January 31, 2023 Update – The Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023 resulting in the end of multiple federal flexibilities affecting health care delivery.

APA's Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disasters and the APA's Council on International Psychiatry compiled the following list of resources for psychiatrists. The resources cover not only the physical impact of the coronavirus, but on its potential mental health and psychosocial issues and responses.

COVID-19 Telehealth Rules

The Biden Administration announced last week that the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. What does this mean for mental health care after three years of delivering care under a number of flexibilities? Find out more details on what this means for your telehealth practice:

• COVID-19 Telehealth Policies Wind-down Timeline
• What Happens when the Public Health Emergency Ends? Frequently Asked Questions on Telepsychiatry and Hybrid Practice Post-PHE
• Comparison of Telehealth Provisions During & After the Public Health Emergency (.pdf)
• Telepsychiatry Blog: Telepsychiatry and the End of the COVID-19 PHE
• Telepsychiatry Blog: What's up with Telehealth Controlled Substances Prescribing?

APA's Practice Management HelpLine  

If you are an APA member, APA's Practice Management HelpLine is ready to assist you with your practice management needs. Help is available on how to manage the day-to-day operations of your practice in the midst of this pandemic, including telehealth, coding, documentation, reimbursement, contracting with managed care companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.

COVID-19 Psychiatric Practice Guidance

[UPDATED 01/18/22] APA is tracking guidance released by the Department of Health and Human Services and at the state level related to COVID-19 to assist psychiatrists with providing mental health and substance use services.

View COVID-19 Psychiatric Practice Guidance here.

APA Resources

• Template for Patient Informed Consent for Return to In-Person Care (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Actions and Activities that a Healthcare Organization Can Take to Support Its Physician Workforce Well-being during COVID-19 and Beyond (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Reintegration of Healthcare Workers Following COVID-19 Service (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: The Role of Psychiatrists in the Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Communicating with the Public during the COVID-19 Pandemic (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Cultivating Preparedness for Future Public Health Emergencies (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Health Equity and COVID-19 (.pdf)
• Coronavirus, Mental Health and Hispanics in the United States (.pdf)
• Coronavirus, Mental Health and Indigenous People in the United States (.pdf)
• Coronavirus, Mental Health and African Americans in the United States (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Moral Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: The Impact of COVID-19 on Incarcerated Persons with Mental Illness (.pdf)
• Support of the Permanent Expansion of Telehealth Regulations after COVID-19 (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Redeployment of Psychiatrists to Medicine During a Pandemic Crisis (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Admittance, Discharge of Psychiatric Patients During COVID-19 (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Opening Your Practice During COVID-19 (.pdf)
• COVID-19 Related Opinions of the APA Ethics Committee (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Psychiatrists Returning to Clinical Service (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Considerations for Healthcare Workers and Staff Exposed to COVID-19 Death and Dying (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Considerations for Family and Other Personal Losses Due to COVID-19-Related Death (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Electroconvulsive Therapy as an Essential Procedure (.pdf)
• Guidance Document: Use of Long-acting Injectables as a Clinically Necessary Treatment (.pdf)
• Patients With SMI in the Age of COVID-19: What Psychiatrists Need to Know – Psychiatric News
• Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
• Mitigating Risks for Contagion Stigma
• APA Guidance Document: The Role of Psychiatrists in the Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine (.pdf)

Other Resources

• COVID-19 Pandemic Response Resources – Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)– World Health Organization
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – CDC
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) – SAMHSA

Webinars

• The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of African Americans – The webinar examined strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of African Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also raising awareness and building trust on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. Prominent leaders in their respective fields discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of African Americans.
• The Mental Health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders: Coalition-Building and Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Rise of Xenophobia – The webinar examined strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of xenophobia. Prominent leaders in their respective fields discussed policies, data, coalition-building, and resources to support and improve the safety and mental health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders.
• The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Latinas/os – Panelists examined strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of Latinas/os during and post pandemic and raised awareness of the additional pandemic stressors facing this community such as unemployment, insurance benefits inequities, and social isolation.
• The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Indigenous Communities – Panelists examined strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of our Indigenous people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The panelists discussed the concerns of the communities and highlight solutions incorporating cultural humility and respect. In addition, they will raise awareness of other unique pandemic stressors facing the Indigenous communities.
• Advancing the Use of Telehealth Through Education and Advocacy – Many psychiatrists have quickly transitioned to using telehealth and found it beneficial for certain patients. As states lift stay-at-home orders, and data shows COVID-19 continue to spread in some areas, the use of telehealth remains an important tool for patients to access mental health and substance use disorder treatment while keeping patients, clinicians, families, and communities safe through physical distancing. This APA webinar will focus on how to refine the use of telehealth to better serve your patients and highlight advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels to continue telehealth flexibilities.
• Serious Mental Illness and COVID-19: Tailoring ACT Teams, Group Homes, and Supportive Housing – This free town hall presentation, from a panel of SMI experts, answers questions about arising best practices being implemented by Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, and supporting those in supportive housing or group homes.