NJAMHAA News - October 2021

October 2021 7 Providers Share Advice for their Colleagues Kristofor shared the challenges of having clients log into telehealth group sessions and then leave the group to do other things. “If they completely log out, we cannot bill,” she said. Another issue is the lack of confidentiality when family members are in the same room as a client during teletherapy. In intensive outpatient and partial care programs, providers are finding it difficult to keep people engaged for several hours via telehealth. “In person, we can tell a client to take a quick break and come right back. At home, they may never return from a break,” Kristofor noted. To address these obstacles, Kristofor recommends that clinicians set rules and explain that there are no exceptions in certain cases, and consistently remind clients of the rules and why they are important (e.g., confidentiality). She added that clinicians should note who is active or not and check in frequently with clients, especially those who are quiet during group sessions. Another tactic is to use interactive topics and activities. For example, worksheets can be sent to clients in advance of sessions. It is also helpful to ask clients for feedback on activities and topics, as well as ideas for future sessions. Boege and her coworkers share online games, books narrated on YouTube, videos and relaxation activities with each other, and they frequently brainstorm to develop new ideas. For virtual events, Leip emphasized the importance of finding the right virtual-platform company and building good relationships with the staff. “This is the key to the entire thing, to ensure events are seamless,” she said, stressing that “your organization’s reputation and fate are in the hands of this company.” Clearly, IT plays an important role in many aspects of agencies’ operations and has a significant impact on the quality of services, organizations’ revenues and, ultimately, their sustainability. These are a few of many examples of howNJAMHAAmembers are maximizing their investments in and use of technology. Proactive and Improve Services Many providers work closely withNJAMHAA’s IT Project to further ensure that they use technologymost effectively, as well as to ensure that they aremaking the wisest IT investments. See details beginning on page 8.