The Future of Virtual Care for People with Serious Mental Illness-View Recording

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In a recent panel discussion, experts explored the challenges and advancements in delivering virtual mental health care for individuals with serious mental illnesses, especially post-COVID-19 pandemic. Nicole Kozloff, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, initiated the discussion by highlighting the urgent shift to virtual care during the pandemic. Different speakers presented insights from various settings, including Dr. Alexia Polillo, who shared that virtual care for early psychosis involved adapting resources and technology training. The study highlighted that while virtual care was received positively, especially for its convenience, providers noted limitations in assessing nonverbal cues and addressing crises remotely.<br /><br />Dr. Carrie Cunningham from UCSF discussed the implementation of telehealth within the intensive case management framework for clients with serious mental illnesses. Despite initial skepticism, the program found that clients were more adept at using technology than expected. The talk emphasized the importance of financial and technical resources in telehealth success, such as smartphones and internet access.<br /><br />Dr. Fumi Mitsubishi presented the GAIN project, focusing on utilizing technology to address the dual crises of mental health and substance abuse exacerbated by the pandemic. The project introduced contingency management via a digital app to encourage positive health behaviors among clients with serious mental illnesses.<br /><br />Audience members discussed the variability in virtual care experiences, highlighting concerns such as rural connectivity issues, the in-person care shortage during the pandemic, and the potential for coercion in mandatory in-person consultations.<br /><br />Overall, the presentations underscored the importance of personalized, equitable virtual care solutions, supported by infrastructure investment and digital literacy enhancement. The dialogue reinforced that while virtual care offers unique benefits, particularly in accessibility and convenience, it must be continually adapted to meet the diverse needs of patients with serious mental illnesses.

Keywords

virtual mental health care

serious mental illnesses

post-COVID-19

Nicole Kozloff

technology training

nonverbal cues

telehealth

financial resources

GAIN project

rural connectivity

digital literacy