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Telehealth for Mental Health

ByLaura Morrison, MSW, LCSW and Dr. Diego Garza, MD, MPH
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Mental Wellness with MindPath: Telehealth for Mental Health
Mental Wellness with MindPath: Telehealth for Mental Health

Telehealth is the use of technology to increase access to quality healthcare services. MindPath's Laura Morrison, MSW, LCSW and Dr. Diego Garza, MD, MPH dive into further explanation, address common questions and concerns, and discuss the need and effectiveness of telemedicine.

Contact MindPath Care Centers 919-261-3958 for telehealth and in-person resources near you.

Resources

Online Mental Health Care-how it works + why it's useful

My Carolina: Care For Your Mental Health From Home

Is Telehealth as Effective as In-Person Care?

Online Mental Health Care with MindPath Care Centers - VIDEO

How Telehealth Reduces Mental Health Stigma and Increases Access

Provider Bio

Diego Garza, MD, MPH

Dr. Diego Garza is a Medical Doctor and a master's in public health working in the medical field since 2014. His real passion is the intersection between healthcare and technology; he has been working in the telemedicine field for the past six years and has been able to develop successful programs for different organizations. Dr. Garza got his medical degree from el Tecnologico de Monterrey, the #1 school of medicine in Mexico. After that, he pursued a master's degree in public health at Gilling's School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, ranked #2 in the nation in the field. During his master's degree, he was a CONACYT Scholar, a highly competitive scholarship program hosted by the National Council of Technology and Science in Mexico.

In the telemedicine field, Dr. Garza spearheaded a statewide telemedicine department in Mexico, with over 17 specialties offering services and over 40 doctors working the program, he also acted and continues to serve as one of the primary care providers for the program. After running that program and while pursuing his MPH, he became the Project Director for the NC Diabetic Retinopathy Telemedicine Network, at the Ophthalmology Department at UNC, where he was able to successfully create a program to increase access to screening services for the dialysis population in 4 counties in the state of North Carolina. In early 2017, Dr. Garza started working for MindPath Care Centers, PLLC., one of the largest private behavioral health companies in the nation. In his initial role as the Director of Telemedicine, he developed and implemented a telepsychiatry service that now employs over 160 providers and sees more than 15,000 patients per month, placing this program as the largest telemedicine program in the state of North Carolina. Now, he is currently acting as the VP of Strategy and Innovation and Director of Telehealth, where he oversees growth strategies for MindPath that are directly related to increasing the quality of healthcare services. His work at MindPath Care Centers granted him the North Carolina Health Care Hero 2018 award, given by the Triangle Business Journal to healthcare professionals that are committed to increasing the quality of services offered to the NC population.

Laura Morrison, MSW, LCSW

Laura builds her practice around social work core values: integrity, social justice, the importance of relationships and the dignity and worth of all individuals. She values compassion, connection and authenticity, drawing on those values to build healing and helpful relationships with her clients. The most rewarding part of her role as a mindcare provider is helping people recognize and harness their strengths as they work toward healing and growth. Using a relational approach to therapy, Ms. Morrison knows that the catalyst for change in therapy is a warm and trusting relationship between therapist and client. She works with individuals to create a compassionate space where they can examine themselves and their lives fully, without judgment, in order to facilitate meaningful change and build a deeper understanding about themselves. As an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist, Laura is committed to cultivating an inclusive therapeutic practice and to examining the ways in which oppression, discrimination and social injustice impact the day-to-day struggles her clients face. In addition to being a therapist, Laura performs improvisational comedy and wholeheartedly believes that laughter and play are integral parts of the healing process.

Education & Certifications

- Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC

- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC

- Post-MSW Fellowship in Counseling and Psychological Services at Emory University in Atlanta, GA

- Member of the North Carolina Society for Clinical Social Work