The need for accessible mental health care in Los Angeles County has never been greater, and this presents a huge opportunity for LA providers who offer telehealth services. If you treat clients via telehealth already, or are interested in starting, you have a chance to both grow a thriving practice and meet a critical need in the region.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports that approximately 1 in 5 adults in the area experience mental health challenges each year, with 3-4 percent experiencing a serious mental illness that may impact daily life. Add to this LA County’s well-documented shortage of mental health providers, and a diverse population in need of culturally responsive care, and you’ve got a perfect storm of barriers to treatment.

It’s worth noting that this storm extends across the state of California. The California Health Care Foundation has called the statewide shortage of mental health providers “critical” and “a significant barrier to meeting the rising demand among Californians across ages, races, and zip codes.”
Telehealth makes treatment accessible to more people and opens the door to increased scheduling flexibility. If you want to build a strong telehealth practice in the LA region, now is your moment.
Here are the critical elements for you to streamline your telehealth workflow process to grow your practice.

Your Digital Foundation: Infrastructure That Actually Works

First things first: choose a telehealth platform that is easy for patients to use. Your clients won’t care about fancy tech if they can’t figure out how it works.

When selecting telehealth tools, think like a patient: intake forms need to be easy, appointment reminders should arrive on time, and session access should work on the first try. Your best bet is to find a browser-based solution that doesn’t require patients to download yet another app. Look for HIPAA-compliant platforms that offer everything you need without making your clients jump through hoops.

Some EHRs, such as Valant software, keep the telehealth experience easy for providers, too. Valant lets you launch sessions directly from your calendar, access patient charts during visits, and document as you go, without switching between platforms.

Remember to invest in solid hardware and a strong internet connection, because nothing kills the therapeutic moment like a frozen screen or choppy audio.

Treating Patients Across State Lines

Back when mental health treatment was in-person only, licensure in your own state was all you needed to practice. As a telehealth provider, however, you must be licensed in every state where your patients are physically located during sessions. This is an absolute nonnegotiable.

When you’re uncertain about specific state requirements, don’t guess. Check with your state licensing board or consult resources like the Center for Connected Health Policy, the Federation of State Medical Boards, or the American Telemedicine Association. For psychologists, the PSYPACT compact can simplify the process of multi-state compliance.

Requirements are constantly evolving, so stay current with the latest regulations.

Creating Patient Experiences That Matter

Consider accessibility from day one. Audio-only options, captioning tools, and call-in flexibility can help you serve patients who don’t have reliable internet or aren’t comfortable with technology. In a diverse market like LA, these details are essential for reaching underserved communities.

Features like virtual waiting rooms, in-session chat capabilities, or group therapy options can boost engagement and expand your service offerings. Valant supports group therapy with up to 30 participants, which opens possibilities for peer support groups and other group-based modalities that are particularly effective for certain populations.

Supporting Your Team (Even If It’s Just You)

Telehealth changes how you work, but it shouldn’t compromise the quality of care you provide or leave you feeling drained at the end of the day. Look for integrated tools that let you take notes during sessions, auto-fill documentation, and track outcomes without switching between multiple platforms. You can also use tech features to shrink your busywork. Built-in assessments with automatic scoring, like the PHQ-9 for depression or GAD-7 for anxiety, can speed up documentation processes while supporting data-driven treatment decisions.

Build buffer time between sessions and minimize tech-related frustrations wherever possible. A telehealth platform that gives you simultaneous access to patient records and real-time documentation helps reduce those after-hours admin tasks that contribute to burnout.

Connect with Your Community Through Marketing

Growing a telehealth practice in LA requires you to get clear about who you serve. Are you focusing on trauma therapy for first responders? Adolescent counseling for busy families? Anxiety treatment for entertainment industry professionals? The more specific you can be, the easier it becomes to reach the right people.

Next, update your website, online profiles, and directory listings to clearly indicate that you’re a telehealth provider. Include location-specific language that signals where you’re licensed to serve patients, so that the right clients can find you. Simple changes like these can improve your visibility with your target audience.

To make sure you draw the right clients, track metrics such as patient retention rates, session attendance, and new patient acquisition trends. That should help you see when you’ve hit the “sweet spot” of advertising your services well.

Running Operations Without the Overhead

Some providers choose to offer telehealth only, with no physical location. Even though that eliminates the complexity of maintaining office space, you still can’t wing it on business operations. You need reliable systems for scheduling, billing, intake, and internal communication.

A robust EHR platform can centralize these tasks and eliminate the need for multiple tools and duplicative work. The less time you spend on administrative tasks, the more time you have available for patient care, and in LA’s demanding market, that efficiency can translate to significant practice growth.

Clear role definitions, shared calendars, and secure collaboration tools become even more important if you have a distributed team. Data security is a top priority; use platforms that support HIPAA compliance and encrypt communication across all channels. Having consistent protocols makes everything run smoother and makes it easier to bring on new team members when you’re ready to grow.

Maintaining Quality

Running a virtual practice doesn’t mean accepting lower standards. Your patients deserve the same level of care they’d receive in person—and the data should prove it. Use standardized assessments to track progress over time and incorporate outcome measures into your treatment planning.

In addition, be ready to support clients who need in-person care when telehealth isn’t enough. If you offer telehealth alongside a physical practice location, you may handle many of these clients yourself. But if you’re telehealth only, you’ll need to build relationships with local providers, crisis teams, and higher levels of care. This is important when you’re serving a large, diverse population.

Clear escalation protocols and referral processes should be part of your infrastructure ahead of time.

What “Success” Actually Looks Like

A well-run telehealth practice offers high-quality services. It maintains satisfied patients and builds sustainable operations that meet the needs of its regional community.

As more people seek convenient access to mental health services, many will turn to providers who offer telehealth options. The infrastructure you build today and your ability to streamline processes set you up for long-term growth in a market that desperately needs what you have to offer.

The opportunity is there. The need is real. Now it’s up to you to build something that makes a difference.