Interprofessional Telebehavioral Health Competencies Framework: Implications for Telepsychology

The Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS) telebehavioral health (TBH) competency framework is presented to assist in using technology to affirm and adapt existing in-person clinical psychology practices. This paper identifies the theoretical rationale for the development and use of the CTiBS evidence- and consensus-based framework. It examines two derivative applications and then discusses limitations and areas for future research. The CTiBS TBH competency framework is a nested model consisting of seven competency domains (with subdomains), each of which has a distinct number of objectives, which in turn have specific competencies or practices. These then cut across three competency levels. The CTiBS framework applies an interprofessional TBH competency framework to telehealth for psychology, sometimes referred to as "telepsychology." Relevance of the TBH competency framework is discussed for psychology education, training, supervision, and longitudinal professional development and to guide certification and licensure regulations for psychological practice. Public Significance Statement This paper is written to demonstrate practical ways to implement the CTiBS Framework for Telebehavioral Health Competencies as they relate to the field of psychology. Two of the 49 published telebehavioral health objectives were examined in detail to illustrate a thoughtful approach to telepsychology and to suggest that psychologists and their organizations consider conducting self-assessments using existing consensus documents such as the CTiBS publication to determine their fitness for telepsychology practice.