The purpose of our Immediate Mental Health Screening Service is to provide clients with timely access to licensed mental health professionals, thereby potentially avoiding an emergency room visit that can take several hours and cause undue emotional upset and stress.
Our immediate mental health screenings are:
- Designed for adolescents and adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental health difficulties and/or mandated for a mental health screening by their school or employer due to psychiatric concerns.
- Performed within 24-hours of the client’s initial contact with SFC.
- Composed of a 1-1.5-hour clinical interview, symptom questionnaires, and communication with all necessary third parties (school, employer, other treatment providers, etc.) including a letter stating relevant findings and treatment recommendations.
- Conducted by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Findings and Treatment Recommendations
At the conclusion of our immediate mental health screening clients are informed of the results and related treatment recommendations. Based on the client’s level of emotional distress, risk for self-harm, and/or violence towards others, treatment recommendations may include any of the following:
- No Further Action Necessary
- Additional Psychiatric Evaluation Performed by a Psychiatrist
- Individual Outpatient Counseling
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Partial Hospitalization
- Immediate Psychiatric Evaluation at a Local Hospital Emergency Room
The recommendation for an immediate psychiatric evaluation at a local hospital emergency room is made under two circumstances:
- When a client does not meet the full critieria for risk of sucidal or violent behavior, but shows numerous risk factors indicative of moderate to high risk for those behaviors. In such cases a client is recommended for an emergency psychiatric evaluation at a local hospital emergency room so that he/she can participate in a more comprehensive evaluation consisting of interviews with a team of professionals (a medical doctor, mental health counselor, and nurse) and medical tesing (blood, urine, and other tests deeemed appropriate).
- When a client meets the full critieria for risk of suicidal or violent behavior and/or is unable to maintain basic self-care (personal hygiene, medical care, or daily routines regarding school or employment). In such cases a client is referred for an emergency psychistric evalutation at a local hospital emergency room so that he/she can be admitted, kept safe, and provided with all necessary medical treatments.
Confidentiality
Your privacy and confidentiality are always our top priority. Screening results and treatment recommendations are only disclosed to individuals for whom you have given us written permission to communicate with. The only exception to this rule of confidentiality is in cases of child abuse and the risk for suicial or violent behavior.
Fees, Billing and Insurance
In some cases, school districts or employers may contract with SFC and pay the cost of a mandated mental health screening.
Clients seeking our mental health screening service on their own are responsible for payment at the time of service. Those with out-of-network insurance coverage are eligible for reimbursement based on their plan. Clients are encouraged to speak to their insurance provider in determining the nature of their policy, proper protocol for submitting claims, and expected reimbursement rate.
Immediate Mental Health Screenings: Cost – $395.00, includes a 1-1.5-hour clinical interview, administration of several symptom questionnaires, contact with all necessary third parties (school, employer, other treatment providers, etc.) including a letter stating the evaluation findings and treatment recommendations. Payment is required at the time of the screening unless it is being covered by the referring school district or employer.
To learn more about our services and fees, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us now.