Providers
may be recommended by your doctor, clergy, friend
or a variety of other sources. Ask the people
who are recommending a provider why they like
the provider and what they see as strengths and
weaknesses. Some providers are on certain insurance
panels and may be recommended to you based on
this alone. Some doctors & nurse practitioners
are encouraged to keep care within their organization,
but are willing to refer to the best provider
despite corporate pressure or loss of personal
incentive for the best care of their patients.
Some
companies have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
that employees are encouraged to utilize before
seeking services from an outside provider. If
your company uses an EAP, chances are that you
will have to see an EAP professional first with
your mental health problem before choosing your
own provider. If meeting with the EAP provider
does not alleviate the problem, you will need
to be referred elsewhere. If you do not know whom
you might want to meet with after the EAP professional,
he/she will have a list of mental health providers
in your area.
Remember,
you do not need to have a formal “referral”
or “permission” from your doctor to
see a mental health provider. Some insurances
may request you have one for coverage purposes,
or that you see someone in your provider network,
but in the end, it is you, your family or a loved
one that is seeking help with a particular presenting
problem. Do not be afraid to ask questions and
advocate for yourself. In some cases insurance
companies do not have providers with the time,
experience or training you need to help with your
presenting problem. By documenting this &
working with your insurance company you may be
able to negotiate a “single case agreement”
whereby you can see the provider you would like
(or your own research has suggested you will like)
even if your choice is outside of your network.
Check with your Primary Care Physician. Many are
willing to write letters of support in order to
help you access the best possible care.
Listings
of providers exist on the internet, yellow pages
and even in magazines. Advertisements are sometimes
used to increase your awareness of services that
are available. Choose a provider who feels comfortable
to you and your family, who has the experience
and training to help you with your presenting
concerns and can provide a clear plan for treatment
success. You may ask questions like, ” How
many people have you treated with my particular
problem?” or ” What percentage of
patients on your caseload have this type of problem?”
If
you find yourself uncomfortable, frustrated or
not sure of the therapy you are receiving, talk
to your provider. It is not a personal issue;
both you and your provider want you to improve.
If the fit or approach is not right, talking about
it openly can help you both either work through
the difficulties or find a better fit with another
provider. One word of caution on this point though:
try to make sure you are not avoiding “the
big issue” by finding fault in providers
who confront issues you know need to be addressed.
All professionals should be licensed and follow
their professional ethical guidelines. If you
have concerns that are not being addressed, consider
seeking a 2nd opinion.
Insurance
companies can be a challenge to deal with. Understand
your policy and the benefits. Call your insurance
and have your mental health benefits explained
to you. This will help you know how much it will
cost to see someone in or out of your “plan”.
Many times your co-pay for seeing a provider in
vs. out of plan is not very different. Mental
health agencies you contact should be able to
help you with questions regarding coverage of
services and expected costs. If they do not, call
another agency. Many offer different ways to help
you afford services including sliding fee scales
(adjusted based on income) as well as some level
of pro-bono services (for free). County Mental
Health Centers are set up to make sure that all
in need of care can get it. It is reasonable to
expect that you may have to pay at least some
portion of your mental health care. As we are
all aware, more and more healthcare, in general,
is being paid for by consumers themselves. If
you consider the cost of receiving expert mental
health care, it is frugal to get help if it saves
you the cost, both in dollars and agony, of your
personal problem left untreated.
Remember,
when you are signing up for your insurance, or
your company is negotiating the insurance contracts,
the lowest bidder is not always the best. Research
has shown that good mental health care actually
decreases the cost of other health care. Advocate
for a plan that includes mental health coverage.
Statistically speaking, it is highly likely that
mental health needs will be an issue for you or
your family at some point in your life. Be confident,
and seek out the help you need. Ask questions
and keep asking until you find the solutions you
are looking for.
If
you have an immediate concern for someone’s
safety, call 911. If you need to talk to a mental
health professional about a crisis situation in
Fond du Lac, call Crisis Intervention 929-3535.
Additional
resources are available on our website, www.dollandassociates.com.
The American Psychological Association offers
tips on how to choose a therapist & how therapy
can help at www.apahelpcenter.org.
Quote
for the month:
A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely
more than much knowledge that is idle.
~ Kahlil Gibran
