SPS Private Practice: Telehealth Has Become a Transformative Tool

SPS Updates

Over the past five years, Orlando Wright, PhD, LCSW-C, has explored and refined various approaches to engaging clients through telehealth.

“A model has emerged—one that leverages technology to meet client needs while ensuring high-quality, ethical, and secure care,” Wright says. “Implementing telehealth effectively, particularly in private practice, requires thoughtful strategies.”

During the covid emergency, Wright said, “I initially resisted telehealth. As a self-proclaimed technologist, I questioned the effectiveness of remote sessions compared with face-to-face interactions.”

However, the urgent necessity of the moment propelled me into swift adoption, Wright explains in the latest Section Connection newsletter for the NASW SPS for Private Practice.

“I quickly integrated telehealth into my electronic health record system, navigating the complexities of ethical considerations, legal requirements, technological security, client-centered care, and informed consent.”

Wright, a behavioral scientist and chair of the SPS for Private Practice, outlines in the article the key insights to support social workers in harnessing the full potential of telehealth. It includes technology, client-centered care and sustainability.