{
  "schema_version": "uw.editorial_geo.v1",
  "representation_profile": "lossless_source_sections",
  "local_stage_only": true,
  "catalog_id": "DEP-12-N07",
  "article_index": "DEP-12-N07",
  "language": "en",
  "headline": "Online help: choosing a format while keeping a path to in-person care",
  "description": "Online help: choosing a format while keeping a path to in-person care",
  "short_answer": "Online help can remove a journey and make a first conversation possible when a suitable professional is hard to find nearby or appointments clash with work. Yet the same screen may lead to a clinician, a mutual-help meeting, self-guided material, or a list of addresses. To set useful expectations, find out **who will respond, what that person can do, and how to move to in-person care if needed**.\n\nIf poisoning is possible, a person has lost consciousness, has a seizure, or has severe difficulty breathing, seek urgent medical help through local services. Do not wait for a chat reply or video appointment, and do not drive yourself: the [NHS treats these as reasons for immediate care](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/). If someone has been drinking heavily for a prolonged period, or develops withdrawal symptoms when reducing alcohol, do not make a home plan for abrupt stopping from this article. [NIAAA warns](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help) that withdrawal after prolonged heavy drinking can be dangerous and that a doctor should help plan a safe course. This warning does not mean that everyone who drinks needs emergency care when trying to cut down.",
  "short_answer_source": {
    "kind": "opening_after_h1",
    "role": "lead",
    "start_utf16": 73,
    "end_utf16": 1329,
    "sha256_utf8": "38ced9d4bde7ddc9dbece170e67a7986d59fab42dfd1a58d2689996d67435d17"
  },
  "headline_source": {
    "role": "h1_heading",
    "start_utf16": 2,
    "end_utf16": 71,
    "sha256_utf8": "84cd162a11bbf8284ba9ae189da06038e0a03f492be4707a528fc3888bb41ddf"
  },
  "entities": [],
  "questions": [
    {
      "q": "I. Separate four different offers called “online help”",
      "a": "A **clinical appointment** by video or phone is a meeting with an identifiable health or mental-health professional. They can ask about a person's condition, offer an assessment and discuss next steps; prescribing depends on their profession, the circumstances and local rules. [The US HHS describes](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/how-can-i-use-telehealth-substance-use-disorder) remote counseling and some forms of care for substance use disorders. A “book now” button alone does not tell you who will see you or whether that service is available where you are.\n\nAn **online mutual-help meeting** offers conversation with other participants and a facilitator, but is generally not a medical assessment. For example, [SMART Recovery says](https://support.smartrecovery.org/attending-your-first-smart-recovery-meeting) its meetings are online and in person, trained volunteers facilitate them, and a new participant may simply listen. That describes one format. It does not promise that every meeting is offered in your language or time zone, or that a meeting replaces treatment.\n\nA **self-guided course or resource** can help someone understand questions and practise skills at their own pace. It may add value, but an app does not automatically recognize illness, danger at home or medication side effects. NIAAA discusses self-guided digital programs in the context of alcohol care; this is not evidence that any downloaded app works. A **service directory** only helps locate contacts. Even a reliable list cannot establish that a provider is taking new patients, has the right qualifications or is allowed to work with someone in another country.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 1334,
          "end_utf16": 1388,
          "sha256_utf8": "4a8dc9869c82e725e4aed042ee7b976258ad8b1effe000f4a0f041c8fe9e1a80"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 1390,
          "end_utf16": 3047,
          "sha256_utf8": "304e909a9e8129978fcc9241c694dd38597d3347970a322128f44daa1761aa2c"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0005",
        "p0006",
        "p0007"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 1
    },
    {
      "q": "II. Start with the question that needs a human answer",
      "a": "One person may want to discuss use and its consequences, another an existing treatment, and another possible withdrawal or returning symptoms. A first contact can be ordinary: “I want to understand what kind of help fits me,” or “I have a question about my health after changing my use.” You do not have to diagnose yourself or complete an online test first. If the acute signs in the opening are present, start with local urgent services rather than a routine online booking.\n\nOnline contact can be especially useful when travel, scheduling, mobility or concern about entering a public clinic makes starting difficult. Convenience, however, does not prove that online care is equivalent to every in-person approach for every condition. [HHS describes tele-treatment as part of coordinated care](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/tele-treatment-for-substance-use-disorders), sometimes combined with in-person treatment. A professional may assess part of the situation remotely and then recommend an examination, tests or a more intensive service. A change of route is not a failure of the online visit.\n\nIf someone takes prescribed medication, information about it belongs with the clinician through an agreed channel. Neither an article nor advice from an unfamiliar group participant determines a dose, a start, a stop or a switch. Physical dependence on a medicine, a substance use disorder and medical treatment are different questions to discuss with a qualified clinician.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 3052,
          "end_utf16": 3105,
          "sha256_utf8": "528d82ee4801ef68d76078b973b3f9eab50814b737a7407bbc47428408315423"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 3107,
          "end_utf16": 4642,
          "sha256_utf8": "690468b6db35b1d2da339e1a3b76db2cf9dcb1f10926795ad88678621c9b4ddd"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0009",
        "p0010",
        "p0011"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 2
    },
    {
      "q": "III. Check who provides the service and where they may work",
      "a": "A site may use words such as “therapy,” “expert,” or “licensed platform.” More useful questions are: who will conduct the appointment, what is their profession and experience with this concern, what does the organization provide, and how can their current authorization be checked under local rules? An organization's advertising and an individual worker's qualifications are different pieces of information. For a mutual-help group, ask who facilitates it and what its rules are; it should not be presented as a doctor's appointment.\n\n[The US NIAAA Navigator explicitly cautions](https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/step-1-search-trusted-sources-to-find-providers) that its directory does not guarantee the quality of every result or include every provider. A listing is therefore a lead for contacting the service, not an endorsement. Ask whether the professional works with your particular concern, who responds to complications, and how continuing care is arranged.\n\nDistance over the internet does not remove location rules. [HHS explains](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/licensure/licensure-for-behavioral-health) that US remote practice and prescribing depend on where the professional and patient are and on the applicable rules. This is a US example, not a law for every country. Ask the service whether this particular professional can see someone at your present location; permission to practise somewhere else does not answer that question.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 4647,
          "end_utf16": 4706,
          "sha256_utf8": "49f281f7a81445027d1142504fcd6b46d4ec7faf94cc4dd05b2e205c93ece2e2"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 4708,
          "end_utf16": 6188,
          "sha256_utf8": "cf8ad65ef3da4c01b65a9669d6a4f082ca3a8282347cc34052b28bd3bbbee77a"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0013",
        "p0014",
        "p0015"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 3
    },
    {
      "q": "IV. Establish the real terms before relying on an appointment",
      "a": "A convenient link may hide a wait, an unsuitable time zone, a different language, an age limit, registration fees or a required first in-person visit. You can ask whether new people are accepted, what language the session uses, whether an interpreter is available, which time zone the appointment uses, the price of the first and later visits, and what happens if the connection drops. Payment and coverage depend on place and provider; “online” does not mean “free.”\n\nFour states are worth distinguishing: finding a page, sending a request, receiving an appointment confirmation, and actually speaking with the right person. If a form receives no reply, another contact or another option is needed. If work, transport, childcare or unstable internet makes the proposed time impossible, say so. A service may offer a phone call, another time or an in-person location, but each option must be confirmed rather than assumed.\n\nYou need not wait for an ideal private office, a new phone, complete confidence or a detailed diary. An ordinary constraint is enough to name: “I can talk only briefly,” “people can hear me here,” or “video often fails.” This helps you and the service choose a safer first channel. If it is unsafe to speak now, you can defer details and ask for another way to communicate. An immediate threat calls for local protection rather than waiting silently for a video session.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 6193,
          "end_utf16": 6254,
          "sha256_utf8": "b25454a129bd0986f91bb3cffc6ed920c5470d26a1d54a640fb5e4b06c6e0dac"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 6256,
          "end_utf16": 7650,
          "sha256_utf8": "489f214496d536abe6cd6653366a05518234c182f07ef3c8f0d91d8a44ad72f9"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0017",
        "p0018",
        "p0019"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 4
    },
    {
      "q": "V. Privacy is something to discuss, not a promise made by a screen",
      "a": "Home is not necessarily more private than a clinic. Access to the device, notifications, another person's presence, recording, and data-storage rules all affect what feels safe to share. [HHS advises providers to discuss privacy risks](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/preparing-patients-for-telebehavioral-health/protecting-patients-privacy), including whether an interpreter or caregiver is present. When booking, ask who can see messages, whether the call is recorded, where information is stored, when it may be shared, and what is possible without a private room. The answer depends on the service and local law; absolute secrecy cannot be promised.\n\nOn a shared device, consider who can see notifications and history. Headphones may help when they are safe to use. But no one should have to buy equipment or put their full history into an open search form before seeking contact. Checking availability often requires only the service question, language, time and a reply channel. Share more sensitive details after you understand whom you are speaking to and through which channel. If showing a room, switching on video or bringing a relative into the call is unsafe, say so and discuss another way to speak.\n\nRead the rules of a mutual-help meeting too: who may attend, whether recording is permitted, and how participants are asked to handle what they hear. A group's intention to respect confidentiality cannot guarantee every participant's technical or legal behavior. You may start by listening and avoid details you are not ready to disclose.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 7655,
          "end_utf16": 7721,
          "sha256_utf8": "db3e04274803554f2999a3ac32b58c46afa29d5ab636d53ebd74fcdd2d56580e"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 7723,
          "end_utf16": 9335,
          "sha256_utf8": "a2ed6e28b4b29ad9a58c2f46547b44512f2abf9868c4390d5daab2b247055ee5"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0021",
        "p0022",
        "p0023"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 5
    },
    {
      "q": "VI. Remote assessment needs a path to in-person care",
      "a": "A qualified professional may ask questions and sometimes make a diagnosis during a remote appointment; **a website, app or video does not do that on its own**. If information is insufficient, or examination or observation is needed, the next step should be concrete: where to go, how urgently, who may pass information with your consent, and when to check that the contact happened. A referral or an address is not yet received care.\n\nAfter an appointment, you can ask what was assessed, what remains uncertain, who is responsible for prescribed care, and whom to contact if your condition worsens. If an in-person visit is advised, ask how it will be booked and what to do if that route is unavailable. Mention travel, cost and childcare barriers while the transition is being planned. If the condition worsens rapidly, do not wait for a routine reply; use local urgent medical care.\n\nRemote conversation does not authorize stopping prescribed medicines on one's own, home detoxification or a new-use “test” of control. Where alcohol withdrawal may be dangerous after prolonged heavy drinking, plan with a doctor as above. A clinician assesses other substances and prescriptions separately. One remote route cannot be applied to every person and every form of dependence.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 9340,
          "end_utf16": 9392,
          "sha256_utf8": "bfa543c2ac56fcf46e84a7505f177f239a23be57eaaeadb42ef542afa65e3899"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 9394,
          "end_utf16": 10666,
          "sha256_utf8": "035273e7f662d6a7c372e29efb266f8506ca37afdcfe5281ff22e1cdf2b2eba7"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0025",
        "p0026",
        "p0027"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 6
    },
    {
      "q": "VII. Relatives can help with access while preserving an adult's choice",
      "a": "An adult may ask someone close to help find contacts, make uninterrupted time or join a conversation. Sharing clinical information and including another person require the adult's consent and the service's rules. A helper does not have to become a secretary, pay for everything, read private messages, monitor substances or be responsible for treatment's outcome. They may name their limits and seek support for themselves.\n\nChildren should not organize video visits, monitor use or hold medicines. When a child or another person at home needs protection, adults and appropriate local services must handle it. With threats, coercion or violence, the affected person's safety is a separate task. It must not depend on a joint online session, the aggressor's agreement or successful treatment.\n\nSometimes a family considers an online meeting “too soft,” or assumes it must replace every in-person conversation. Both judgements miss the person's actual need and condition. Together, people can ask the service what this format can do now and how a transition will work if its scope is insufficient. An adult's choices about their care and other people's boundaries both matter.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 10671,
          "end_utf16": 10741,
          "sha256_utf8": "4b7ccc65953c44a3f4a3d208098c1da670eee7f11e3822eff50b2c7656ab3738"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 10743,
          "end_utf16": 11917,
          "sha256_utf8": "071d9b6f9b3e6f0226cdb33fcf03a85b9dc83c18e9be5cf69a1343b8e5ededcb"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0029",
        "p0030",
        "p0031"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 7
    },
    {
      "q": "VIII. If the first option fails, change the route rather than judge yourself",
      "a": "A group may use another language, a program may address another problem, a doctor may be unable to see someone in your region, or the next appointment may be a month away. This describes that option, not a lack of motivation in the person seeking help. Keep one fact you have learned and use it for the next inquiry: “I need a phone conversation,” “I need a professional permitted to work with someone in my country,” or “I need an in-person assessment near home.”\n\nIf a connection fails halfway through a visit, ask the organization how to reconnect and what happens to the agreed next step. If a clinician or service recommends another form of care, request a clear contact and time as well as a link. A suitable group, resources and clinical care can be combined while keeping their distinct roles clear. A helpful online group does not prove there is no medical concern; needing an in-person appointment does not cancel the value of online support.\n\nStarting does not require complete abstinence, finding life's meaning first, or persuading every relative. A person may see a subjective benefit in an old pattern and still discuss its consequences. A respectful first contact allows uncertainty; safety and access should not hinge on a perfectly worded goal.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 11922,
          "end_utf16": 11998,
          "sha256_utf8": "d19636ea9cea5c0c1b7130a0aa4f6f33d9fccf5fe169617f985aa4db1a874e2a"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 12000,
          "end_utf16": 13262,
          "sha256_utf8": "661950816b145fb23b71b8be5307428cf419fef1446e411d4c756c6e57abefc5"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0033",
        "p0034",
        "p0035"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 8
    },
    {
      "q": "IX. End the first contact with a concrete arrangement",
      "a": "Before ending a call or message exchange, it helps to know who will respond next, when that will happen and what to do if no one replies. After a clinical visit, an understandable follow-up appointment, an in-person referral if needed, and a way to ask about the agreed plan matter. After a group, the next meeting's time and conditions matter if you wish to continue. After self-guided material, know where to seek a live assessment if it does not answer your question or your condition changes.\n\nA booking on a site starts the organization of help; it does not show that help was received. A modest marker is more useful: did contact with a suitable person actually happen, and is the next step feasible? If there is no answer, the route can be revised without a test of willpower. Online help has value when it connects someone with appropriate support and keeps the in-person door open.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 13267,
          "end_utf16": 13320,
          "sha256_utf8": "48cda063742c377076d92ac6b4e8f489b8480a17dc8bcda44f4d6bda6e5c48f8"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 13322,
          "end_utf16": 14212,
          "sha256_utf8": "04b9222891e3973f2ecc84a86ea91b8fa84f0d04637572330189cadaf5045a24"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0037",
        "p0038"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 9
    },
    {
      "q": "Appendix: five optional prompts for a first conversation",
      "a": "The authors wrote these prompts. They are not a diagnostic questionnaire or a booking requirement. Use only facts you already know, or skip them all. Local urgent care for dangerous signs does not wait for answers.\n\n1. **Purpose.** What is the first question I want to ask a real person: about my condition, treatment, support or finding a service?\n2. **Format.** What exactly have I found: a clinical appointment, mutual-help meeting, self-guided material or directory?\n3. **Terms.** What do I already know about language, time, cost, my location and whether I can speak safely?\n4. **Privacy and support.** Who might see or hear the conversation, and do I want to invite someone close to me?\n5. **Follow-up.** Whom will I contact, and when, if there is no answer or an in-person assessment is needed?",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 14217,
          "end_utf16": 14273,
          "sha256_utf8": "92d2ffd666f266bbfecc91a14ffa3f619d3e38e422618e59586da58394371a02"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 14275,
          "end_utf16": 15076,
          "sha256_utf8": "80f79a0f1c76bc467583e37d1babd1e400b65fd3c2946cfe186e7a018a2f7413"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0040",
        "p0041"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 10
    },
    {
      "q": "Sources and limits",
      "a": "Content was checked on 14 October 2026. The sources mostly describe the United States and the United Kingdom, while the mutual-help example belongs to one organization. Local age rules, authorization, price, language, data protection, bookings and in-person continuation must be checked separately. This article offers neither an individual medical nor legal decision.\n\n1. National Health Service. [*Poisoning*](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/). Official UK medical information, last reviewed 12 June 2025; signs of possible poisoning and urgent help, without exporting UK numbers to other countries.\n2. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. [*Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help*](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help). Official US alcohol-care overview, no explicit page date; distinct care formats, virtual outpatient care and dangerous abrupt withdrawal after prolonged heavy drinking.\n3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*How can I use telehealth for substance use disorder?*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/how-can-i-use-telehealth-substance-use-disorder). US patient information, updated 17 July 2024; remote professional contacts and cost and technology questions, not a universal confidentiality guarantee.\n4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*Tele-treatment for substance use disorders*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/tele-treatment-for-substance-use-disorders). US provider guidance, updated 29 July 2025; combining remote and in-person care, not a home assessment algorithm.\n5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*Protecting patients’ privacy*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/preparing-patients-for-telebehavioral-health/protecting-patients-privacy). US provider guidance, updated 29 July 2025; discussing privacy, interpreters and caregivers, without a promise of absolute secrecy.\n6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*Licensure for behavioral health*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/licensure/licensure-for-behavioral-health). US provider information, updated 30 April 2025; location and professional conditions for remote practice, not a rule for other countries.\n7. NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. [*Step 1 — SEARCH Trusted Sources to Find Providers*](https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/step-1-search-trusted-sources-to-find-providers). Official US alcohol-treatment directory guidance, no explicit page date; a directory assists searching but does not guarantee a particular service's quality, completeness or availability.\n8. SMART Recovery. [*Attending Your First SMART Recovery Meeting*](https://support.smartrecovery.org/attending-your-first-smart-recovery-meeting). An organization's meeting description, no explicit update date, © 2026; an online mutual-help example with trained volunteers, not a clinical appointment or a guarantee about every group.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 15081,
          "end_utf16": 15099,
          "sha256_utf8": "f91f16500d95114ea5dd62762b302ab95f247ca4f49fe0affb04993b09f0a299"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 15101,
          "end_utf16": 18213,
          "sha256_utf8": "338e823575dd75fe9a90caa61c884992078f2b1b4cd728c6abfad8f10ae14f9c"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0043",
        "p0044"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 11
    },
    {
      "q": "Tags",
      "a": "addiction, online help, telehealth, remote appointment, mutual help, privacy, qualifications, in-person care, access, safety, relatives, starting treatment",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 18218,
          "end_utf16": 18222,
          "sha256_utf8": "1331275bc537b4c2bf1e46f7275677967515342e30b572e6852fa6f51b831fe8"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 18224,
          "end_utf16": 18379,
          "sha256_utf8": "caaf598a2b96f64c1b26667b7ec71c51786cb2f311e69be8332be29f0b40c078"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0046"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 12
    },
    {
      "q": "About the authors",
      "a": "Andrey Zarinsh is the author and founder of United Wisdom. He explores inner transformation, the unity of traditions, intercultural dialogue and contemporary spiritual discipline. Instagram: @andrey.zarinsh.\n\nMaria Evilkut is a co-author of United Wisdom. Alongside her research, she seeks to test these ideas in practice and observe how unity and mutual understanding work in real life between people and cultures. Instagram: @ilkutki.",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "h2_heading",
          "start_utf16": 18384,
          "end_utf16": 18401,
          "sha256_utf8": "e120452a2b9952200310f55df00e52d0bbd068d32bba8a322511ed65e3d4967d"
        },
        {
          "role": "h2_answer",
          "start_utf16": 18403,
          "end_utf16": 18839,
          "sha256_utf8": "d15f7ed4c97488635931368702e7678caf1bda4f00e56adeb1697573e76235c6"
        }
      ],
      "block_ids": [
        "p0048",
        "p0049"
      ],
      "source_segment_index": 13
    }
  ],
  "claims": [],
  "claims_policy": "no_reclassified_claims",
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "src_10790fb1fab48f9a",
      "title": "*Poisoning*",
      "url": "https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 715,
          "end_utf16": 805,
          "sha256_utf8": "23beeffd515465874c80af58c5fd56d2a3e2b0b0dd9f177300263891d4618dca"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 15499,
          "end_utf16": 15554,
          "sha256_utf8": "9d0d67b65e9a9765256c83da1db9052d3279165e85c2bceae5576ea1dfc3b2c8"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "1. National Health Service. [*Poisoning*](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/). Official UK medical information, last reviewed 12 June 2025; signs of possible poisoning and urgent help, without exporting UK numbers to other countries.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 15471,
        "end_utf16": 15710,
        "sha256_utf8": "375e58929963a36ca255948500b9a354232674ba77b1fb7405392a61b30bc2f4"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_6dc3b3a2dfcc6f51",
      "title": "*Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help*",
      "url": "https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 986,
          "end_utf16": 1117,
          "sha256_utf8": "d8d2b12bdb4a3623d30348a242b225ea1efaba272903ad9214fa63f8f762ada5"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 15766,
          "end_utf16": 15944,
          "sha256_utf8": "5462002fbd4c4bc9279ed1eed5734cdc1741ce5f32381a79c9bd3aa3c7cb57fd"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "2. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. [*Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help*](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help). Official US alcohol-care overview, no explicit page date; distinct care formats, virtual outpatient care and dangerous abrupt withdrawal after prolonged heavy drinking.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 15711,
        "end_utf16": 16114,
        "sha256_utf8": "e15daf8ad18daa8911e078c3f56fa758c4c94f6b00a1bf95e28034ffae5ba92c"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_0f869bcd3ecbeb96",
      "title": "*How can I use telehealth for substance use disorder?*",
      "url": "https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/how-can-i-use-telehealth-substance-use-disorder",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 1668,
          "end_utf16": 1775,
          "sha256_utf8": "96958ad02463458267ecd5c2e0d27e4b8c18c9c9fee53ab6515cbc6d10a3a825"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 16164,
          "end_utf16": 16305,
          "sha256_utf8": "ef2f4aaf0ddabeafcad682560a3de554566c74537e31fc2b2d52590ce1009bad"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*How can I use telehealth for substance use disorder?*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/how-can-i-use-telehealth-substance-use-disorder). US patient information, updated 17 July 2024; remote professional contacts and cost and technology questions, not a universal confidentiality guarantee.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 16115,
        "end_utf16": 16459,
        "sha256_utf8": "83d265b30273d09ed62f6cab6f1c1fd9ac9bbe8dff24e19d1d694a8c789c063c"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_f6349a55dd491956",
      "title": "*Attending Your First SMART Recovery Meeting*",
      "url": "https://support.smartrecovery.org/attending-your-first-smart-recovery-meeting",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 2113,
          "end_utf16": 2213,
          "sha256_utf8": "b5fa13962f03e3cffdeec2963fd32f066ab79cfb62e5042561f506c81d1c08a9"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 17898,
          "end_utf16": 18024,
          "sha256_utf8": "efcd20b6344b5ded850a08623dceb69d179266541d7432920b7cca80e4828ed6"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "8. SMART Recovery. [*Attending Your First SMART Recovery Meeting*](https://support.smartrecovery.org/attending-your-first-smart-recovery-meeting). An organization's meeting description, no explicit update date, © 2026; an online mutual-help example with trained volunteers, not a clinical appointment or a guarantee about every group.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 17879,
        "end_utf16": 18213,
        "sha256_utf8": "b472bb78d1c3cd5bf7e00dc7422212b22874126fba177871dcbf73dc39b1765b"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_7123ae8ad7be007b",
      "title": "*Tele-treatment for substance use disorders*",
      "url": "https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/tele-treatment-for-substance-use-disorders",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 3844,
          "end_utf16": 4037,
          "sha256_utf8": "f3b93030c6bb4c83dd538cbda49fc5a1f82b9491bd31c3a30e9fb24d438a9020"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 16509,
          "end_utf16": 16690,
          "sha256_utf8": "a09236cd8cc3d650d1bc554284f33fb04539819a6a0f295e086f3548dafdfabd"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*Tele-treatment for substance use disorders*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/tele-treatment-for-substance-use-disorders). US provider guidance, updated 29 July 2025; combining remote and in-person care, not a home assessment algorithm.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 16460,
        "end_utf16": 16805,
        "sha256_utf8": "7e320dce6b93c05293f188371d54d1cb464c80d14af24278ae376df53c3541cc"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_415abc473b061d6a",
      "title": "*Step 1 — SEARCH Trusted Sources to Find Providers*",
      "url": "https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/step-1-search-trusted-sources-to-find-providers",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 5244,
          "end_utf16": 5406,
          "sha256_utf8": "155441c701ea39304ecc6d3fc58ee469441becea7e1872e4bd1ba4ed5a2436f6"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 17518,
          "end_utf16": 17689,
          "sha256_utf8": "10cbc6c1d2cf3677dcdae7b7916c2eeeb89553c6b52db7459063139a10ca98c2"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "7. NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. [*Step 1 — SEARCH Trusted Sources to Find Providers*](https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/step-1-search-trusted-sources-to-find-providers). Official US alcohol-treatment directory guidance, no explicit page date; a directory assists searching but does not guarantee a particular service's quality, completeness or availability.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 17480,
        "end_utf16": 17878,
        "sha256_utf8": "f3560c8296182a29a839c5678a39527568aa0d74bac5b504de4639f2d4419afc"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_0408050cdf068853",
      "title": "*Licensure for behavioral health*",
      "url": "https://telehealth.hhs.gov/licensure/licensure-for-behavioral-health",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 5771,
          "end_utf16": 5855,
          "sha256_utf8": "ca07955be99cab67da84789dcfaf851b52d1c6dbb3fad60445a1488cbc7acda2"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 17235,
          "end_utf16": 17340,
          "sha256_utf8": "d8b303165f64104d02d23233145138b409d6be036a4396ccce4bb4935e8d5fd4"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*Licensure for behavioral health*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/licensure/licensure-for-behavioral-health). US provider information, updated 30 April 2025; location and professional conditions for remote practice, not a rule for other countries.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 17186,
        "end_utf16": 17479,
        "sha256_utf8": "e1d34b43abf705cc9e02eb68e4f2a03b0ce175d16df739c71a59a4f7fcc889a6"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    },
    {
      "id": "src_64b5ca40f6773aca",
      "title": "*Protecting patients’ privacy*",
      "url": "https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/preparing-patients-for-telebehavioral-health/protecting-patients-privacy",
      "source_spans": [
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 7910,
          "end_utf16": 8123,
          "sha256_utf8": "30d338d56ca92adb944c0608d78c44d114e7cc65bff416f1e1a2ac1b4b347c5c"
        },
        {
          "role": "markdown_link",
          "start_utf16": 16855,
          "end_utf16": 17052,
          "sha256_utf8": "9150607815f4941bf77a69836a9aa4da741f059340ce15d4dacf44b5e6980226"
        }
      ],
      "read_scope": "5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [*Protecting patients’ privacy*](https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/preparing-patients-for-telebehavioral-health/protecting-patients-privacy). US provider guidance, updated 29 July 2025; discussing privacy, interpreters and caregivers, without a promise of absolute secrecy.",
      "read_scope_kind": "verbatim_bibliography_entry",
      "read_scope_span": {
        "role": "bibliography_entry",
        "start_utf16": 16806,
        "end_utf16": 17185,
        "sha256_utf8": "7383e238f298117385448f61a285a0534432e0e138830d65cd71956efc4453d2"
      },
      "shared_entry_urls": []
    }
  ],
  "retrieval_limits": [
    "This local GEO representation applies only to the specified source article version and its SHA-256.",
    "Qualifications, sources and attributions remain in the full sections and byte-identical Markdown copy.",
    "No new source research was conducted in this GEO stage."
  ],
  "master_sha256": "7f5f9eff8baea3a4e8eb321d0b96fe52361d5d0d98c0d3675f160262e2f49dbf",
  "provenance": {
    "raw_reader_sha256": "7f5f9eff8baea3a4e8eb321d0b96fe52361d5d0d98c0d3675f160262e2f49dbf",
    "ru_master_sha256": "04c669cdc46458d47b7e0e32c5bb74e7f8bb0d7e36451cb22d117438e1caf99f",
    "reader_path": "outputs/uw-addictions-corpus-20261013/articles/DEP-12-N07/ARTICLE_EN.md",
    "review_pointer": "outputs/uw-addictions-corpus-20261013/articles/DEP-12-N07/INDEPENDENT_REVIEW.json",
    "review_sha256": "def50715246ca040b92db077b48a9d38b9cfcd4282ca7eb6814224483e9e0024",
    "clean_md_relative_filename": "GEO.en.md",
    "body_length_utf16": 18840,
    "source_segments": [
      {
        "kind": "opening",
        "index": 0,
        "heading": null,
        "start_utf16": 0,
        "end_utf16": 1331,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "70939c371c620bf2d9bd12807e976510725fc2d57c0105332e88129d60eb2250"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 1,
        "heading": "I. Separate four different offers called “online help”",
        "start_utf16": 1331,
        "end_utf16": 3049,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "fd56ad452b0d9f1dd098f498d8a320b54f5ce2a0d3218fd6aa9daa442d5c23d8"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 2,
        "heading": "II. Start with the question that needs a human answer",
        "start_utf16": 3049,
        "end_utf16": 4644,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "237d0fb58d4e2339d159eee85a6b872bded5033219b59d53da0fba4f39b1b0b0"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 3,
        "heading": "III. Check who provides the service and where they may work",
        "start_utf16": 4644,
        "end_utf16": 6190,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "09268526ac3553a98c0173dad1de0740ee72f27647d5005b89a3ef982b5b38e4"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 4,
        "heading": "IV. Establish the real terms before relying on an appointment",
        "start_utf16": 6190,
        "end_utf16": 7652,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "b5e3e9e7c134fac289b02bd0f37c123275b5331d8f72734933e0535429d2ec32"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 5,
        "heading": "V. Privacy is something to discuss, not a promise made by a screen",
        "start_utf16": 7652,
        "end_utf16": 9337,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "bbe3c27f2b915fd32336ef0009f5f9a688400d3d9ea0e2b4f586c4bb93972b66"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 6,
        "heading": "VI. Remote assessment needs a path to in-person care",
        "start_utf16": 9337,
        "end_utf16": 10668,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "3208c81576099a1b230f92cf9becd9e60eb8dd60c0850673857896a807431336"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 7,
        "heading": "VII. Relatives can help with access while preserving an adult's choice",
        "start_utf16": 10668,
        "end_utf16": 11919,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "925cc2b776c593b94993fe706fa38a7cb69616a753bfbb39b5860d4aff3b63bb"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 8,
        "heading": "VIII. If the first option fails, change the route rather than judge yourself",
        "start_utf16": 11919,
        "end_utf16": 13264,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "329b44124867f898925cd49a9dc6c7e80cbd006a828bdc83e34f3431ce82b4ce"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 9,
        "heading": "IX. End the first contact with a concrete arrangement",
        "start_utf16": 13264,
        "end_utf16": 14214,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "de04b2520da5181eb247818a86e9aa30f5704dddf87c00f899838d9417eb11e2"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 10,
        "heading": "Appendix: five optional prompts for a first conversation",
        "start_utf16": 14214,
        "end_utf16": 15078,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "7fad2fe15af6996414597191026c45725261a100016f129b9072a8749b17fe19"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 11,
        "heading": "Sources and limits",
        "start_utf16": 15078,
        "end_utf16": 18215,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "9dc8b6108a3584eaffdc87c52b254c6a4aadb82bb44cda3bbc51de2bb0bf33b3"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 12,
        "heading": "Tags",
        "start_utf16": 18215,
        "end_utf16": 18381,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "3225cedc0efa4a9cf4da0cec9a06aa6e467d847f88fb002401baafe26530d9a7"
      },
      {
        "kind": "h2_section",
        "index": 13,
        "heading": "About the authors",
        "start_utf16": 18381,
        "end_utf16": 18840,
        "sha256_utf8_raw_slice": "beb429032ffa57c7e98ee0910a01be8fafa97ebcd2a092cb97ad7de52af7e658"
      }
    ],
    "common_blocks_module_sha256": "6cf638661a819f960c39d08058bf6d0d0696e8b816f677d95b389f5f1d11e4d2"
  }
}
