TheraPlatform is a secure and HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform with Electronic Medical Records and practice management features.
We answer top questions from you – so you can stay up-to-date on ways to get well, and stay well.
Yes, TheraPlatform complies with physical, administrative, and technical HIPPA’s regulations and with the HIPAA Security Rule. We have policies and procedures in place, and our staff is trained on HIPAA standards. We also conduct annual risk assessment to ensure that our platform continues to meet HIPAA standards.
S.E.M.P.É offer services over the phone or through our telemedicine platform where you have a real-time visual connection.
Yes. We assure the platforms are secure and HIPAA compliant to complete telemedicine visits as long as these platforms are allowed in their states and the counselor is licensed in the state to execute the services. We want to be able to meet the standard of care via a Telemental health encounter. S.E.M.P.É does not use public-facing video applications, such as Facebook Live®, Twitch® or TikTok®. For more information, refer to the temporary Federal guidelines concerning use of these platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.4
Stigma, especially among older adults.
After age 55, time spent on mental health drops dramatically, with just 14% of those 65 and over reporting they spend most of their time on mental health. Obviously, physical health problems are more common as we age, and therefore take up more of our time. But mental health professionals say there’s still a stigma around mental health among the 50+ crowd.
Stigma seems to be less of an issue among younger adults. According to a 2015 study, millennials are more accepting of others with mental illness, and more likely to talk about mental health than their parents or grandparents. Our survey shows that 20- and 30-somethings ― the millennial generation ― are twice as likely to put mental health first than adults 55 and up.
Lack of awareness about the interaction of mental and physical health
Many Americans don’t understand that proactively caring for mental health can benefit both mind and body. This is especially true for older adults. “Unless you have a well-defined psychiatric issue, seniors may not take mental health seriously.
Not knowing how to get started.
People express confusion over how to get started as a barrier to achieving their health goals. At some point, we’ve all been overwhelmed by the idea of a big project. Taking the first step to a healthier life is often the hardest part.
The good news is that prioritizing mental well-being is a lot more straightforward than you might think. S.E.M.P.É recommends that relationships are key to strengthening emotional health. This means shifting our focus toward connecting more with others, preferably offline.
The health benefits of connecting with others are far-reaching. We at S.E.M.P.É agree that social involvement is an important factor in maintaining all kinds of healthy behavior, whether it’s exercising, eating right or quitting smoking. It’s also a powerful stress reducer, which has its own positive impact on health.
And don’t forget to prioritize sleep, nutrition, exercise and relaxation. In addition to keeping your body running, these activities work wonders for your emotional well-being.
If you do not believe your health information is protected, you may be less likely to visit or talk us and our mental health experts about health issues because you are afraid of who else may learn about your mental health or overall health conditions. This may place you at a greater risk: S.E.M.P.É needs to know as much about our clients to give the best possible care.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) includes a privacy rule that require people who manage your health care keep information private. S.E.M.P.É must follow the HIPPA privacy rule.
What sort of information we S.E.M.P.É keeps private?
- Anything our counselors, staff, and others place in your file
- Notes in relation to your care or treatment with counselors
- Information about you in our TeleMental Health platform
- Billing information about you and the services rendered to you
- Know who has your personal health information
- Request limits on who can see this information
- Get a copy of this information
- Be provided with privacy notices that explain our use and disclosure of your information
- Have this information safeguarded
- Request corrections to your information
- Decide if you want to give your permission before your information can be used or shared for certain purposes, such as marketing
- Get a report on when and why your information was shared for certain purposes
- File complaint if you feel your right to privacy has been violated.
- Have procedures in place to limit who can see your information
- Hold training programs for employees to learn how to protect your information
- Put safeguards in place to protect your information
- Limit the use and disclosure of your information to the minimum needed to accomplish our goals
Contact S.E.M.P.E’ if you think your rights are being denied or your health information isn’t being protected. Or write to:
HIPAA Member Rights Team
P.O. Box 14079
Lexington, KY 40512-4079
You may also write to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized for filling a complaint.
Phone sessions are a great way to conveniently speak with your counselor by simply using your landline or cell phone, no matter where you are.
To talk with your counselor over the phone, you will need to schedule a time with your counselor. The counselor will prompt you to start the phone session and the system will ask you for your phone number. The system will then call you at that number and connect you with your counselor to start the phone session. Please note that the phone number you enter will not be shared with the counselor.
You can also have a video session with your counselor where you see each other and talk with each other in a virtual face-to-face setting (similar to Zoom).
To talk with your counselor via video, you will need to schedule a time with your counselor and log in to your counseling room at that time. Your counselor will then prompt you to start the video session. After you confirm, you will immediately begin video chatting with your counselor.
Services offered using this site may or may not be covered by health insurance.
Coverage and benefits for traditional therapy and counseling services change from one health insurance company to another and from plan to plan, but generally the following rules apply:
- With many health insurance plans, coverage can be partial or very limited.
- Even if your plan covers all your costs, the co-pay that you would be required to contribute may be higher than the entire cost of S.E.M.P.E’
- In many cases, before you can get reimbursed by your insurance company, your therapist would have to diagnose you with a mental disorder or issue. This diagnosis would be sent to the insurance company and recorded in your medical file. In some cases, the therapist would also have to provide additional clinical information to the insurance company, such as treatment plans, summaries or copies of the entire record.
If you consider using your health insurance, please check your coverage carefully by asking the following questions:
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- What is my deductible and has it been met?
- How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Please note that S.E.M.P.E’ offers very affordable pricing options which are typically comparable with the co-pays of most insurance plans.
The service is provided by independent providers who work directly with you. These providers are not employees of S.E.M.P.E’ and the site doesn’t oversee them professionally. Our mission is to build, maintain, and support a platform that lets users and counselors communicate effectively, and to facilitate this channel so they can get the most out of their interaction.
There are many studies that confirm the effectiveness of the online medium for making life changes.
Our confidence in the platform comes primarily from the feedback and testimonials we receive from clients. Every day we are excited to hear from more people about the way this service helped them make a tremendous change in their lives.