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Telepsychiatry for Substance Abuse Centers The increasing prevalence of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues results in an increasing need for substance abuse programs to offer the services of psychiatrists or nurse practitioners to engage in the treatment team of addictions treatment programs, often to prescribe medications. Unfortunately, the national shortage of psychiatrists has made it difficult for these programs to recruit and retain an adequate capacity of good quality practitioners, particularly psychiatrists who have the experience, comfort, and credentials to effectively work with this unique population.Through real-time televideo interaction, InSight’s telepsychiatry service allows substance abuse programs consistent access to specialists who can provide services within designated blocks of time for evaluation, medication management, treatment planning, supervision or medical leadership, and even crisis intervention. Depending on the needs of the particular clinic or detox center, InSight typically offers substance abuse telepsychiatry services in scheduled blocks of time on a regular basis from the same clinician. Under this model, the InSight telepsychiatrist becomes a regular and active member of the clinic’s treatment team while maintaining a consistent case load of patients. With InSight, regardless of geography, substance abuse programs can gain access to the appropriate level of professional with the experience and credentials required to serve its unique consumer base. No longer having to struggle to recruit, retain, or reimburse the travel or relocation expenses of specialty psychiatrists, these programs can now access as much psychiatry as they need. InSight’s team of employed telepsychiatrists and prescribing psychiatric nurse practitioners includes members that hold specialty certifications in the treatment of addictions and substance abuse and clinicians that have the experience and credentials to effectively prescribe suboxone and methadone. Typical Equipment Setup: Most substance abuse programs or detox centers will benefit from a dedicated videoconferencing unit that is hardwired into a designated telemedicine office or small conference room. These systems are often more affordable than the mobile systems used by hospitals and will typically include a camera mounted atop a mid-sized monitor that may be remotely controlled by the telepsychiatrist. While a staff member will need to activate the equipment and facilitate an introduction between the consumer and the remote clinician, it is normally not necessary for that staff member to remain in the room during a routine encounter. CLICK HERE for resources and documentation |
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