Telerecovery Services
RecoveryLink features integrated messaging (SMS), voice calls, and video calling as part of the electronic recovery record via the telerecovery services module. Note, the telerecovery services module is an add-on feature. The telerecovery features are native to the RecoveryLink application and allow staff and organizations to communicate easily to participants in a HIPAA-compliant manner.
Each organization and individual staff member are provisioned and assigned a unique telephone number, that is only available to be used in the RecoveryLink application. These numbers will utilize the same area code as the organization phone number input into the organizational profile by the organization or enterprise administrator. In the rare instance, the same area code is unavailable for provisioning, the closest phone numbers to your geographic location will be used. Individual staff can see their assigned telerecovery number by selecting "My Account" after logging in to the application. Supervisors can see staff telerecovery numbers by navigating to the organization staff page via Supervisor Functions, and then selecting edit on the applicable staff's name to access the staff profile. Note: it is not possible to change an organization or staff assigned telerecovery phone number at this time.
Telerecovery - Short Messaging Service (Text Messaging)
The SMS functions of the telerecovery services module uses the assigned telerecovery phone number for staff and organizations to send out traditional SMS (i.e., text messages) to a participants cell phone. In order for a participant to receive the messages, they must have a primary phone number associated with their phone number that has "okay to text" selected.
As each staff member and organization has a unique telerecovery phone number, participants are able to have conversations with any staff member that has access to their profile from the application. This includes assigned staff as well as other staff members. Though each of the above staff can communicate with a participant, no conversations are shared between users are available - meaning they are all uniquely associated with the staff's telerecovery number and unique identifier, and the participant's phone number and unique identifier.
SMS is accessible by staff in two locations once logged into the application. The first is the Global Messaging navigation item under Quick Actions in the top navigation bar. The second is from the telerecovery section of each participant's profile.
Global Messaging is similar to how you access all ongoing text message conversations on a cell phone. Once a message is sent by staff and a reply received from the participant, conversations will automatically populate in the global messages UI. This UI is intended to be a quick access to all previous and ongoing conversations available to a staff member. As new messages are received in any conversation, the UI will update by placing the most recent conversations at the top of the list, and any unread messages in a given conversation bolded to denote an unread message.
The participant profile telerecovery section is used to access SMS, voice, and video communications via their respective subtabs with the selected participant. The SMS option allows for messaging to and from a participant, with messages sent by staff coming from the telerecovery number of the staff signed in to the application and using the interface. New messages received from a participant will result in a notification alert to staff via popup in the application as well as via the notification hub, as well as populate both SMS UI locations (participant profile and global messages) at the same time. Hovering over an individual message will show the exact timestamp it was sent or received. If SMS messages are recieved while a staff member is not logged in to the application, the notification hub will store SMS notifications to be reviewed at next login.
Please note that while the RecoveryLink SMS interface appears similar to chat messaging, all messages are sent via SMS to the participants cell phone. Participants are not required to have an account to use SMS, they only require an eligible cell phone associated as the primary number on their profile as described above. RecoveryLink SMS is HIPAA compliant - however, organizations are responsible for the messages and content sent and received while using this feature. It is good practice to use discretion when using messaging, including verifying who you are speaking with at any given time, and ensuring that you have a participant's permission to text them (which is denoted by selecting the "okay to text" option when adding a phone number to a participant's profile).
Telerecovery - Phone Calling
The voice functions of telerecovery services uses the assigned telerecovery phone number for staff and organizations to make (outgoing) and receive (incoming) phone calls to a participants primary phone number in their participant profile. In order for a participant to receive phone calls, they must have a phone number associated with their participant profile that is "primary". Note: Unlike SMS, telerecovery phone calls do not require the participant's phone number to be a cell phone.
As each staff member and organization has a unique telerecovery phone number, participants are able to receive and make phone calls to and with any staff member that has access to their profile. Though any staff can communicate with a participant, no phone call history is shared between users or available - meaning they are all uniquely associated with the staff's telerecovery number and unique identifier, and the participant's phone number and unique identifier.
Telerecovery voice calls are accessible by staff only from the participant profile telerecovery tab, voice subtab. The participant profile telerecovery tab is used to access SMS, voice, and video communications via their respective subtabs with the an individual participant. The voice subtab allows for phone calls to and from a participant, with phone calls initiated by a staff member always coming from the telerecovery number of the staff signed in to the application and using the interface. New phone calls received from a participant to the unique telerecovery phone number will result in a notification alert to staff (no matter which page of the application they are currently viewing) who is assigned the number, a notification hub alert, as well as populate the voice recent calls log UI of the participant profile at the same time. If a staff member misses a phone call at any time, a missed call alert will also populate via the notification hub.
Staff may accept an incoming voice call from a participant by selecting the appropriate option from the incoming call alert. Staff may initiate phone calls by navigating to the appropriate participant profile, telerecovery, voice subtab, and selecting "Start audio call". Once a call is connected, staff may either end the call or mute their line using the appropriate buttons.
Staff may choose to open a new window to perform a side by side engagement while engaging in a phone call with the participant. A phone call timer will begin at the start of a phone call and end the moment the call is ended by the staff member.
Please note, participants are not required to have a RecoveryLink account to receive or make phone calls to staff, they only require a phone associated as the primary number on their profile as described above. RecoveryLink Voice is HIPAA compliant - however, organizations are responsible for the conversations and content transmitted while using this feature. It is good practice to use discretion when using voice calls, including verifying who you are speaking with at any given time, and ensuring that you have a participant's permission to call them.
Telerecovery - Video Calling
The video functions of the telerecovery module use unique identifiers for staff and organizations to initiate video calls with participants who also have a RecoveryLink account (please see the knowledge base article on creating participant accounts for more info). In order for a participant to join a video session with staff, they must be logged into their participant RecoveryLink account and the video session room must be opened by a staff member first. If a participant does not join a newly opened video session room within 8 seconds, they will receive a generalized SMS text message from the organization's assigned telerecovery number (as long as the participant's primary phone number on their account is an eligible cell phone and has okay to text selected), which reads "Staff has initiated a video session with you. Please login to your profile to join the room." This text is intentionally vague to comply with HIPAA requirements.
Participants are able to join video sessions with any staff member who has access to their profile from the application and opens a video session room. No video session history is shared between users or available - meaning they are all uniquely associated with the staff's unique identifier, and the participant's unique identifier.
Only one video room session can be open at any given time for any one participant. If another staff member attempts to initiate a video session with a participant that is currently in another video session, they will receive an error alert telling them the participant is already in a video session.
Telerecovery video calls are accessible by staff only from the participant profile telerecovery tab, video subtab. The participant profile telerecovery tab is used to access SMS, voice, and video communications via their respective subtabs with an individual participant. The video subtab allows for video sessions to be initiated with a participant, who must login to the application to be able to join. Participants are not able to initiate a new video session and will not see the option to join a video session until a staff member initiates one.
Staff may initiate video sessions by navigating to the appropriate participant profile, telerecovery, video subtab, and selecting "Start Video Call". Once a video session is connected, the staff member will see their name appear in the "Participants in Room" portion of the UI. If 8 seconds pass without a participant joining the room, the participant will receive an SMS alert as described above. Once the participant logs in and joins the video session, their name will also appear in the "Participants in Room" portion of the UI. Once a video session has been initiated, staff and participants will see options to mute/unmute their microphone, pause/unpause their video, or to leave the video session. If a peer leaves a video session, the video call room is closed completely to all individuals, until the room is opened again by a staff member.
While in an active video session, staff may choose to open a new window to facilitate an engagement in a side by side view.
Please note, participants are required to have a RecoveryLink account to use the video calling features. RecoveryLink Video is HIPAA compliant - however, organizations are responsible for the conversations and content transmitted while using this feature. It is good practice to use discretion when using video calls, including verifying who you are speaking with at any given time, and ensuring that you have a participant's permission to engage them with video sessions.
Browser Camera and Microphone Permissions
When staff or participants make use of the voice (phone calls) and video features of the telerecovery services module, the browser being used to access the application will need permissions to use the microphone and camera of the computer being used at that time. This also applies to participants when logged in to engage in video sessions.
Each browser has specific steps to follow to ensure that you are allowing the microphone and camera to be used for these features. The first time you attempt to use these features, you should see a pop-up alert (please ensure your pop up blocker is disabled or look for the blocked pop up notification) asking you to permit your browser to access your microphone and/or camera. You should click allow on these alerts after confirming that the microphone and/or camera you wish to use is selected. If you do not allow these permissions, you will be unable to use the video and voice features.
If you have previously declined these permissions, or wish to change the microphone or camera you are allowing your browser to use, please search for the specific instructions for the web browser you are using. We have provided support links for the most common browsers below: