Ethics of Digital Mental Health During COVID-19
This course is based on material published in JMIR Mental Health and is available as an open-access article.
Social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the adoption and implementation of digital mental health tools. Psychiatry and therapy sessions are being conducted via videoconferencing platforms, and the use of digital mental health tools for monitoring and treatment has grown. This rapid shift to telehealth during the pandemic has given added urgency to the ethical challenges presented by digital mental health tools. Regulatory standards have been relaxed to allow this shift to socially distanced mental health care. It is imperative to ensure that the implementation of digital mental health tools, especially in the context of this crisis, is guided by ethical principles and abides by professional codes of conduct. This paper examines key areas for an ethical path forward in this digital mental health revolution: privacy and data protection, safety and accountability, and access and fairness.
This course on digital mental health ethics during COVID-19 is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate, and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of ethics in a digital mental health context. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal.
Authors: Martinez-Martin, Dasgupta, Carter, Chandler, Kellmeyer, Kreitman, Weiss, and Cabrera
Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding ethical concerns during COVID-19 digital mental health encounters. Specifically, a professional will:
- Identify ethical principles related to privacy and data protection in the context of digital mental health care
- Summarize ethical concerns regarding safety and accountability in digital mental health care
- Explain how access and fairness can be assured when mental health care is provided digitally
Citation: Martinez-Martin, N., et al. Ethics of Digital Mental Health During COVID-19: Crisis and Opportunities. JIMR Mental Health 7(12):e23776. 2020.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If your license renewal is tracked by CE-Broker, this course is classified as ethics and boundaries (not telehealth) in their system.
This course content is based on a publication that has been peer-reviewed, the scientific standard for evaluating academic work. All studies and scientifically derived evidence have limitations that should be considered. If you have any questions about the accuracy or limitations of the content, please contact us at
support@ce-classes.com and we will get back to you.
This Ce-Classes.com course is approved for CE credit by:
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- The American Psychological Association (APA) Ce-Classes.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Ce-Classes.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Ce-Classes.com, Provider #1142, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Ce-Classes.com maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval Period: 1/5/2029
Social workers participating in this course will receive 1 Clinical continuing education clock hours.- The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Ce-Classes.com has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6320. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Ce-Classes.com is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
- California Board of Behavioral Sciences. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences, BBS, recognizes relevant course work/training that has been approved by nationally recognized certifying bodies, such as APA, to satisfy renewal requirements.
- California Board of Registered Nursing. CEP 15647 Expires 11/30/2026.
- California Association of DUI Treatment Programs (CADTP) Provider Number 231
- California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) Provider Number OS-12-174-0627 Expires 6-2027
- Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Provider #852 BAP-Expires 3/31/2027
- Florida Board of Nursing (CE Provider #: 50-4896) Expires 10/31/2028 Do not send certificates to the Florida Board of Nursing. You must keep this certificate for 4 years.
- Florida Certification Board
- Illinois – CE-Classes.com is a registered social work CE sponsor by the State of Illinois. License 159.001607 Expires 11/30/2027
- Massachusetts Authorization Number: 2534%2Fethics-of-digital-mental-health-during-covid-19
- New York Mental Health Practitioners Board CE-Classes.com, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Departments State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0260.
- New York Psychology Board CE-Classes.com, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Departments State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0211
- New York Social Work Board – Ce-Classes.com is recognized by the New York State Education
Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of
continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0120.
- Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board – Approval from a state licensing board for counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists is accepted by the OH CSWMFTB.
- Oklahoma Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (LPCs, LMFTs and LBCs)
- South Carolina – CE-Classes.com is approved by the S.C. Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapist, Addiction Counselors, and Psycho-Educational Specialists (#4696).
- Texas Board of Marriage & Family Therapists CE-Classes.com meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education. Effective 1/1/24, at least half of the 30 hours must be obtained from a provider listed in 801.261(f). This course meets that requirement.
- Texas Board of Professional Counselors – CE-Classes.com meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education. Effective 1/1/24, at least half of the 30 hours must be obtained from a provider listed in 801.261(f). This course meets that requirement.
- Texas Board of Social Work Examiners – CE-Classes.com meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education. Effective 1/1/24, at least half of the 30 hours must be obtained from a provider listed in 801.261(f). This course meets that requirement.
