Frequently Asked Questions by Clients
Regarding our Services during Shelter in Place
- FAQs -
Below are answers to frequently asked questions by our clients . If you have any other questions, please contact our Director of Business Operations, Maritza Tamayo-Sarver at maritza@talkawhile.org.
Will you be providing services during the "shelter in place" County order?
Talk-a-While, Child & Family Therapy Center will be providing therapy through an on-line, video teletherapy format to help "flatten the curve" to slow down the spread of the virus and help our health care system reduce being overwhelmed. We also will provide in-person therapy services - on a case by case basis - for "essential services"/needs.
We recognize that on-line therapy sessions may not resonate with some of our clients, and clients can choose to postpone treatment until the "shelter in place" order is changed or removed.
While we realize our clients' decision to delay treatment, given many children are at home and the worry of exposure to the virus, we recommend in-person therapy session for the following "essential activities":
Reducing overwhelming stress and anxiety/panic episodes
Managing family crisis(es)/dynamics
Supporting family illness, grief, and loss
Caregivers in crisis whose children are noticeably emotionally in distress
Other emergent situations
As therapists we can provide in-person therapy sessions for the above mentioned "essential activities" as long as we continue to maintain the 6-foot social distancing requirements and environmental cleaning practices.
Can on-line therapy be an effective mode for the delivery of therapeutic care?
Yes. For many of our clients, there is a long-established in-person relationship so moving onto on-line therapy is an effective way to avoid disruptions in your treatment plan/goals. Regularly scheduled sessions and therapist interactions are an important part of meaningful therapy work.
What is your cancellation policy during the shelter in place?
While we have a strict 48-hour cancellation policy to cancel or reschedule sessions, we will not penalize clients for last minute cancellations during the shelter-in-place order.
Will on-line therapy be covered by my health insurer?
We are an out-of-network or private pay provider, so we bill for the sessions and provide superbills to our clients for them to submit to their health insurer for possible reimbursement.
If you are considering on-line therapy and want to make sure your health insurer reimburses it, please contact your health insurer to find out what coverage you have under your plan.
How can I prepare for the on-line therapy session?
The following is very helpful to set up prior to the start of your on-line session:
(4) If a link to your on-line therapy sessions has been sent to you, pull up the email and click when session time begins;