practice is permitted for clients in crisis)
What constitutes client abandonment and what doesn’t
Requesting temporary practice permission from a different jurisdiction
Our recent training on navigating legal-ethical cross-jurisdictional teletherapy practice for therapists
We discuss:
Encrypted messaging apps in the news
What end to end encryption means
What to look for in an encrypted messaging service
Why a Business Associate Agreement is necessary
The difference in risk landscape for mental health therapists and government officials
Safeguards, like device security measures, to take when using secure messaging apps
We discuss:
Expanded telehealth flexibilities and waivers for Medicare and where things currently stand
Reactions to the proposed Security Rule updates
Making updates even when they aren’t required to safeguard client info and your practice
Timelines for applications opening for the Counseling Compact and the Social Work Licensing Compact
Our upcoming CE training on Cross-Jurisdictional Teletherapy Practice in 2025
We discuss:
The uncertainty in our current regulatory landscape
What the in-person visit requirements mean for Medicare clients (and what they don’t mean)
Exceptions to the requirements for in-person visits
Compliance and documentation for these requirements, in the event of a Medicare audit
Steps to take as a therapy practice owner to be prepared for these requirements and communicate them to staff and clients
We discuss:
What the some of the proposed changes to the Security Rule are, including penetration testing
The timeframe for these changes if they are implemented, and the likelihood they actually will be implemented
The rationale behind the proposed changes, and why they’re necessary in our current threat landscape
How following the PCT Way can minimize the changes you need to make as HIPAA regulations evolve
Centering client care and safeguarding client info as a motivating factor, rather than fear