Incorporating telehealth-focused education in doctoral-level psychology students graduate education

What is it about?

The paper sought to support program development by briefly outlining a proposed model for doctoral-level telehealth-focused graduate education for psychology students. Competencies, initial and advanced coursework, direct application, supervision, and program evaluation are discussed.

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Why is it important?

The proliferation of telehealth has provided a means to extend and supplement traditional face-to-face approaches for the provision of psychological care. To develop true competency in the use of telehealth modalities, one must ensure focused education related to both general knowledge and hands-on skills. Despite several post-doctoral continuing education programs having emerged, a growing number of psychological professionals have suggested the utility of telehealth-focused education in doctoral-level graduate programs for psychology students. While graduate-level education holds many potential benefits, including providing a foundation for future telehealth usage and creating a means to address ongoing mental health disparities, such training programs have been minimally discussed in the literature, with no formal model disseminated