15 Hours / 15 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Technology and Mental Health for Children and Adolescents: Screen Time, Digital Interventions and Teletherapy is presented by Eduardo Bunge, PhD and Blanca Pineda, PhD.  This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards Foundations of Digital Mental Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.

With the rise of new technologies, our society is being transformed, and children and adolescents will be affected both positively and negatively by these technologies. Clinicians working with children and adolescents often advise parents on what to do with their children's technology use (e.g., screen time, cyberbullying, video games, etc.). Developing a science-based view of the impact of the new Information and Communication Technologies on the children and adolescents development could help clinicians provide better recommendations for parents. Additionally, technologies can be specifically designed to treat and prevent mental health disorders in children and adolescents. Even more, Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) may have the capacity to expand delivery models and/or increase the outcomes of therapy. BITs are defined as mobile and electronic interventions that incorporate a variety of technologies, such as mobile phones, the Internet, and virtual reality, in order to assist users in altering behaviors and cognitions related to mental and physical health wellness (Mohr, Schueller, Montague, Burns, Rashidi, 2014). Emphasis is placed on treatments designed to be effective with the most commonly occurring pediatric and adolescent health conditions and mental disorders. New professionals trained for the future of mental health care will require to be familiarized with the evidence for and utilization of BITs such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, Internet interventions, mobile health, wearables, etc. Finally, there is a need to deliver therapy through videoconference (Teletherapy). Conducting teletherapy sessions is both challenging and provides new opportunities. A set of considerations and recommendations on how to conduct teletherapy are presented.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the attitudes towards technology present in youth, parents, and mental health professionals
  • 2 Describe a critical view of the impact of the new Information and Communication Technologies on the children and adolescents development
  • 3 Describe that new technologies have on youth development, including recommendations that clinicians can give parents on how to deal with technologies
  • 4 Describe the core concepts of Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) for Children and Adolescents for the most common mental health disorders
  • 5 Describe the main Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) with empirical support for children and adolescents, including apps, websites, and videogames
  • 6 Describe how to conduct telehealth with children and adolescents

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who specialize in pediatric and adolescent mental health, digital and behavioral intervention technologies, and teletherapy. It is designed for individuals seeking to enhance their expertise in delivering effective interventions and support for young people using innovative approaches and technologies.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Counselor
    • Social Worker
    • Therapist
    • School Counselor
    • Pediatrician
    • Nurse
    • Case Manager
    • Specialist in Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Health
    • Professional utilizing Digital and Behavioral Intervention Technologies
    • Provider of Teletherapy Services

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all experience levels who work with children and adolescents in the context of technology and mental health.

    Beginner:
    New to integrating technology into clinical practice; seeking foundational knowledge about youth, parent, and clinician attitudes toward technology, and basic recommendations for managing technology use.

    Intermediate:
    Some experience advising families on technology use; familiar with core concepts of Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) and interested in evidence-based applications for common pediatric and adolescent mental health concerns.

    Advanced:
    Experienced in utilizing BITs and telehealth; seeking to critically evaluate emerging technologies, implement empirically supported digital interventions, and refine teletherapy practices for children and adolescents.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice settings for these professionals are diverse, reflecting the integration of technology and innovative interventions in pediatric and adolescent mental health care. They may work in clinical, educational, or community environments, often utilizing digital tools and teletherapy platforms to deliver services. These settings are equipped to support both in-person and remote care, enabling professionals to address mental health needs, advise on technology use, and implement Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) for prevention and treatment. The environment is collaborative, multidisciplinary, and adaptable to emerging technologies, with a focus on evidence-based practices for youth.

    • Outpatient mental health clinics specializing in child and adolescent care
    • School-based counseling centers or student wellness offices
    • Pediatric medical practices with integrated behavioral health services
    • Community mental health agencies serving youth and families
    • Private practices offering in-person and teletherapy sessions
    • Telehealth platforms dedicated to pediatric and adolescent mental health
    • Hospital-based child and adolescent psychiatry or psychology departments
    • Nonprofit organizations providing digital mental health interventions
    • Research centers developing and evaluating BITs for youth
    • Mobile health teams delivering services via digital and wearable technologies

Presented By

Eduardo Bunge, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Palo Alto University

Dr. Eduardo Bunge is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Palo Alto University (PAU). Dr. Bunge directs the Children and Adolescents Psychotherapy and Technology (CAPT) Research Lab, and is Associate Director for the International Institute of Internet Interventions for Health at Palo Alto University.  His works focus on integrating technology and mental health, and his most recent contributions were in Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots for depression, anxiety, and parenting in English and Spanish. He is also the Director of the Master of Science in Psychology at PAU. He was born and educated in Argentina, earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Buenos Aires, and received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Palermo (Argentina). Dr. Bunge has more than 80 publications, including five clinical books and more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and chapters.

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Eduardo Bunge, PhD

Presented By

Blanca Pineda, Ed.D., Research Project Manager for i4Health at Palo Alto University

Dr. Blanca Pineda is the Research Project Manager for i4Health (Institute for International Internet Interventions for Health) and former Chair of the Latinx Task Force at Palo Alto University. She earned her MA degree in Interdisciplinary Education with a focus on STEEM (Science, Technology, Environmental Education, and Math) from Santa Clara University and received her Ed.D. in Learning and Instruction from the University of San Francisco. She is bilingual (English/Spanish), her research interests include using internet interventions and digital technologies to help reduce health disparities, and to enhance learning outcomes in psychology and education.

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Blanca Pineda, Ed.D.

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Attitudes towards technology present in youth, parents, and mental health professionals

  • Discuss new technologies' impact on youth development

  • Recommendations that clinicians can give parents on how to deal with technologies

  • Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) for Children and Adolescents for the most common mental health disorders

  • Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) with empirical support for children and adolescents, including apps, websites, and video games

  • Describe how to conduct telehealth with children and adolescents

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
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CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.