By: Kenneth P. Drude, Ph.D.
If you have an interest in telepsychology and developing competencies to practice telepsychology, the article “An Interprofessional Framework for Telebehavioral Health Competencies” published in the Journal for Technology in Behavioral Science by Springer is recommended. It is available for free and can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs41347-018-0046-6.pdf The article describes a framework using three competency levels (i.e., Novice, Proficient and Authority) and seven telebehavioral health competency domains: 1) Clinical Evaluation & Care; 2) Virtual Environment & Telepresence; 3) Technology; 4) Legal & Regulatory Issues; 5) Evidence-Based & Ethical Practice; 6) Mobile Health and Apps; and 7) Telepractice Development. Each of the three competency levels are categorized into discrete behavioral objectives, which are then distinguished by measurable behavioral practices. The framework can be used to do a self-assessment of knowledge and skills about telepractice and to identify areas for further education and training.