As venture capital has poured into mental health care in the past few years, some of the companies that provide critical services to therapists have been acquired by larger corporations. Others have taken on new investors. Corporate ownership or investment isn’t inherently either good or bad, of course. Larger corporations often have more resources to devote to their products and services, while private ownership can give companies more flexibility. Here’s a list of who owns what, derived from company web sites and public documents in April 2023.
Technology
CareDash shuts down
CareDash, the “ghost network” where therapist profiles drawn from the NPI database were being used to redirect consumers to online therapy platforms, has shuttered its website. It will dissolve its business, according to the American Psychological Association.
How to diagnose telehealth connection problems
It’s the most intense, meaningful part of a telehealth therapy session. Your client is on the verge of a profound realization that will change how they relate to others going forward. And then the sound cuts out. Or the video freezes. What do you do when your telehealth connection is interfering with psychotherapy instead of facilitating it? How can you diagnose telehealth connection problems?
California BBS adds Telehealth CE requirement for everyone, new Law and Ethics CE requirement for Associates
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed Assembly Bill 1759, making a couple of key changes in continuing education (CE) requirements for California MFTs, clinical counselors, and clinical social workers. There’s a new one-time Telehealth CE requirement for everyone, and a new annual Law and Ethics CE requirement for Associates.
NASW files FTC complaint over CareDash profiles funneling clients to BetterHelp [updated]
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) informed its members last week that CareDash, which operates a health care provider directory, is engaging in what “appears to be an improper deceptive practice.” NASW says that CareDash’s process of using clinician listings to direct prospective clients to online therapy platform BetterHelp rather than to the listed clinicians “potentially violates federal and/or state consumer protection laws.”
Despite what a reasonable consumer would expect, you cannot, in fact, check my availability using the button that says Check Availability.