This document represents a collaboration between the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) to create a consolidated update of the previous APA and ATA official documents and resources in telemental health to provide a single guide on best practices in clinical videoconferencing in mental health. The APA is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. The ATA, with members from throughout the United States and the world, is the principal organization bringing together telemedicine practitioners, healthcare institutions, government agencies, vendors, and others involved in providing remote healthcare using telecommunications. These guidelines focus on interactive videoconferencing-based mental health services (a.k.a., telemental health). The use of other technologies such as virtual reality, electronic mail, electronic health records, telephony, remote monitoring devices, chat rooms, or social networks. are not a focus of this document except where these technologies interface with videoconferencing services.
