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Counseling During COVID-19
April 23rd, 2021: Continuing to Safely Meet
At this time, we are having in-person sessions with any client who prefers and feels comfortable to do so, while also making telehealth sessions available to those who feel more comfortable not coming to the clinic. We're encouraged that several insurance providers have extended their coverage of telehealth services in support of clients' choice as well! For in-person sessions, we're continuing to encourage masking and social-distancing in our lobbies, we're still utilizing the COVID screening questions, and are asking anyone who is not feeling well to stay home. Remember also that your specific clinician may have unique parameters for in-person sessions so please contact us or ask your clinician about these specifics.
With your help and God's blessing, we've been able to continue supporting our clients throughout the pandemic and look forward to seeing it through with you!
May 11th, 2020: Reopening For In-Person Sessions
In case you've ever wondered, YES, we do miss our clients! The switch to telehealth has and continues to be such a blessing to allow us to continue our work through COVID, but we're also excited that our state leadership is encouraging cautious and phased reopening of businesses like ours.
Beginning May 11th, the clinic will be reopening for in-person sessions for clients who prefer this. We'll continue to sanitize the clinic twice weekly and regularly wipe down surfaces throughout each day. However, to ensure our in-person sessions are as safe as possible, we also ask that clients call the clinic when they arrive for their session (please leave a voicemail if necessary) and wait in their vehicle until they are called in. Additionally, only those involved in in-person sessions and guardians of minor clients will be allowed into the clinic. Upon entering the clinic, we'll need to take your temperature and make sure none of the COVID screening questions apply to you. Of course, for clients who are not yet comfortable coming into the clinic, telehealth will still be available from all clinicians for now. Finally, your specific clinician may have unique parameters for in-person sessions so please contact us or ask your clinician about these specifics.
We hope to (safely) see you soon! Thanks for allowing us to walk with you through this pandemic!
March 23rd, 2020: Switching to Telehealth Only for Safety
To do our part in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we are encouraging clients to transition to telemental health counseling via a secure, HIPAA compliant online format. Online sessions can be done using your smartphone, tablet, or any device with a camera and a microphone. Limited in-person sessions will be provided on an as-needed basis so please talk with your clinician if you have any concerns regarding online sessions.
These changes will go into effect starting Monday, March 23. You will still receive the normal email appointment reminder 48 hours prior, and a text reminder 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment, even if it is an online session. Our 48-hour cancellation policy will still be in effect for online sessions. During your online session, please make sure to use a safe, quiet, secure location and be aware of those around you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will provide the online link a few days prior to your appointment.
We want to do our best to serve you and your therapy needs during these challenging times. Thank you for your cooperation and continued support!
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How much do services cost?The standard fee for services through Christian Perspective Counseling is $150 per therapy hour provided by master's-level clinicians and $175 per therapy hour provided by psychologists. However, we also have lower cost options available which you can learn more about by clicking here. Some insurances are accepted, but coverage varies widely between policies and depending on the service received. For questions about your policy coverage, feel free to contact us and we can look into your benefits for you. The client is ultimately responsible for the entire bill and we accept cash, check, and credit/debit cards. Other services such as evaluations, behavior plan development, referrals, and court appearances may be available. Please ask your clinician about their fees for such services. Standard psychiatric service fees are available upon request as well. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR FULL FEE PAYMENT POLICY
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Do you accept insurance?We do accept direct reimbursement from select insurance networks, including: Aetna Ambetter AR Benefits Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Advantage Municipal Health Benefit Fund Qualchoice TRICARE Remember, coverage varies widely between policies and depending on the service received. Also, not every clinician is in-network with each of the above networks. For questions about your policy coverage, feel free to contact us and we can look into your benefits for you so you can know what your out-of-pocket responsibility will be before beginning treatment. We ask you to also be mindful that, after we've exhausted all efforts to utilize your insurance benefits, you, the client, are ultimately responsible for the entire bill. Sometimes, we're able to help clients utilize their out-of-network benefits but this varies depending on the insurance provider. Please contact us directly and we'll do all we can to help in such instances.
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Will I receive a diagnosis?If no insurance benefits are utilized, a diagnosis is likely not required. In some instances, a diagnosis may be required/desired for other purposes and this can be discussed with your clinician. While utilizing insurance benefits often helps to make services financially sustainable, there are some issues that are worth mentioning. Most insurances require evidence that a service is “medically necessary” before they will reimburse for it, and this evidence is provided in the form of a diagnosis. While the diagnosis, identified by your clinician in the course of your first few sessions and updated as needed, is based on very specific criteria to ensure accuracy, it is added to your health record. Also, while only the minimal amount necessary is shared, your protected health information (including the diagnosis) must be shared with your insurance provider in order for them to allow your benefits to be utilized. To view our full Privacy Policy, click here. All that having been said, you may simply need help through a difficult time in your life or with a strained relationship and diagnoses for such matters have effectively no practical impact on clients (i.e., when your PCP diagnoses you with a sinus infection). In fact, relationship counseling and some other matters often does/do not warrant a diagnosis. However, due to this, they may not be covered by your insurance ( i.e., marital therapy).
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How often will sessions occur?There are many factors that can affect how frequently therapy sessions occur, including the level of distress you're experiencing, the amount of direct assistance from your clinician necessary for treatment to be effective, how quickly you want to move towards your goals, and cost. It usually works best if therapy sessions occur weekly in the beginning. Then, as the circumstances/symptoms ease, session frequency can taper off until they are no longer needed at all. On the other hand, some choose to meet multiple times per week or maintain weekly sessions throughout the entirety of their treatment. Be sure to talk to your clinician regularly about your needs and goals so there can be ongoing agreement about the frequency needed for optimal results. Psychological assessment sessions are paced according to the specific goals and tests for your situation. Psychiatric appointments often occur every-other week to start to monitor for effectiveness and side effects. Then, every 1-6 month(s) medication checks are utilized as determined by the doctor or the regulation of medications being used.
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How long do sessions usually last?For your initial evaluation, we ask that you come prepared by reading/completing the relevant documents provided via the client portal and bringing your questions. Up to ninety minutes may be needed for the initial evaluation but subsequent therapy sessions generally last 50 minutes. In the event that our work is expected to take longer than 50 minutes, the appropriate time frame will need to be scheduled in advance and will be billed in 15-minute increments. For psychological assessment, multiple 60-90 minute sessions are often necessary, and this will be determined based on the specific goals and assessments for your situation. Be sure to ask your psychologist or the office staff about this when scheduling.
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What happens if I miss a scheduled session?Emergencies happen and missed appointments for true emergencies will not incur a fee. If you're unable to keep your appointment for any reason, we just ask that you notify us immediately at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled time. Each time an appointment is cancelled or missed without 48 hours prior notice due to a non-emergency, you will be charged $50. Your therapist also reserves the right to charge the full session amount or deny services for repeatedly missing appointments. Initial evaluations and psychiatric appointments that aren't cancelled with enough notice or are missed for non-emergency reasons will be billed at the full out-of-pocket rate for the service. Unfortunately, the late cancellation/no show fee doesn't apply to these services. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL POLICY
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