Free Resources for Therapists and Counselors During the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
Since the coronavirus tipping point, I have been spending more time on social media, in my effort to stay connected with loved ones and stay up to date on therapy-related news.
Friends and colleagues have been sharing state and national updates regarding telehealth regulations, as well as resources for staying refreshed (in life and work) during this time of social distancing. I’m including a roundup of these resources in this post. (I sent these resources to my email subscribes last week, and I’ve updated the list since then. (If you’re not on my email list, and want to be, subscribe here.)
April Events
Esther Perel Live Webinars
Starting Wednesday, April 1st, Esther Perel will present the first of a four-part series on “the current normal, what it means for your relationships, and how you can move forward in a time of physical distancing, uncertainty, and grief.”
Each conversation will be broadcast live on Facebook and Youtube on Wednesdays at 3pm Eastern between April 1-22. Learn more, and RSVP, here.
Free Community Support (Refreshed Therapist Network)
I am gently facilitating online community support meetings for therapists, on April 10 + 24, at 11 am Eastern. The meetings are collaborative, inviting reflection, questions, and whatever comes up for participants. If you’d like to join the meeting, learn more, and RSVP, on the event page on Facebook, or the event page in the Mighty Networks community.
Apps for Therapists
Down Dog is offering a free membership to all its fitness apps until May 1, 2020. For students and teachers with a dot edu email account, and healthcare workers (that’s us!) the free membership will last until July 1, 2020. Sign up via the link above.
Peloton is offering a free 90-day trial to their at-home fitness app. No bike needed. The app includes yoga, strength training, and more. Check out the app, and sign up, here.
HeadSpace
The meditation app, HeadSpace, is offering health care professionals a free Plus account for the remainder of 2020. To register, you must have an NPI number. Learn more, and sign up here.
Health care professionals are able to register for free use of the Ten Percent Happier app, for six months. Learn more about the app, and register here.
Ensure your emotional wellbeing during this time, by training your mind. Healthy Innovations is offering free access to their healthy minds program app. There is no fee, and there are no requirements. Sign up via the link above.
For Your Aural Enjoyment
Audible Stories
Ok. Technically, Audible Stories is for kids. But, you will find books in a variety of languages (in case you’d like to begin learning a language), as well as literary classics. No registration required. Take a look at the selection.
Also, as a friendly reminder, Audible offers a 30-day free trial. If you like listening to your books, get started, here.
Esther Perel
A new four-part series with “couples under lockdown,” has begun on the podcast, Where Should We Begin. To listen to this new coronavirus-themed series, or to catch up on past episodes, click here.
Free One-Year Directory Listing, for Christian Counselors
The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) is offering a free one-year listing in their Christian Care Connect directory, with code D2C2020. The listing typically costs $249 per year. If you’d like to learn more and sign up, click here.
Telehealth Resources
Many therapists have moved, or are working toward moving, their sessions online. The following are updates and resources relevant to telehealth/online therapy during COVID-19.
National Policy on HIPAA
The Office of Health and Human Services announced “enforcement discretion” for telehealth services during the COVID-19 crisis. “This exercise of discretion applies to widely available communications apps, such as FaceTime or Skype, when used in good faith for any telehealth treatment or diagnostic purpose, regardless of whether the telehealth service is directly related to COVID-19.”
To view the full policy, visit this page.
State By State Telehealth Policy
Utilize the interactive 50 state legislation and regulatory tracking tool to browse telehealth legislation and regulation across the nation. See the map.
Free PESI Training
PESI is offering a 12 credit hour telehealth training, for free, with code TELEFREE. If you’re interested, go to this checkout page.
Steps:
Add the training to your cart
Sign in, or create an account
Add “TELEFREE” to the discount code area
Once you checkout, the training will be added to your account, allowing you to view it at any time.
Free Telehealth Platform
CarePaths EHR is offering free access to their telehealth platform “during the COVID-19 crisis.” Learn more and sign up.
Recent Articles + Guides from Therapist Colleagues
The following articles and guides have been published during this epidemic; they include essential information on documentation and overall preparedness during COVID-19.
COVID-19 Coronavirus Resources for Mental Health Therapists, QAPrep
COVID-19 Plan for Therapists: Questions, Answers, and Guidelines, ZynnyMe
COVID-19 and Your Practice, Abundance Practice Building
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Telehealth Resources for Therapists in Private Practice, Private Practice Startup
I hope these resources are helpful as you continue navigating changes to your life and work. If you have a resource that could benefit colleagues, please contact me, and I will share it on social media, or inside the RTN community.