AASW Webinar Recording | Online Therapy and Telehealth: Supporting clients via remote practice

Member price: $60.00 including GST (member price will display once logged in)

Non-member price: $120.00 including GST

With mental health presentations on the rise, there has been an increase in the uptake of COVID-19 Telehealth items by clients who require support. (CSIRO, Australian Health Review, 2021). Telehealth service provision has been approved across NDIS, Medicare, DVA and My Aged Care with many more practice areas to follow.

The provision of virtual Medicare supports is rapidly growing nationally with one in four of all Medicare consultations now being provided via telephone or online (DHS, 2021, University of Queensland, 2021). This has forced social work practitioners to adjust the way they practice during the pandemic, to quickly adapt to new technologies, navigate previously unforeseen challenges, and find alternative ways to engage with and provide therapeutic interventions to their clients remotely.

This webinar provides a brief overview of contextual changes across the social work practice settings that propel the shift from face-to-face to virtual service provision. It will review challenges when delivering services online or over the phone appointments and will explore suitable therapeutic approaches when practising virtually.

Selected Focussed Psychological Strategies and therapeutic tools for these delivery modes will be considered. Case studies and examples will be drawn from private practice to recognise potential barriers and solutions to providing client support when in-person consultation is not available.

"Alicja presented her experience in a down to earth, authentic manner, I found inspiring for my practice; in telehealth and beyond" – webinar participant, November 2021.

"I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was most helpful in providing tools & strategies" – webinar participant, November 2021.

"Found the case studies helpful in grounding the techniques being discussed into a practice frame" – webinar participant, November 2021.

Who should register? Practitioners who wish to explore or improve the provision of online client therapy and telehealth services. The webinar may also be of a special interest to clinical, mental health and disability social workers across all practice settings.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

• Explore the provision of Telehealth services in the NDIS and Medicare areas
• Identify appropriate clients for online therapy or telehealth services
• Consider selected Focussed Psychological Strategies that can translate to the online environment
• Understand the challenges of delivering therapy online or via telehealth
• Consider how to overcome barriers to offering online or telehealth services to clients
• Reflect upon the challenges and therapeutic outcomes for specific case studies

Presenter

Alicja Weidner is the Principal Director at H-L Therapy. Alicja brings with her 23 years of professional practice experience in the areas of aged care, disability, rehabilitation, mental health, project work and policy development. She is an AMHSW, member of the AASW, Clinical Member of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association, member of the Primary Health Network, Multidisciplinary Health Practitioners Network, and a number of Mental Health Professional Networks in South Australia. She is also an NDIS registered provider. Alicja was employed by the state government in a range of clinical roles, providing interdisciplinary, functional, and mental health assessments and clinical services for adults and older people with complex and specialised needs.

AASW Credentials: Mental Health (Focussed Psychological Strategies); Clinical; Disability