Parent/Caregiver Responsibility
As the parent caregiver:
- You will need to assist your child until he/she is on-line, and the connection is clear
- You will need to be available in case the connection is interrupted, and your child needs you to help to trouble-shoot a lost connection
- You will ensure your child has privacy, which includes ensuring he/she has privacy from others in the household for example others do not know about your child attending therapy
- You will ensure your child has sound privacy in the space. White noise outside of the room is helpful. Many children have sound machines to help them sleep which could be situated outside the door
- You will ensure no one will come into the child’s space during the session time
- You will help the child make a “Private Folder” for art products. This can be two pieces of cardboard stock stapled all the way around leaving the top open to make a big envelope (or a special bag in which to keep products)
- Parents agree to not question their children about their on-line sessions, or ask the child to discuss any product completed during the session
- You may be asked to be on-line in a separate space called “a break-out room” so that you can be available as necessary
Tele-Play Therapist/ Distance Practitioner Responsibility
Dr. Yasenik as the Tele-Play Therapist/Distance Practitioner will:
- Send the invitation to the parent to set up the session
- Adhere to any privacy issues re: family home as the therapist will be in one or more rooms of the family’s choice
- Engage in a check-in with parent and child together prior to beginning the private session 5-10 minutes. Together we will address confidentiality – children will be given permission to tell their parents that their time is private (but not secret)
- Plan and manage the session with the child for 30-45 minutes
- If the child has an iPad, the Tele-Play Therapist may ask the child to do a 360 degree turn of the room from time to time to ensure privacy for the child and the therapy process
- Help the child end the session and put any products away into their private folder/bag
- Send the parent a brief email note after the session has been completed. The email will provide the parent with short summary as to how the session generally went and if the child was engaged. As per the original Consent for Treatment Agreement, there will be no formal reports provided after Tele-Play Therapy sessions unless identified/outlined in the initial Consent for Treatment Agreement.
For children of Separation and Divorce who are involved in a child inclusive process, feedback to parents and third parties may occur in one of the following ways:
- A Structured Feedback Session with both parents (either together or individually)
- A formal Report that is provided to the Court (Voice of the Chid Report)
- A written report as requested by an Arbitrator
- Oral report provided to an Arbitrator
Benefits and Risks to Tele-Services
One of the benefits of tele-services is that the client and practitioner can engage in services without being in the same physical location thereby ensuring continuity of care. Tele-services do, however, require technical competencies to be helpful. Although there are benefits of tele-services there are some differences between in-person and distance interventions.
Teletherapy services rely on technology, which allows for greater convenience in service delivery. Any internet-based communication is not 100% guaranteed to be secure/confidential. There are risks in transmitting information over technology that include, but are not limited to, breaches of confidentiality, theft of personal information, and disruption of service due to technical difficulties.
Risks to confidentiality. Because tele-sessions or meetings take place outside of the practitioner’s private office, there is potential for other people to overhear sessions if you are not in a private place during the session. The practitioner will take reasonable steps to ensure your privacy. It is important you also ensure you find a private place for the session where you will not be interrupted.
Tele-sessions are not meant to take the place of the more optimal in-office face-to-face sessions but are utilized when in-office sessions are not convenient or possible, and only at the client’s request. Most research shows that tele-sessions are about as effective as in-person sessions. However, some practitioners believe that some non-verbal cues can be lost by not being in the same room.
If the practitioner decides that tele-services are no longer the most appropriate form of treatment/interventions she will discuss options of engaging in in-person counselling or referrals to another professional who can provide appropriate services.
