Clinicians · 2 minute read · Conversation guide
A Practical Telehealth Backup and Safety Conversation
Prepare location, reconnection, and emergency plans without assuming every client has the same resources.
Prepare location, reconnection, and emergency plans without assuming every client has the same resources. The examples below are starting points to adapt to your scope, client, and setting.
Before treatment begins
Discuss privacy, technology, and whether telehealth is appropriate for this person and service. Confirm the client’s current physical location at each visit and verify your authority to practice where the client is located. Do not infer emergency resources from the clinician’s own location.
Make a connection plan
Agree on a primary contact number and what each person should do if audio or video disconnects. Identify local emergency resources and, where appropriate, an available support person. Explain how confidentiality and permitted disclosures apply; do not promise absolute secrecy.
Sample conversation
“If we lose connection, I’ll try the number we agreed on. What would be a workable backup for you? Let’s also confirm where you are today and discuss what we would do if an urgent safety concern arose.”
Reassess over time
Document the agreed plan in the appropriate clinical record, update it if location or contact information changes, and consider device access and privacy at home. Follow current local requirements and emergency procedures; this discussion is not a substitute for an individualized safety assessment.
A brief checklist before connecting
Confirm the address and callback number, discuss whether the space is private enough for the conversation, and identify a reconnection method. Check whether a local support person is available and what permissions are in place. Identify local urgent resources relevant to the client’s location. If the client travels or joins from another state, reassess service eligibility and the emergency plan rather than relying on the address on file.