Helpful COVID-19 Resources
Resuming In-Person Psychological Services
Reporting COVID-19 Cases 12/10/2020 APA Article on Resuming In-Persons Services 5/1/2020 Sample Informed Consent Form - this can be modified for your practice and to use your letterhead. This is a companion document to the guidance article above. 5/7/2020 Returning to Healthy Business Operations in the Age of COVID-19: Advance Planning Checklist and Considerations 5/12/2020
FREE APA Telehealth Webinars
The Telepsychology Best Practices 101 training series is an introduction to the ins and outs of real-world telepsychology. Each 2-hour webinar details the competencies needed for telepractice, including critical ethical, legal, clinical, and technical issues, together with reimbursement strategies. The series discusses practical ways to leverage a variety of technologies with a focus on video conferencing. As an introduction to the field, this training series outlines a variety of routes to reach more people, to lower your overhead and to focus on the specialty area(s) that interest you most. Original webinar date: October/November 2019.
*This program provides an introductory overview and orientation to Telehealth and providing Telehealth services. Please contact Telebehavioral Health Institute, Inc with specific questions for recommendations on advanced programs tailored to participants’ individual interests and needs.
For a limited time this program is available FREE of charge. This exclusive offer does not apply to previously purchased segments in this series.
Click here to take the webinars
Expanded Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak
The Trump Administration today announced expanded Medicare telehealth coverage that will enable beneficiaries to receive a wider range of healthcare services from their doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility. Beginning on March 6, 2020, Medicare—administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)—will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for beneficiaries residing across the entire country.
To read the Fact Sheet on this announcement visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-telemedicine-health-care-provider-fact-sheet 3/17/2020
To read the Frequently Asked Questions on this announcement visit: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/medicare-telehealth-frequently-asked-questions-faqs-31720.pdf 3/17/2020
CMS GUIDANCE:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers in the wake of the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. CMS has released a Virtual Toolkit to help you stay up-to-date on CMS materials available on COVID-19.
CMS Fact Sheet: Expansion of the Accelerated and Advance Payments Program for Providers and Suppliers During COVID-19 Emergency 3/30/2020
For more information on COVID-19 visit:
This guidance, and earlier CMS actions in response to the COVID-19 virus, are part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important work the Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here Coronavirus.gov. For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
TELEMEDICINE
Code of Virginia - Telemedicine Citation 3/18/2020
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services - Provider Flexibilities Related to COVID-10 Memo 3/19/2020
PROVISIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS/GUIDANCE FOR TELENEUROPSYCHOLOGY - COVID-19 3/31/2020
The latest Medicare updates related to COVID-19 4/3/2020
Teleneuropsychology: New resources for your practice 4/2/2020
Telephone psychotherapy: Ensuring patients have access to effective care 4/2/2020
Four pieces of ethical advice for practitioners during COVID-19 4/2/2020
Connecting with children and adolescents via telehealth during COVID-19 4/2/2020
How to do psychological testing via telehealth 4/3/2020
Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing During COVID-19 4/8/2020
Humana's Coverage of Testing Codes for Telehealth effective 3/1/2020
UPDATES FROM INSURANCE COMPANIES
How Virginia's Insurance Industry is Responding to COVID-19
RESOURCES AND LINKS
- CDC Coronavirus Information
- Virginia Department of Health 12/10/2020
- PPE Tips, Tricks, and Resources 4/27/2020
- SBA Release Number 20-26 - Financial Assistance 3/17/2020
- SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance 1/11/2021
- APA Practice Resources in Response to COVID-19
- Healthcare Providers
- Businesses
- Virginia Employment Commission
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As of March 18, 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam has directed the commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission to waive the one-week waiting period for people to receive unemployment benefits. Also, the normal requirement that those receiving unemployment benefits must conduct two job searches a week is being waived. In addition, the governor’s office said Virginians may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits if:
- their employer needs to “temporarily slow or cease operations due to the coronavirus outbreak”;
- they have been issued a notice to self-quarantine by a medical or public health official and are not receiving paid sick or medical leave from their employer; or
- they must stay home to care for an ill family member and are not receiving paid family medical leave from their employer.
Also, Northam’s office said it is directing the Virginia Employment Commission to give affected individuals “special consideration on deadlines, mandatory re-employment appointments, and work search requirements.”
- Attention Workers Whose Job Has Been Affected by the Coronavirus 3/13/2020
- Q&A on Claims Related to Coronavirus
- In addition, at this writing the U.S. Senate is considering the U.S. House of Representatives-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act that currently contains these provisions:
- Guarantees 10 paid sick days (80 hours) to full-time workers, prorated for part-time workers.
- Temporarily extents the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provide paid leave to employees working for a business with fewer than 500 employees.
- Permits employers to claim a quarterly tax credit against payroll taxes for payments for sick days and family and medical leave up to an amount that does not exceed the business’ total payroll taxes paid in that quarter.
- Department of Labor Poster on Employee Rights 3/30/2020
- Emergency Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Regulations Governing Employers' Obligations to Employees Issued on Friday, June 12, 2020
- COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard from VOSH Program and Virginia DOLI 7/15/2020
- Legal Advice: Members with employment questions specific to their situation should contact their attorney for legal advice as may be necessary.
- Virginia Department of Labor and Industry 12/10/2020
- Reporting a Positive Coronavirus Case – Report a positive Coronavirus case, as well as a fatality or serious injury
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources – COVID-19 reference material including links to the standard, reporting information, OSHA and other external reference links, training material and contact information.
- Proposed Permanent Standard – The Department of Labor and Industry Announces Intent to Adopt a Permanent Standard 16VAC25-220 for the Virus That Causes COVID-19.
- Keeping Your Distance to Stay Safe
https://www.apa.org/practice/programs/dmhi/research-information/social-distancing
- Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020
- Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2020
- Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Advice for the Public
World Health Organization, 2020
- Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014
- The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence
Brooks, S.K., et al., The Lancet, 2020
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