Video Submission Process

DBT-LBC™ offers a web-enabled process for completing the final steps for the Work Product portion of certification – the submission of the Video Work Sample for adherence coding. It is done using a cloud-based provider–Box. The Box product/platform we have selected meets the obligations required by HIPAA, HITECH, and the HIPAA Omnibus Rule – a Box Enterprise Account.

Confidentiality and security of PHI is of critical importance to DBT-LBC™.  We recognize that each clinician’s institution, agency, clinic and practice will have developed their own procedures for complying with HIPAA regulations.  Each certification applicant is encouraged to consult with their HIPAA Privacy and Security Officer(s) to ensure that they are in compliance with HIPAA regulations and the policies and procedures for protecting and transmitting PHI specific to their organization, including the HIPAA Privacy Rule, HIPAA Security Rule, HIPAA Breach Notification Rule and confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Rule.

Box has been reviewed by an independent, third-party auditor and issued an evaluation report that details the controls Box has in place to meet HIPAA requirements in regard to data privacy and security. Additionally, Box has signed a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with DBT-LBC™ that spells out the methods Box uses to maintain Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with the above-mentioned standards. (If your agency requires a BAA directly with your institution, Box has the ability to do so.) Box offers a variety of account types; not all account types meet HIPAA requirements.

In order to submit your work sample, you will need to sign up for a free, basic Box account. Your account on Box is necessary only for you to access the file upload portal in DBT-LBC’s Box Enterprise Account. Your free account meets HIPAA requirements only when used to access the upload portal. To stay HIPAA compliant do not upload or store PHI into the free account; only use the account to access the file upload portal. Files that you upload through the portal are automatically encrypted from the beginning of transmission to your certification applicant folder and will remain encrypted within the DBT-LBC™ Box Enterprise Account.

More information about Box, HIPAA and HITECH compliance can be located here.

 Video Submission Step-by-Step

The deadline for submission of the three consecutive video session recordings and related materials is six months from the date of having passed the exam.

☐  Step One:  Once you have passed the exam, log into your My Account on the website. Here you will find the next steps and all documents and instructions you will need for submission of the Work Product step in the zip file located below the Attestation Statement and Electronic Submission form.  Please do step 2 as soon as possible so that you do not forget it.

☐ Step Two: You will see an Attestation Statement and Electronic Submission Form for you to complete as soon as you log into your account.  Until those are filled in, you may NOT upload any recordings via BOX to DBT-LBC™. Your checking the box is the equivalent of your signature.  

You will need to attest that you:

  • Have all legal rights/informed consent to submit the materials from your client to DBT-LBC™ for certification purposes.
  • Agree to upload your work sample materials directly to your applicant folder through the Box website upload portal and understand that files uploaded or stored in any other manner or on any other Box account may not be encrypted or otherwise compliant with HIPAA regulation.

☐ Step Three:  If you have not already recorded the therapy sessions you plan to submit, please do so.  Some hints for recording sessions can be found below also.

☐  Step Four:  You will need to complete a Session Information Form electronically for each of the three sessions as these will need to be submitted along with the videos. You can download a copy of the Session Information Form here. This will be only accessible for completion within your MyAccount application and after you have passed the Exam and moved into the Work Product portion of certification. This will consist of a write-up of the case for the tapes to include:

  • Dates of the sessions (must be within 2 years of submission)
  • Session information – date, who attended, type of session, phone consultation contact, and a few other items.
  • Identification of the Stage of Treatment the client is in currently (Client must be in Stage 1, Pre-treatment sessions 1-4 are accepted) 
  • Listing the client’s Life Worth Living goals 
  • Listing of the targets of treatment initially and currently that help the client meet those LWL goals.
  • Identifying the highest priority target of each of the taped sessions submitted.

While this will not be scored, we want to emphasize the importance of being able to think conceptually about your treatment with a DBT client.

☐ Step Five:  You will also need to create an electronic copy of each of the diary cards reviewed in your sessions.  Be sure there is no client identifying information visible. These will be uploaded also with the videos.

☐ Step Six:  Prepare files for upload:  Video files, Diary Card files and Session Information Form for each session submitted.  Please follow the steps for naming the files carefully so that each video session can be easily paired with the matching Session Information Form and Diary Card for that session.  Complete instructions will be in your Account when you log into it.

☐ Step Seven: Accept the invitation to a shared folder on Box. The DBT-LBC™ Work Sample Coordinator will send you an email invitation to collaborate in your Applicant Folder on Box. You will be directed to create a free Box account (or to sign in to your Box account if you already have one). Your Box account will allow you to access the upload portal into DBT-LBC’s account so that you can upload your video and related work sample materials directly.

☐ Step Eight:  Upload your files from your computer directly through the file upload portal to your Applicant Folder on DBT-LBC’s Box Enterprise Account. To ensure that your files are encrypted during data transfer DO NOT upload files to any other Box account. Please allow sufficient time and opportunity for them to be uploaded. Approximate time for upload is 25 minutes per GB (depending on connection speed).

☐ Go back, review and check off all the steps listed above to be sure you have done everything BEFORE uploading any required materials.

Once this is completed and your video Work Product is adherence coded and found to meet the standards set by evidence-based research, the last step prior to becoming a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™ will be a final, complete review of all the materials in your application.  We will then send your congratulations email with your certificate suitable for framing soon to follow in the mail.

What if I fail?

In the event that your video submission is not coded to the adherence standard, you may submit an additional three therapy sessions (with all accompanying documentation required) at no additional fees within 6 months of notification.  If you wait longer than 6 months, you will be required to pay that portion of the fees again!  So keep track of your submission deadlines.

Please also see FAQ’s for information

Sample Session Information Form

Each video session submitted will be accompanied by an Individual Therapy Session Information Form.  It allows the therapist to offer a bit of context and explanation of what the adherence coder will witness in the session.  The form to complete will be located in each applicant’s My Account once the Exam is passed. The sample form is contained in the Session Information Package for you to review for informational purposes only.

Video Recording Hints

When recording therapy sessions with a client it is useful to be able to link the client’s goals to the value of recording their sessions. Then both of you are excited about the contribution it will make to the client’s treatment.

Listen to and validate any of the client’s concerns or objections in a non-judgmental and radically genuine manner. Express your appreciation for their cooperation and be sure you have done a thorough Informed Consent with them, so they know the purpose of the recording.

It can be helpful to record all therapy sessions for at least 6 weeks or so in order to be able to select the 3 consecutive recordings you feel best display your delivery of DBT. This also gives you additional sessions to submit for coding should your initial submission not pass adherence-coding standards.

In order to record your video in a manner that provides the most information for an adherence coder, here are some hints for doing so:

  • The ideal positioning is to place the camera so you capture both therapist and client. This may mean that both are seen in profile.
  • If the recording set-up does not allow for both you and the client to be captured, please put the camera face on to the therapist so that any non-verbal expressions can be seen.
  • Please test the recording before beginning the session to be sure that it is recording with adequate sound quality. Make adjustments if necessary.
  • Be aware that some recording methods have a time limit and you may need to re-start the recorder to capture the entire session. (Remember when you are copying the file to the encrypted thumb drive to upload both sections of the session!)
  • Each Box file upload is restricted to 5 GB. If your recording is larger than 5 GB, select recording settings with lower resolution or compress the file prior to upload. (Handbrake is a free and open source cross-platform compression tool that can be downloaded from the internet.)
  • Ensure that your recording will play back using Windows Media Player or VLC (VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files).
  • After you have recorded a session, take the time to skim through it at least and let your client know of anything you learned from watching it that was helpful and that you may have missed during the session itself. This adds to the value of the process for the client and to their commitment to overcome their hesitations, if any.
  • Talk with colleagues who have recorded sessions in the past and get their wisdom and helpful hints.