Telehealth Tips for Behavioral Health Providers

It is increasingly common for behavioral health providers to be asked to engage patients and conduct visits by videoconferencing or other HIPAA-compliant technology. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology defines synchronous telehealth visits as “two-way audiovisual link[s] between a patient and a care provider” (Healthit.gov, 2017). This handout includes some tips for behavioral health providers to consider when conducting synchronous telehealth visits.

Note: Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, many payers have loosened billing, technology, and other requirements for conducting telehealth visits. Check first with your payer for updated guidance during this time.

AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test)

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening tool for use in primary care settings to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems. The AUDIT has been validated across genders and in a wide range of racial and ethnic groups. There is both a clinician administered version and a patient self-report version.

Integrated Care: Creating Effective Mental and Primary Health Care Teams

Integrated Care: Creating Effective Mental Health and Primary Health Care Teams provides the first comprehensive guide for teams to integrate effective mental health care into primary care clinics. Edited by a team of UW Medicine mental health experts, it includes practical information, skills, and clinical approaches needed to implement Collaborative Care, an evidence-based model of integrated care developed at the University of Washington. Importantly, it provides a common resource and framework for all members of the care team including care managers, psychiatrists, primary care providers, and administrators. Editors include UW psychiatrists Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, Jurgen Unutzer, MD, PhD, MA, and the late Wayne Katon, MD, as well as UW psychologist Kari Stephens, PhD.

Find resources for implementation within the free Integrated Care Online Appendix. These include a CoCM readiness checklist, BHCM documentation templates with examples, job descriptions, links to screening and symptom monitoring tools, and more. Please note that the Integrated Care Online Appendix was last updated in 2016 and there may be more current versions of items elsewhere in our resource library. Email uwaims@uw.edu with specific questions.

PMQ-9 (Spanish)

The Spanish version of the Patient Mania Questionnaire (PMQ-9) is a nine-item scale used to assess and monitor manic symptoms. The PMQ-9 Mania Questionnaire complements use of the PHQ-9 for depressive symptoms to inform measurement-based care. It is also suited for use in mental health care settings. An English version of the PMQ-9 can be found here.

Pediatric Collaborative Care Implementation Guide

This guide is for multi-disciplinary, primary care teams seeking to improve care access and behavioral health outcomes for children and adolescents through implementing Collaborative Care. Centered around the core principles of Collaborative Care, this guide serves as a roadmap to healthcare leaders, managers, clinicians, and staff in primary care as they:

start a new Collaborative Care program, or
expand an existing integrated care or Collaborative Care program to pediatrics, and/or
partner with community and behavioral health agencies.

For training support and technical assistance implementing Pediatric Collaborative Care reach out to the AIMS Center at: uwaims@uw.edu. Research has shown that clinics receiving implementation support from the AIMS Center have significantly better patient outcomes.

PMQ-9

The Patient Mania Questionnaire (PMQ-9) is a nine-item scale used to assess and monitor manic symptoms. The PMQ-9 Mania Questionnaire complements use of the PHQ-9 for depressive symptoms to inform measurement-based care. It is also suited for use in mental health care settings. A Spanish version of the PMQ-9 is also available.

PCL-5

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD. This measure was developed by staff at the Veterans Affairs (VA) National Center for PTSD. It is free for qualified health professionals and researchers to use.