PAU Sets Standard with Certificate in Digital Mental Health

50-Hour Training Offers Critical Skills for Online Delivery of Mental Health Services

Palo Alto University is pleased to announce a new certificate in the Foundations of Digital Mental Health that offers the foundational knowledge, training and best practices necessary to incorporate digital therapy tools into mental health practice.

“The broad delivery of high-quality mental health care has never been more critical,” said PAU President Maureen O’Connor. “The pandemic required a shift to online delivery of care, which is here to stay. This important certificate ensures that mental health providers understand and apply important best practices in delivering care in an online environment.”

Offered by PAU’s Division of Continuing and Professional Studies, CONCEPT, the program consists of 50-hours of specialized training conducted by some of the nation’s leading experts in digital therapy who guide participants through an in-depth sequence of self-paced online videos, readings, and exercises. The course is appropriate for psychologists and counselors and anyone in private practice.

Note: The Certificate program is FREE for PAU students (using code paustudent); alumni receive a 50 percent discount (using code paualumni).

Participants will be able to:

• Effectively vet and use digital tools and technology in therapy
• Evaluate the evidence for integrated ("blended") face-to-face and technology-facilitated therapy, creating a hybrid model if needed
• Discuss and consider the ethical concerns about providing and using digital therapies, particularly around privacy and user data collection
• Earn a badge that can be displayed on your LinkedIn, letting your potential clients and employers know about your new, competitive skill set and competency with digital mental health
• Earn additional income by offering digital therapy

The course provides essential skills for psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers and other professionals.

Certificate coursework includes:

1. Foundations in Digital Therapy
2. Technology and Mental Health for Children and Adolescents
3. Suicide, Risk Assessment, & Treatment Planning via Tele-Mental Health
4. Evidence-Based Internet Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities

For more information about the course go to: Foundations of Digital Mental Health.