Need Help? (877) 590-8144

Telehealth Resources for Patients and Families

CTRC has specialized expertise supporting California-based safety-net patients, rural communities, and vulnerable populations—including the elderly, disabled patients, homeless individuals, and racial/ethnic minorities. Use our unbiased resources or contact us to find the useful answers you need.

For a list of resources on Crisis Counseling, Housing Assistance, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Veterans and other state resource programs visit CalHOPE.org. CalHOPE delivers crisis support for communities impacted by a national disaster, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and run by the California Department of Health Care Services.

Provider Locator Resources

If you are unable to locate a provider with these resources,
please reach out to CTRC at CalTRC@ochin.org

Telehealth Providers By County

CTRC Provider Registry List

SAMHSA BH Provider Locator

Telehealth Providers by Health Plan

Hotlines in the United States

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

Suicide Hotlines in the United States:

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-2433
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) – available 24/7
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Spanish 1-800-799-4889
National Suicide Prevention Text line: 1-800-799-4889

LGBTQIA+ Hotlines:

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

Substance Abuse/Alcohol Abuse Hotlines:

Alcohol Abuse and Crisis Intervention: 1-800-234-0246
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Helpline and Treatment: 1-800-234-0420
The Alcohol & Drug Addiction Resource Center: 1-800-390-4056
Alcohol Hotline Support & Information: 1-800-331-2900

Maternal Health
Hotline:

1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) in English and Spanish. The hotline is accessible by phone or text

If you are unable to locate the resource/helpline, please reach out to us CTRC at (877) 590-8144 Mon-Fri (9am-5pm) or email us at CalTRC@ochin.org

Connect to the Internet,
Increase Telehealth Opportunities

Patients and providers can maximize cost savings on internet bills. Learn more by visiting GetInternet.gov. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Lifeline are federal government programs that help eligible households pay for internet services and internet connected devices. Eligible families who pair their benefit with one of the partnered internet providers can receive high-speed internet at no cost. Households may be eligible to receive both the ACP and Lifeline programs, and combine with other state and local benefits where available.

For the Affordable Connectivity Program, eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or by using an online or mail-in application. To apply for Lifeline, households can apply online, by mail, or through a phone or internet company.

LEARN MORE

A medical professional taking a young patient's vitals to demonstrate how telehealth can improve health care workforce retention.

FAQs for Patients

Q: I speak a different language. Can I still get care?

A: Absolutely. All California health plans are required to provide you with assistance in your native language. This might mean sending an interpreter in person for the visit. It could also mean bringing an interpreter into the visit virtually. Check with your health plan member services representative to discuss available options.

Q: What types of equipment are used to facilitate telehealth services?

A: Typical equipment includes computers with cameras, smartphones, or tablets. Connectivity options include cellular or Wi-Fi.

Q: Does my health plan cover telehealth services?

A: Many health plans in California cover telehealth services. Check with your health plan member services representative or visit www.findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov

Q: Is my personal information safe and secure?

A: Yes! Your personal health care information is always safe and secure whenever you have a telehealth visit. Every health care organization protects all details related to you, and telehealth is no different. If you’re worried about privacy, just ask your provider what steps they take to safeguard your important medical information.

More Telehealth FAQs

Spanish Telehealth FAQs

Vietnamese Telehealth FAQs

Cantonese Telehealth FAQs

Common Telehealth Terms

Telehealth or virtual care can include a range of services
and some common terms used related to telehealth

Direct to Consumer Telehealth is when a patient is not required to physically go into a health care center to receive medical or mental health service. The patient can connect directly with a provider from their home using a mobile phone, tablet, computer or any device that connects to the internet to receive care.

Asynchronous Telehealth or Store and Forward: Is when someone from a medical or mental health office collects and records medical health history in the form of data, images, audio or video that they send over to another provider for evaluation using a secure portal to be review at a later time by a clinical health provider for the purposes of interpretation, diagnosis, consultation and/or treatment.

Audio-only Telecommunication is communication through the use of a telephone.

In-Person Visit is when a provider and patient are physically present in the same room

Distant Site is the telehealth site where the provider/specialist is seeing the patient at a distance or consulting with a patient’s provider. Other common names for this term include – hub site, specialty site, provider site and referral site.

Face-to-Face Is when a patient physically goes into a health center to see a provider

Medically necessary health care services: Any medical issue related to preventing, diagnosing, or treating an illness, injury, disease, or its symptoms and is clinically appropriate.

Originating Site means the site where the patient is physically located at the time a telehealth service or telehealth consultation is provided. Usually, your home or health care center.

Remote Patient Monitoring means the collection, transmission, evaluation, and communication of individual health data from a patient to their healthcare provider. Remote technologies including wireless devices, wearable sensors, implanted health monitors, smartphones and mobile apps. Remote patient monitoring supports ongoing condition monitoring and chronic disease

Telehealth consultation means a medical or health consultation for purposes of patient diagnosis or treatment that meets the definition of telehealth. Telehealth Informed

Consent is when a patient is agreeing to receiving care treatment virtually. Consent is required before a healthcare service is provided via telehealth

Spanish Telehealth Terms

Vietnamese Telehealth Terms

Cantonese Telehealth Terms

Telehealth Patient
Education Materials

Telehealth is a way to receive healthcare services digitally. Telehealth lets you videoconference with doctors through computers, tablets, or smartphones and virtually connect to your clinic or other health locations without leaving your home.

27 Jan

8 Things to Know Before Your First Telehealth Visit

Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, is a mode of health care that uses secure digital technologies such as videoconferencing and telephone services to connect patients and providers.

Comments are Closed / Blog,Featured,General Tools,News,Patients / Read More

05 Apr

8 TIPS for a Successful Telehealth Session

This guide, produced by the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center, contains 8 tips to make your video visit experience a success.

Comments are Closed / Patients,What's New / Read More

09 Nov

Guidance on Nondiscrimination in Telehealth

This document from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services provides patients with guidance on nondiscrimination in telehealth.

Comments are Closed / Guidelines and Toolkits,Ongoing Training & Insight,Patients,Sample Forms and Guidelines,State & Federal Policies,What's New / Read More

27 Jan

How Do I Use Telehealth?

Want to take advantage of telehealth, for yourself or a loved one? Download this handy answer guide. Available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Cantonese.

Comments are Closed / General Tools,Patients / Read More

24 Mar

Patient Instructions for a Successful Telehealth Visit

Want to take advantage of telehealth, for yourself or a loved one? Download this handy patient checklist from Caravan

Comments are Closed / Patients / Read More

19 Jan

Telehealth Specialty Provider List

We maintain an ever-expanding list of telehealth specialty providers. CTRC remains unbiased, and this list is unvetted. Before considering any of these organizations, please conduct your own due diligence.

Comments are Closed / Featured,Patients / Read More

21 Sep

Virtual Care Security Tips For Patients – Now in Additional Languages!

Virtual care offers patients convenience, flexibility, and reduced
costs. To ensure your information is secure, consider the
following safeguards.

Comments are Closed / Featured,News,Patients / Read More

Success Stories

The Success Stories on this page illustrate how telehealth can literally change lives. It improves patient awareness, enhances clinical efficiency, reduces care-related costs, and more. It can also make a dramatic difference for safety net, rural, and vulnerable patient populations.

Use these inspiring examples as a blueprint for your own California-based telehealth program. Got a Success Story of your own? Share it with us!

Video: Telehealth Success in a School-Based Setting

08 Apr

Video: Toby’s Story; Patient and Family Perspective

Telehealth has been happening in some form or another for over 20 years, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the

Comments are Closed / Success Stories,What's New / Read More

08 Apr

Video: Toby’s Story; Telehealth Success with ABA Services

Telehealth has been happening in some form or another for over 20 years, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the

Comments are Closed / Success Stories / Read More

02 Apr

Video: Jill’s Story

Jill Hill is a patient at Chapa-De Indian Health, one of the health centers participating in the Sustainable Models

Comments are Closed / Success Stories / Read More

Video: Telehealth Success with Speech Therapy

02 Apr

Video: Toby’s Story; Telehealth Success with Speech Therapy

Get proven insights reflecting years of nationwide program experience–from providers just like you. Don’t reinvent the wheel; start here instead!

Comments are Closed / Success Stories / Read More

SHARE YOUR STORY

READ ALL STORIES

Questions? We Can Help!

VIEW ALL RESOURCES CONTACT US

The California Telehealth Resource Center (CTRC) and all resources and activities produced or supported by the CTRC are made possible by grant number U1UTH42520-01-01 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS. This information or content and conclusions are those of the CTRC and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. The information and tools presented on the California Telehealth Resource Center’s (CTRC) website are intended for general information purposes only and are not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional legal and billing advice. We recommend discussing billing and legal decisions with your organization’s compliance officer to ensure agreement or consulting with an attorney regarding any legal issue. All materials are strictly for informational and educational purposes only.

Telehealth Resources for Patients and Families

Provider Locator Resources

Hotlines in the United States