THE TOP FAQ’S ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health conditions disrupt a person’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. Mental illness can occur on a continuum from the mild day to day concerns of work stress and life balance to more severe conditions that can disrupt functioning. Each person will have a different experience, even people with the same diagnosis. No matter the mental illness, a diagnosis only describes what you’re experiencing and does not say anything about who you are as a person. You are not defined by a diagnosis and you are not alone. 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year and the majority of people in treatment recover.

The warning signs of mental illness may look different in children and adults. This is a list of common “signs” of all mental illnesses and not necessarily a list of “symptoms” that apply to everyone.  These signs are what we would observe either in ourselves or others.   When more than one of these signs is observed, it should initiate concern, further observation, and possibly seeking professional care.

Adults:

Confusion, difficulty with memory, intense sadness, irritability, anger, aggression, excessive fear, worry, extreme mood changes, changes in sleep patterns, social isolation, delusions, hallucinations, isolation, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts

Children:

School problems (attendance, performance), mood changes, intense emotions, difficulty concentrating, unexplained weight loss, social isolation, nightmares, hyperactivity, enuresis, substance abuse

Anyone can have a mental health condition. Certain factors may increase one’s risk of developing mental illness such as genetics, environmental (finances, homelessness, loss, trauma) and chronic medical conditions such as diabetes.

Biological, psychological, and social factors are all linked. This is called the Biopsychosocial Model. Most of the time, mental illness is a result of a combination of these factors. Many times, a person may have a genetic predisposition towards a mental illness that is triggered by stressful life circumstances. 

Mental illness does not discriminate regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. However, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience mental illness than the general population due to racism, stigma, and inequity. Being treated or perceived as “less than” because of the color of your skin can be stressful and traumatizing. African Americans also face challenges to getting help such as provider bias, socioeconomic disparities, and misdiagnosis. HandinHand Counseling specializes in offering culturally competent care to diverse populations.

If your loved one is experiencing mental illness, it is NOT your fault or their fault. There may be lifestyle and family things to adjust that will help your loved one heal, but the onset of mental illness is not any one person or circumstance’s fault.

As you consider your treatment options, remember medication is not a cure and is only used to treat symptoms.  Every medication has risks and benefits and it takes time to begin to feel better.  Spend time exploring the benefits and potential side effects of prescribed medications with your doctor prior to making this decision. 

Reaching out for mental health treatment can leave us feeling vulnerable.  The uncertainty of the process, outcome, and qualifications of the therapist can be barriers to many people seeking help.  When selecting a therapist, remember you have the right to inquire about their qualifications to help you and the treatment process. Some mental health conditions are able to be treated by any therapist, but some issues require a therapist with specialized training. 

Spend some time asking about the therapist’s approach to working with clients, their philosophy and areas of specialty. Some other traits to consider when selecting a therapist include gender, age, cultural background, race, and therapy style (formal or friendly). A lot of factors go into how we match a client and therapist, including availability, insurance, clinical experience, and your preferences. We love to accommodate your preferences whenever possible, but we also recognize that a therapist with the clinical experience to treat your symptoms is the most important thing for your recovery.

Finally, if the therapeutic relationship does not feel like a good fit, trust your instincts.

You do not need a formal referral to start therapy and can reach out to a therapist whenever you are ready to do so. Most people find a therapist by asking their friends for recommendations. If you start to ask, you may find that more people have seen a therapist and have recommendations than you expect! 

You can also get recommendations and referrals from your family doctor, insurance company (the toll-free number on the back of your insurance card), and online therapist directories such as Psychology Today and Therapy for Black Girls. Brown Mamas also has a list of therapists. Eligible veterans can get assistance through the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs. Children have the option to receive community-based or school-based services and some school districts have a referral program to outpatient therapists.

The initial visit is a “getting to know you” session and the therapist may spend time gathering information about your concerns and background to determine how to proceed with treatment. Therapy sessions typically last 50-60 minutes and treatment can be short term or long-term depending on the needs of the client. 

The therapist will want to hear about what is bringing you to therapy and what symptoms you’re experiencing as well as information about your medical history, family, and culture or religion. Together with the therapist you’ll make goals and discuss how often you’ll need to meet in order to accomplish them. Occasionally during the intake, the therapist may determine that a different provider is better equipped to help you meet your mental health goals. 

Remember, therapy works best when there is a partnership between the therapist and the client.  This is your therapy, take an active role in your sessions.  

Your information is stored in our Electronic Medical Record System/Portal and is extremely secure. Your documents, records, and even sessions occur through the portal. Access to the portal requires a welcome email and confirmation of your date of birth. Password resets can only be accomplished via our staff on our end of the portal. These policies help to keep the portal as secure as possible. Our email is also professionally HIPAA secure, however please note that texting is NOT secure. If for any reason, your therapist were to leave our practice, they will no longer have access to the portal to be able to see or access your records. After you discharge, we are required by law to keep your records on file for 7 years, after which time they are destroyed.

In most cases, your written and signed authorization is required before information concerning your care can be disclosed to individuals outside of the counseling practice, including parents, roommates, friends, faculty, partners and other providers.  

Situations where your signed authorization may not be required in order for a clinician to release the following information include: disclosure or evidence of physical, sexual or serious emotional abuse or neglect of a minor, the therapist has cause to believe that an elderly or disabled person has been or may be abused, neglected, or subject to financial exploitation, the clinician is required to make a report to the appropriate state agency, records are requested by a valid subpoena or court order, or the therapist believes that you are likely to harm yourself and/or another person.  

Additionally, if you are using your medical insurance, your insurance company has the right to audit your treatment to ensure quality of care. We are required by law to only provide the minimum amount of information needed to satisfy the audit. Audits are chosen randomly and a release of information is not necessary for us to comply as required. At HandinHand, we ask all clients to sign a release for their insurance company if they are using insurance because we want to be transparent about the fact the company could request such information, even if the odds are very small that your file would be chosen. 

Most people opt to pay for mental health services through their health insurance plan or use their employee assistance plan for brief treatment (3-6 sessions) covered by their employer.  Each therapist accepts different insurances. Please fill out our New Client Inquiry Form for more information. Private pay is also an option and is $150 for the first session and $135 per session following the intake.

Every individual insurance plan is different. However, there are some general explanations we can make about commercial insurance.

Behavioral health (or mental health) benefits are different than physical health benefits. Behavioral health benefit information is NOT on the front of your insurance card. To get that information you will need to call the number on the back of your card. You can ask about code 90791 (an intake appointment) and code 90837 (an individual therapy appointment).

There are two main types of insurance plans, low deductible vs high deductible.

Low deductible plans have a higher monthly payment and usually have a copay for mental health benefits. You pay more per month, but then your cost for services is lower. We have seen mental health copays as low as $0 and as high as $80. These plans may also have a Flexible Savings Account (FSA) where you can spend pre-tax money on your copays. 

High deductible plans have a lower monthly payment, but you owe all of the costs for your medical services until you reach your deductible, including mental health services. Until you reach your deductible, you owe the full contracted rate for each session. The contracted rate is different for each insurance company, but is always lower than the self-pay amount and is usually approximately $100 for each non-intake session.

After you reach your deductible you pay a co-insurance, which is usually between 0% and 25% of the contracted rate. Keep in mind that ALL health claims contribute to the deductible so a hospitalization of some kind could meet the deductible very quickly. However, some people never meet their deductible in the entire calendar year. These plans usually have a pre-tax Health Savings Account (HSA) and employers sometimes contribute to the HSA. 

In accordance with the No Surprises Act, we provide a Good Faith Estimate to every new client. The Good Faith Estimate states your expected copay or coinsurance, the contracted rate for your insurance company, and the self-pay rates if your claims were to be denied. However, we have little control over how your insurance company processes your claims and we strongly recommend always calling them to confirm your benefits as we are sometimes given incorrect information.