COVID-19, Rural Communities, and Implications of Telebehavioral Health Services: Addressing the Benefits and Challenges of Behavioral Health Services via Telehealth in Nebraska

Telehealth has been in use, in various forms, for over a century and is growing increasingly more popular. The current research sought to examine the prevalence, benefits, and challenges of telehealth for behavioral and mental health services in the state of Nebraska with a particular focus on rural communities. The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the research endeavors and impacted the questions that were asked related to the use of telebehavioral health. Specifically, the research included an investigation of the rates of use of telebehavioral health across agencies and whether/how the pandemic impacted the use of telehealth services. The research included an initial examination of more than 50 behavioral health agencies to assess overall utilization of telehealth. Researchers then conducted interviews with 15 practitioners to discuss the challenges and benefits associated with telehealth services. Key results suggest that implementation of telehealth in Nebraska has resulted in increased access to services among rural residents and has deeply impacted clinical practice. Additionally, clinicians identified specific benefits and challenges of telebehavioral health. It was also noted that the majority of clinicians plan to continue providing services via telehealth if the policies and regulations remain as they are post-COVID-19. Implications of this research highlight the efficiency and effectiveness of using telehealth to increase access.

Re-Visioning Immigrant Couple Therapy: Immigrant Couples in the United States and Telebehavioral Health

This article aimed to address the following question: In what specific ways, can couple therapists improve their work with immigrant couples via telebehavioral health (TBH)? This article offers perspectives from experience working with immigrant couples via telehealth, which include key barriers to using in-person therapy for immigrant couples, the effectiveness of TBH for immigrant couples, and consideration for couple therapists as they venture into TBH with immigrant couples. With a focus on the expansion of services, one way to improve health equity for immigrant couples and bridge the gap between the traditional health care system and couples in undeserved communities is by developing TBH systems, which may lead to increase access to care for clients as well as expand provider options and resources.