COVID-19 and the Acceleration of Behavioral Parent Training Telehealth: Current Status and Future Directions

Alexandra D W Sullivan; Rex Forehand; Juliana Acosta; Justin Parent; Jonathan S Comer; Raelyn Loiselle; Deborah J Jones

doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2021.06.012

COVID-19 and the Acceleration of Behavioral Parent Training Telehealth: Current Status and Future Directions

Cogn Behav Pract. 2021 Nov;28(4):618-629. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2021.06.012. Epub 2021 Sep 9.

Authors

Alexandra D W Sullivan¹, Rex Forehand¹, Juliana Acosta², Justin Parent², Jonathan S Comer², Raelyn Loiselle³, Deborah J Jones³

Affiliations

¹ University of Vermont.
² Center for Children and Families, Florida International University.
³ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Abstract

The SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated social distancing guidelines have accelerated the telehealth transition in mental health. For those providing Behavioral Parent Training (BPT), this transition has called for moving sessions that are traditionally clinic-based, active, and directive to engaging, supporting, and treating families of children with behavior disorders remotely in their homes. Whereas many difficulties accompany this transition, the lessons learned during the current public health crisis have the potential to transform BPT service delivery on a large scale in ways that address many of its long-standing limitations. We describe both challenges and opportunities and consider the possibilities inherent in a large scale BPT service delivery model capable of increasing the reach and impact of evidence-based treatment for all families.

Keywords: COVID-19; behavior; behavioral parent training; parenting; telemedicine.

Abstract

Grants and funding