Michigan LPC and Virtual Platforms for therapy
Talkspace, BetterHelp, etc. are now top search results when looking for a therapist in your area. Often some form of a virtual platform returns in the top results regardless of the region/state/city in which you’re searching for a mental health professional. Even prior to COVID these virtual platforms had begun to gain popularity for their convenience, privacy, and budget friendly offerings for people in search of support for pretty much any (mild) mental health concern. Since COVID’s changed our world, these platforms have kicked it into high gear, recruiting therapists by the 100’s. And the virtual model is very alluring, often including offerings for (fully licensed) therapists that include signing bonuses and guarantees regarding caseload size. If you’re an LPC on social media, no doubt you often receive messages from many of these platforms encouraging you to learn more!
Regardless of your professional view on virtual therapy, the concept is here to stay. With the stressors we’re all experiencing, in very amplified ways, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see more big time collaborations between virtual therapy and major industry. This post is not arguing therapy good/virtual therapy bad - this post comes more out of concerns I’ve had since more and more LPCs are closing down physical office practices and concentrating their efforts in building a virtual business online.
It is in your best interest to stay closely connected to rules/regs issued by the state, keeping yourself abreast of changes to what is being asked of you as the professional. Most of these virtual platforms have LPCs working only as contractors, meaning they’re not required to assist/support you in knowing the laws surrounding your practice. OR assist/support you should a dispute against your license arise. The platform to work within is simply provided and you are to use your own clinical judgement and skills to build your practice. - Example - I worked for a virtual platform for several years that would continuously send referrals for clients who lived outside of the state of Michigan, and even outside of the United States. When asking the “clinical help desk” about my ability to take these types of clients, the response was that I should do what I thought was right. hmm, how cryptic. If you’re LPC is issued by LARA in the state of Michigan you CANNOT provide therapy services to client’s living outside of the state of Michigan. (COVID specific update - some states have opened this up due to high need for therapists in underserved areas. Just know the rules! If you’re not sure about your ability to do something as an LPC license holder, ask someone!) My recommendation would be to take this a step further for good measure and not provide therapy services to a client while they are outside of the state of Michigan (on vacation for example). As a Michigan license holder, you’re not aware of mental health practices in other states; what emergency services are available to you/ your client or what your responsibility is to that client in regards to things like duty to warn.
Additionally, I’ve noticed virtual platforms not offering much support with appropriate record keeping and biopsychosocial information gathering. A copy of your client’s drivers license, their contact information, demographics, psych history, current medications, emergency contact (if appropriate) is all information YOU should obtain from your client directly when you’re matched. Virtual therapy sites often say that the client’s information was gathered when they signed up for services and is on file and for you to contact the site in the case of an emergency to obtain. Immediately no. You get copies and keep your own records that include all of the same information you’d gather from a client whom would be physically sitting in your office in front of you.
Lastly, Michigan requires that as an LPC, you provide each client with a copy of your professional disclosure statement and then record that you’ve done this. In a physical practice, you’d have some sort of agreement that they’d sign. Virtual clients are not an exception to this rule. The reason for this requirement is so that your client knows who you are, as a professional, and where they can contact someone to help if they believe they have been treated unfairly or unsafely.
Virtual work has opened up a new world for LPCs. It’s a great way to build a caseload, have a lot of variety in your work and be able to manage your schedule completely on your own terms. My encouragement is only to think about risk and safety while you’re building this practice. Truly consider if this client was physically in my office, how would I handle this?
