ACT Services Clients:
As you may have heard, Gov. Inslee just issued a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order for the entire State of Washington. While mental health services are exempted from this, we are making the decision at this time to go entirely virtual with our services via telehealth with Google Meet to help slow the spread of the virus. Some of you may have already had a session with your provider through this method and experienced how easy it is to connect.
We want to reiterate that if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to your provider and specify that you are in need of an in-person session. If your provider is unavailable, one of us from the team can fill in.
Some providers are also offering hours outside of their brick-and-mortar office hours due to this situation; please speak directly with your provider about appointment availability.
Telehealth is an adjustment for all of us, but fortunately, most of the insurance plans are waiving copays, coinsurance, and deductible charges while we are still in a “state of emergency” when you utilize telehealth services instead of in-person sessions, as you are helping to slow the spread of the virus. We cannot guarantee your plan will waive these charges, but we will also provide financial assistance if your plan does not, either in the form of a financial hardship write-off or a payment plan. If you are paying out-of-pocket, please discuss with your provider the additional discount we are offering.
Regarding Google Meet, there is a cell phone app, and you can access it through a computer (Chrome and a high-speed connection are recommended). You will receive an email from your provider with a link to join the meeting. When your appointment time has arrived, simply click the link in your calendar (if you synced with your calendar) or the link from your provider’s email under “Joining info -> Join Hangouts Meet.” After you have clicked this link, you’ll get to a screen where you’ll likely see yourself; this is the virtual lobby. You can click “Join Now” at any time, and your provider will join momentarily. That’s it!
We look forward to continuing to serve you during this time, as we recognize this situation may be creating additional difficulties for everyone. Please – if you have any questions – don’t hesitate to ask.
Cami, and the ACT Services Team