Telehealth and telemedicine is the use of technologies such as video conferencing, telephone-based services, smartphone applications, texting and web-based tools to provide care over a distance without requiring in person treatment. Telehealth services have quickly risen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the need for socially distanced health services. Through this surge in virtual healthcare, both practitioners and patients have noticed several benefits to telehealth and telemedicine. Many are now using behavioral health and substance use treatment via telemedicine with successful results.
Table of Contents
- Telehealth for Behavioral Health & Addiction Treatment
- The Benefits of Telehealth for Employees with Behavioral Health Issues
- Four Types of Telehealth that Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction
- The Benefits of Telehealth for Employees with Drug & Alcohol Addiction
- How Our Telehealth Services Work for Addiction Treatment
The Benefits of Telehealth for Employees with Behavioral Health Issues
Behavioral health is a blanket term that encompasses mental health. It relates to the connection between your behavior and the health of your mind, body, and spirit. How your habits affect your mental and physical well-being. This included substance abuse, eating disorders, gambling addiction, and sex addiction. Behavioral health disorders involve a pattern of destructive behavior that lasts several months or more. It can also include mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. Mental illness or mental health disorders refer to an individual’s mood, behavior, or thinking. Often substance abuse in behavioral health issues have co occurring disorders such as mental illness disorders like the ones mentioned.
Behavioral health and mental illness disorders can be successfully treated and managed through cognitive therapy, individual therapy, and medication assisted treatment. With the rise of telehealth and telemedicine, many people have more access to behavioral health help. There are many benefits to receiving behavioral health via telemedicine, including:
Expands accessibility to treatment. Being able to get behavioral health treatment via the internet or phone will increase access to those in a rural community with limited options. This can also let those in rural communities have access to specialists that they may not have in their small towns.
Increases commitment and consistency to behavioral health treatments. Because you can access your healthcare provider anywhere and instantly, it reduces some inconsistencies with keeping up with your treatments when you have to go to in person treatment. This includes for those who need to find childcare every time they need to go to their appointment.
Reduces transportation limitations. Some people do not have regular access to behavioral health or mental health treatment because of unreliable transportation or long commute times. Telemedicine and telehealth eliminates these obstacles.
Instant access to mental health treatments. A telehealth service can connect you with healthcare providers 24/7 and sometimes you can have access almost immediately or within a few hours.
Continued health treatments when traveling. Telehealth can improve consistency with a treatment program for those who travel often for work. They can access their therapist or behavioral health counselor from anywhere and not have to work around their traveling schedule..
Quickly have access to health treatments. Instead of waiting weeks for an appointment, telehealth can get you an appointment with a healthcare provider within a day or two. This can improve treatment outcomes because often those searching for substance abuse treatment or mental health may only be motivated for a few days and end up canceling an appointment if it is weeks out.
Mitigates shortage of mental health professionals. With a growing amount of mental health and behavioral health cases, there has been a shortage of access to mental health professionals. Telehealth has proven to be a good solution for this problem.
Mental health and behavioral health access to immunocompromised, agoraphobic, and socially anxious. Some individuals cannot get in person treatment for specific reasons such as being severely immunocompromised or have agoraphobia or extreme anxiety that prevents them from leaving their home. Treatment via telemedicine has helped many overcome this obstacle and get adequate treatment.
Four Types of Telehealth that Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction
Telehealth Platforms
There are many ways to find substance use treatment via telemedicine. Telehealth addiction treatment usually starts with an online assessment to help a patient connect with a treatment center or licensed therapist. There are several ways and programs to connect with a treatment center. The most common ways to connect with telehealth for substance abuse include:
Online Therapy
Also known as teletherapy or telepsychology, is a type of therapy conducted online, over the phone, or by text or email with a professional counselor. Just like in person treatment, online therapy is mostly talk-based and individuals can access many of the same types of therapy used in addiction treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and individual therapy through telehealth models.
Virtual Outpatient Treatment
Some treatment facilities have full outpatient treatment programs available completely online. Online treatment is a great option for those who have home obligations, need addiction treatment outside their work or school schedule, have social phobias, or are immunocompromised.
Group Therapy
There are several substance abuse and mental health support groups available online who are headed by a professional counselor. You can also access many 12step support groups like Alcoholics anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous through online platforms as well.
The Benefits of Telehealth for Employees with Drug & Alcohol Addiction
When it comes to getting help for drug and alcohol addiction, there are countless treatment programs. Many treatment facilities have not incorporated telehealth and telemedicine services as part of their substance abuse treatments. Now telehealth has expanded to more than just online therapy, including simple text message reminders for appointments and accountability, to virtual support group meetings. Although in person addiction treatment, and especially inpatient treatment, is the most effective form for treatment, virtual outpatient treatment and aftercare prevention resources can be effective as well when it is the right fit. Some benefits of online treatment for substance use disorders include:
Ability to stay at home or socially distance. One obstacle for getting substance abuse treatment is not being able to leave home, sometimes for even a short period of time. This can help people get much needed help who have small children or disabled loved ones to take care of, are immunocompromised, or have agoraphobia or social phobias.
Expands accessibility to many. Those in a rural community have limited access to a variety of mental health or substance use disorder treatment. Because they can access telehealth services from anywhere, these individuals have access to online treatments they may not have had in person.
Continue treatment from anywhere. Telehealth models can help individuals stay consistent with their treatment by accessing it from anywhere, which can be an obstacle to treatment for those who travel often.
More affordable. Telehealth outpatient treatment is much less expensive and can make it more accessible for those who are on a limited budget.
Remove transportation limitations. Individuals may not be consistent or motivated enough for outpatient treatment due to unreliable transportation or long commute times, which online treatment effectively eliminates.
Discretion. Telehealth addiction treatment allows for more privacy because you can do it in the privacy of your own home which can create more privacy if you do not want anyone to accidentally see you walking into a treatment facility.
Boosts continued active involvement in addiction treatment. Because telehealth addiction services are easily and quickly accessible, it can keep individuals more active in their recovery with continued online therapy and group therapy.
Quickly get help. When it comes to relapse prevention, individuals in addiction treatment are thought to look for relapse triggers and quickly get help if they start to notice the signs of one. Having almost instant access to a therapist to talk to about your triggers can greatly reduce the possibility of a relapse.
Can easily schedule treatment outside of work hours. Although there are laws that allow you to take time off for addiction treatment, some people want to continue working or do not want their workplace to know. Online treatment can offer easy access to help outside of your work hours.
How Our Telehealth Services Work for Addiction Treatment
Union First is an employee assistance program for union members and their families to find behavioral health treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders. We offer several services aimed at helping members quickly get access to addiction treatment while having peace of mind their employment is protected. Part of our services include telehealth. We can quickly get you mental health and online substance abuse treatment through our telehealth services within 24 to 48 hours. We have a private health network of over 40 providers which allows us to quickly get you an appointment with the right mental health counselor who takes your insurance. Getting access quickly to mental health and addiction services can make all the difference when it comes to effective health outcomes. Dealing with mental illness conditions quickly with telehealth can prevent them from getting worse or using drugs and alcohol to deal with symptoms which can lead to addiction.
- We offer several other services including:
- Case management
- Addiction treatment placement
- Job protection services
- Advocating for your mental health and employment rights
- On-site training modules
If you are having mental health or substance abuse issues and need someone to talk to, please give us a call today. Our case management services can match you with the right treatment and get you telehealth services quickly.