Telehealth for behavioral health care

Considerations when using telehealth to provide group therapy

You may need to make adjustments when using telehealth to provide group teletherapy. Some considerations include:

• Pre-screen group members: Group members may have various needs, experiences, or personalities. It is helpful to screen each potential patient to make sure every member can benefit from group teletherapy and that their needs match the goals of the group.
• Choose a group size that fits the therapy goals: Consider therapy goals, treatment approach, and individual personalities when deciding on which individuals to include in the group.
• Group members should complement each other: Make sure the members of the group can relate to one another and support each other.
• Create detailed consent forms: Group telebehavioral health sessions involve multiple people. Patient consent forms should outline any associated risks, benefits, and limits to confidentiality.
• Develop group guidelines: Make clear ground rules covering what is acceptable and what is not. Some common ground rules include requiring all participants to have their camera on, attend from a room where they can be alone during the session, and use the digital “raise hand” feature when they want to speak.
• Select your settings and technology: Choose the telehealth video platform that best suits your needs. Review the settings ahead of time to make sure participants know how to use the technology. Think about any tools that will help you and the group communicate effectively such as screen sharing options or a virtual whiteboard.
• Be engaging: When you are on screen instead of in person, it is even more important to be conscious of the group dynamic and take steps to keep group members interested, energized, and engaged. Start with introductions and greetings using first names only for privacy. Make eye contact with group members by looking into the camera and using body language and hand gestures to help express your ideas. Build in moments for patients to interact and contribute to the conversation. You may want to try using break out rooms or paired discussions.
• Group participation: Some group members might be more willing to talk than others. Make sure to pause so that everyone has a chance to contribute to the discussion. Let participants know that they can always decide to pass if they do not want to talk when they are called upon.