Practice Parameters for Telehealth-Implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis

Continuity of Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Original Webinar Date:  March 31, 2020

Webinar Duration: 2 hours

Short Title:  CASP Telehealth Task Force: Practice Parameters

CEU Offered: 2.0 Total Learning CEUs (including 1.0 in Ethics)

CE Instructors:

  • Joy Pollard PhD. BCBA-D
  • Jenna Minton, Esq.


Abstract: Dr. Joy Pollard (Chair) and Jenna Minton from the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) Telehealth Task Force will discuss the recently released Parameters for Telehealth- Implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis: Continuity of Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This CASP document was produced in response to the impact of stay-at-home and social distancing orders on the delivery of medically necessary ABA services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

This 2-hour webinar will provide an in-depth discussion of the ethical administration of telehealth. Providers will learn how to evaluate the benefits and risks of implementing different telehealth service delivery models, via synchronous and asynchronous modalities. We will review tools to assist providers in determining whether a patient and their caregivers can participate productively in one of the models for telehealth ABA services, including considerations of patient and caregiver characteristics, technological requirements, and monitoring effectiveness. Providers will also receive service-specific guidance (i.e., application of CPT Adaptive Behavior codes for services delivered via telehealth) along with case examples for different telehealth applications.

Learning Objectives:

Objective #1: Providers will be able to evaluate the risks and benefits of implementing different telehealth service delivery models, via synchronous and asynchronous modalities to ensure ethical and quality care is maintained.

Objective #2: Providers will be able to assess patient characteristics and their individualized treatment plans to determine the appropriateness of telehealth models for a patient.

Objective #3: Providers will provided with tools to learn how to assess the caregiver's ability to participate in sessions and technological requirements for a telehealth session.

Objective #4: Providers will identify strategies to modify treatment goals and objectives, protocols, environment, stimuli, and teaching procedures to effectively implement ABA sessions via telehealth.

Instructor(s)

Esq Jenna Minton

Jenna W. Minton, Esq. is the President of Proactive Strategies (formerly Minton Healthcare Strategies). Proactive Strategies specializes in guiding clients through Medicare and Medicaid regulatory processes. Specifically, Jenna focuses on the development of CPT Codes. Jenna also assists in valuing medical services through the AMA Relative Update Committee. From 2016 through the end of March 2019, Jenna guided and contributed substantially to the efforts of the ABA coding work group, including the development of the 2019 ABA CPT code set and generation of subsequent educational materials aimed at their implementation. Jenna also serves as the Director of Operations at Residential Options, Inc. (ROI). She oversees audit, contracting, and reimbursement issues for ROI which employs almost 350 people and services around 300 clients with ASD or a developmental disabilities. Jenna is licensed to practice law in Maryland and is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Ph.D., BCBA-D Joy Pollard

Joy Pollard is the Co-founder and CEO of Clinical Operations at Behavior Change Institute. She earned her Ph.D. in Disability Disciplines, with a Specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis at Utah State University. Dr. Pollard holds a position as Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University and currently serves as co-investigator on several research projects investigating telehealth service delivery of applied behavior analysis interventions for individuals with Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. She has supervised multi-state telehealth services since 2011 in the home, community, residential, day habilitation, and school settings for individuals across the lifespan. Her research and clinical work have focused on leveraging technology to increase access, build capacity, and improve the standards of behavioral healthcare for families in rural and underserved communities. Dr. Pollard has served on both state and national committees to advise on best practices in telehealth and applied behavior analysis.