Group telehealth sessions open up care delivery options that are not possible with individual visits alone: group therapy, peer support circles, patient education classes, intensive outpatient programming, and family sessions with multiple participants in different locations. If you have never run a group session virtually before, the setup is more straightforward than most providers expect.
Here is how to do it from start to finish.
Step 1: Schedule the Group Session
In SecureVideo’s scheduling dashboard, create a new session and configure it as a group session. You will set:
- The session date and time
- The maximum number of participants (SecureVideo supports up to 300)
- Whether participants can join before the host admits them or must wait in the virtual waiting room
For most group therapy and patient education sessions, keeping participants in the virtual waiting room until you admit them is the right choice. It gives you a moment to start the session, check your settings, and admit participants when you are ready rather than having them enter a live session before you are set up.
Step 2: Send Participant Invitations
Each participant receives a unique session link via the invitation you generate from your SecureVideo dashboard. The invitation email includes:
- The session date and time
- Their secure link to join
- Basic instructions for connecting
For recurring groups, you can set up recurring sessions in advance so participants receive a consistent link for each meeting. For new participants, include a brief note explaining that they will enter a virtual waiting room when they click the link and will be admitted by the host when the session begins.
If any participants require consent forms or intake paperwork before joining a group session for the first time, send those through SecureVideo’s e-documents feature ahead of the session.
Step 3: Configure Your Session Tools
Before the group begins, confirm your session settings:
- Test your camera, microphone, and lighting
- Have any materials you plan to share ready to go via screen sharing
- Decide whether you will mute participants on entry (recommended for large groups) or allow open audio from the start
- For behavioral health groups, confirm your secure cloud recording settings if you are recording for supervision, and verify that all participants have provided recording consent
Step 4: Admit Participants and Start the Session
As participants arrive in the waiting room, you will see them listed in your dashboard. Admit them individually or all at once depending on your preference. For groups where late arrivals are common, admitting from the waiting room individually keeps the session from being disrupted by mid-session joiners.
Once all participants are admitted, introduce yourself, orient the group to the virtual format, and establish any ground rules for the session: how participants will signal they want to speak, whether cameras should be on, and how the session will run.
Facilitation Tips Specific to Virtual Groups
- Use names when directing questions or responses so participants know who you are speaking to
- Pause slightly longer than you would in person before expecting responses, since audio delay can create awkward overlaps
- Use SecureVideo’s clinical chat to allow participants to signal questions without interrupting the group flow
- For larger groups, designating a co-facilitator to monitor the chat while you lead the discussion helps significantly
Running your first virtual group session is the fastest way to get comfortable with the format. The technology is straightforward. The facilitation skills transfer directly from in-person groups with a few small adjustments. Explore SecureVideo’s group session features or start a free trial to set up your first session.