Telemental health in social work

Telehealth in Mental Health/Social Work Name Institution Course and Code Professor Date Telehealth in Mental Health/Social Work Telehealth entails the delivery of medical, health information, and education remotely. Indeed, it relies on Internet connectivity and the availability of electronic gadgets, such as personal computers, smartphones, and tablets. In this paper, the primary research question is how telehealth can promote mental health or social work practice. The most significant thing about telehealth is that it enables health professionals to meet their patients virtually. In that light, this technology promotes accessibility to mental health services, particularly in remote areas. Background of Telehealth Application in Mental Health With the rapid advancement of technologies, telehealth is becoming a significant option for various mental health facilities. Indeed, it is a viable solution for addressing the mental health needs of individuals in rural areas whose primary barrier to healthcare services is distance (Myers, 2019). In addition, marginalized communities faced significant problems in accessing mental health services due to high traveling costs to urban areas, where mental health experts are located. The implementation of telehealth is an effective option for fostering mental health care accessibility to those in rural areas. Besides, a significant number of people in rural areas have access to at least one electronic device, including a computer and smartphone. As such, telemental health can help individuals and families overcome the distance, financial, and structural barriers to treatment (Damian, Stinchfield, & Kearney, 2022). That explains why it should be implemented to promote quality mental health care services. Relevance of Studying Telehealth with Respect to Social Work Practice Notably, it is crucial to study how telehealth can be implemented in the practice of social work. The vital thing about this technology is that it fosters flexibility, convenience, accessibility to mental medical services, and timely service delivery. Social workers can use this technology to offer relevant medical services to their patients (Cornell et al., 2021). For example, during the coronavirus pandemic, it was problematic for many individuals to visit hospitals physically due to the high risk of contracting the deadly viral disease. However, social workers who had implemented telehealth continued to meet their patients virtually. As a result, studying telehealth is essential to determine how this new technology can be implemented to promote the delivery and accessibility of mental health services. A Preliminary and Brief Review of the Literature Related to Telehealth In the digital era, applying new technologies to address health problems is vital. The proper implementation of telehealth can have numerous benefits to healthcare providers and patients. However, all the stakeholders should be involved when implementing this technology so that all factors that might render it useless are solved. For instance, mental health professionals should be motivated to adopt telehealth so that they can meet the needs of their patients in remote areas (Bunnell et al., 2020). The widespread Internet accessibility has revolutionized the healthcare sector since a significant number of individuals have electronic devices that can connect to the web. Cornell et al. (2021) assert that social workers can benefit from the implementation of telehealth due to increased patient engagement consistency. As such, this technology needs to be implemented to enhance proper mental health care service delivery. Scope of the Problem Indeed, implementing telehealth into mental health and social work practices faces a significant gap in information. However, the challenge can be addressed with the heavy spread of telehealth technology and its promise to address the hurdles of individuals seeking mental health care. Although telehealth may be the key to widening the mental health issue area, there still is a lot to be done concerning identifying the challenges and obstacles involved in telehealth and whether it is practical and provides enough benefits (Di Carlo et al., 2021). For instance, privacy and security concerns are among the issues that must be addressed, such as educating people with limited technology knowledge, such as in rural regions. As of 2020, 38 % of Americans were using telehealth services for mental care. 82 % of use developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a platform for telehealth expansion. The wide application of telehealth services has also changed the perception, with more people opening up. This is seen in the application, which rose from 49 % in 2020 to 59 % in 2021. The telehealth application differs among users, with young adults aged 18-29 years at 66 % and older adults aged 65 years and above at 36 % (American Psychiatric Association, 2021). The preparedness and willingness of mental health providers to adopt and implement telehealth processes is a vital issue that should be tackled. Telehealth can eradicate geographical obstacles, which are significant barriers to the widespread use of this technology if clinicians show no drive or are not adequately trained. Mental health professionals may be unwilling to adopt the improved method of service delivery, which will limit telehealth expansion in different regions (Grieco-Page et al., 2021). Addressing the concerns of the existing reimbursement systems, restrictive licensing provisions, and privacy issues will be required to take this integration process to the next level. Furthermore, even though telehealth has proven to be useful at times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a shortage of c...