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We’re a hybrid practice. Working from home and seeing clients by telehealth are normal here. Both need a few habits to keep client privacy intact.

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Your workspace at home

  • A private room with a door that closes, where nobody else can see your screen or hear the session.
  • Household members, including partners and children, don’t hear client sessions. Headphones help. A door helps more.
  • Smart speakers and voice assistants off or out of the room during sessions.
  • No client information on paper at home unless it’s locked up when you’re not using it, and shredded (not tossed) when done.

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Your network

Use a secured home Wi-Fi network with a strong password. The practice doesn’t currently deploy a VPN, so the practical rule is: don’t do practice work on public Wi-Fi (coffee shops, airports). Use your phone’s hotspot instead.

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Telehealth sessions

  • Use the practice’s approved telehealth platform only. Never FaceTime, personal Zoom accounts, or anything else, even if the client asks.
  • At the start of each session, confirm the client’s identity and where they physically are. Utah requires this before every telehealth encounter (Utah Admin. Code R156-1-602), and it matters for both safety and licensure. Telehealth is held to the same standard of care as in-person care, and only a Utah license in good standing may be used for it (Utah Code § 26B-4-704).
  • Ask whether the client is somewhere private and can speak freely. If not, offer to reschedule.
  • Have the client’s current location and an emergency contact in the record before the session, in case you need to send help. See Crisis and safety protocol.
  • Don’t record sessions.

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Location and licensure

Your Utah license authorizes you to treat clients who are physically in Utah. A client who’s traveling or living in another state is generally subject to that state’s licensing rules, which usually require the clinician to be licensed there. Utah has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 60b), but as of September 2026 the compact commission hasn’t begun issuing multistate licenses. Don’t tell a client you can see them across state lines until that changes and you hold one. Before treating a client who’s out of state, even temporarily, check with Helen. Some states allow brief continuity-of-care exceptions; many don’t. Don’t assume.

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Documentation

Note the modality (in-person or telehealth) and the client’s location for every telehealth session. It’s required for billing and for licensure.

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Equipment

The device you use for telehealth must meet the device standard. Test camera, microphone, and connection before your first session each day.

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Working elsewhere

Working from a location other than your home or the office (a relative’s house, a hotel) is fine if you can meet every requirement on this page. If you can’t guarantee privacy, don’t see clients from there.