Epstein Becker Green's Telemental Health Laws Survey Cited in "A Behavioral Health-Telehealth Connection Gets Real in Dallas"

Across the U.S., telehealth is increasingly being seen as a technology that can be used in a wide variety of creative and innovative spaces. The behavioral health field is one area where virtual care services continue to be a natural fit, as nationwide shortages of mental health professionals—especially for children—are consistently reported.

Indeed, a recent comprehensive review from national law firm Epstein Becker Green found that federal and state lawmakers are more gradually supporting coverage for mental health services provided via telehealth, and to that end, a Doximity, an online networking service for medical professionals, also recently found in separate research that radiology and psychiatry were the top two specialties most interested in telemedicine opportunities. Mental health services via telemedicine are used in a variety of settings, including private practice, outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and correctional facilities.

In Dallas, Children’s Health, a pediatric health system anchored by two hospitals and several pediatric clinics, embarked on a school-based integrated telehealth program five years ago with an initial goal to connect school nurses with pediatric providers and treat acute care conditions in the school setting. A few years after the pilot project commenced, schools started to ask Children’s Health if the health system had a behavioral health solution it could offer to expand the program outside just traditional physical healthcare, recalls Jason Isham, the director of integrated behavioral health at Children’s Health.