Virtual Therapy is a Reality for More Patients

Good news for people who live far from a mental health professional: Thanks to new rules from the New York State Office of Mental Health, telepsychiatry appointments are becoming more accessible in rural areas.

During these virtual sessions, a patient speaks with a remote psychiatrist via high-tech video conference, eliminating the need to take a long drive for a face-to-face meeting. Thanks to the expanded regulations, roughly 250 additional mental health providers can now offer this option to patients. In 2015, the Westchester Medical Center Health Network became the first non-state-operated provider in New York to integrate telepsychiatry with its traditional behavioral healthcare programs.