Telehealth for SUD individual and group therapy
Learn how to use telehealth to provide individual and group therapy for SUD treatment to increase access to care.
On this page:
Individual therapy
Telehealth visits for individual therapy are effective for treatment of SUD. There are some critical elements to remember when using telehealth for one-on-one treatment:
- Maintain eye contact. It is important that the provider maintain eye contact to help develop a strong and trusting patient-provider relationship.
- Comfort with the platform. The provider must be familiar and comfortable with the selected telehealth platform. Comprehensive training is essential prior to providing therapy using telehealth.
- Adherence to treatment plans. Each appointment should be structured to align with the patient’s treatment plan.
- Ongoing dialogue. Education regarding MOUD and ongoing treatment and maintenance therapy should be repeated regularly. It should not be confined to a singular telehealth encounter.
- Share information. The practice should provide the patient additional resources that they can access for continued treatment.
Group therapy
There are some important elements to remember when developing a telehealth group therapy practice:
- Establish appropriate privacy and confidentiality procedures. The practice must maintain patient confidentiality by avoiding questions that may reveal details or conversations the patient had with their care team during one-on-one treatment. Other strategies to support privacy include using initials for on-screen identification and allowing participants to turn off their cameras during the session.
- Pre-screening. A pre-screening workflow should be established to review informed consent and establish group guidelines.
- Contingency plan. A process and procedures should be established in the event the group gets disconnected.
More information:
Cultivating trust and building relationships during a telehealth visit — Health Resources and Services Administration
Group teletherapy — Health Resources and Services Administration
Individual teletherapy — Health Resources and Services Administration
Preparing patients for telehealth — Health Resources and Services Administration
Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders (PDF) — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration