Closing the gap: Organizations move to telepsychiatry and hybrid therapy to expand mental health services

Telepsychiatry plays a critical role in improving access to mental health care, with over one in three outpatient visits being delivered by telehealth, according to Kaiser Family Foundation (for example, 35% and 38% of outpatient visits were over telehealth for depression or anxiety, respectively). This is especially important for the more than 150 million Americans who live in areas where there is a shortage of mental health care professionals. 

If your organization is looking to implement or expand your virtual mental health services, or even explore hybrid group therapy, take a look at our collection of resources below. You’ll hear from organizations on the benefits of telepsychiatry and considerations for care delivery.

Clinical and technological perspectives on telepsychiatry

Centerstone and Lyra Health, two behavioral health service providers, have both found success using telepsychiatry to reach their patients.

Centerstone began offering telehealth services in 2018 with the goal of reaching patients in rural communities. Vinita Watts, MD, Centerstone’s chief medical officer, said, “The ability to do telehealth in people’s homes or in a clinic, and the ability to do face-to-face has given us so much flexibility. We can continue to deliver mental health care in the best way possible that really meets the needs of our patients.”

“A lot of people [at Lyra] prefer virtual telehealth visits. The majority of people are asking for telehealth services, even though we also provide in-person options,” added Matthew Jakupcak, Ph.D., senior director of clinical quality at Lyra Health. “We’re also leveraging technology to refine other parts of the process — for example, we’re able to match people’s report of symptoms, the severity of what they’re experiencing, and use that information to help match them with the first and best provider available to them.” 

Steve Demetrious, UC architect at Centerstone, noted that his team has used the scalability of Zoom Rooms, as well as smart gallery view and ceiling microphones, to rethink and redesign therapy spaces for the most equitable patient experience. “The biggest challenge with any virtual interaction is, how do you make the technology somewhat disappear, particularly in a group setting where everyone wants to be seen and heard?” he said. 

Hear more from Vinita, Matthew, and Steve in our on-demand webinar on reshaping mental health services with equitable experiences and multiple care delivery types.

Better hybrid group therapy for young adults 

The Dorm, a mental health treatment center for young adults, adapted to a post-COVID-19 world with the introduction of hybrid group therapy sessions. Clients had the choice to join group therapy in person or remotely via Zoom, but at first, providers struggled with including everyone equally.

Read this story about how John McGeehan, founder and CEO of The Dorm, began looking at how to design The Dorm’s physical spaces with hybrid group treatments in mind. His team uses Zoom Rooms’ technology and DTEN devices to create a more inclusive environment for clients to participate in group therapy remotely.

Improving veterans’ access to mental health care

The mental health crisis is particularly relevant for veterans and members of the armed forces. An ebook from GovExec commissioned by Zoom reported that suicide rates among active-duty military members are at an all-time high, and 25% of military families indicated their mental health needs are not being met. Military members and veterans are experiencing similar issues with access to care due to a shortage of clinicians as well as geographic challenges. 

This resource shares how telebehavioral health is being used to support the needs of veterans and armed forces members, and key considerations for how the Zoom for Government platform is uniquely positioned to help make mental health care more readily available.

Telepsychiatry offers flexibility for mental health services

Telehealth provides mental health professionals and patients with flexibility in where and how they access care. Read more about why flexibility in healthcare matters, and how Zoom can help improve care delivery.

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Originally published on the Zoom Blog on May 11, 2023: https://blog.zoom.us/telepsychiatry-mental-health-services

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