Zeitschrift für Alkoholismus und Drogenabhängigkeit
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Current Challenges Impairing Health Care Facilities Due to the Impact of SARS-CoV2

Jeff Peterson, Aimee Hicks, Dustin Reed

Mental health counselors are facing increased challenges due to the impact of SARS-CoV2 Infection (COVID-19). Barriers, risk factors, and lack of resources have affected the profession. These include technology issues, access to necessary equipment, confidentiality, participation levels due to lax environment, and probation reporting requirements, and inconsistencies between state and federal guidelines. This past year, a large portion of mandated substance treatment was forced to an online format due to social distancing requirements (Watkins, 2020). Federal emergency measures allowed for telemental health counseling without certification, or even the necessary training (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2020). As a result, many agencies were left to solve these challenges on their own. Faced with ethical dilemmas and untrained staff, these agencies continue to struggle to maintain continuity of treatment. We discuss strategies on how to respond to these challenges, as well as implications in the counseling profession.