March 23, 2020

​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

Dear ACT Services Clients:

First, let me apologize for the delay in reaching out to you all; some of you know I have been out of town, but I have been following the news and trying to formulate a plan from afar (not an easy task). Our team knows the last few weeks have been a trying time for many of you, and we understand that many people are feeling concerned about the future is unknown. We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to continue providing quality and ethical care while making difficult but necessary decisions. With the recent school closures in addition to the need for social distancing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we are offering telehealth sessions effective March 19. Sessions will be conducted via video, and we are allowing a one-week transitional period of phone sessions if necessary. At this time, we will be continuing to offer in-person sessions at our office.

We are taking multiple precautions in order to provide a safe environment for everyone, including:
·   Sanitizing common areas that include frequently touched objects (doorknobs, pens, faucets, etc.) multiple times throughout the day.
·  Removing all toys, games, magazines, and other commonly touched items in the offices (including our Keurig and water dispenser).
·    Avoiding physical contact, including hugs and handshakes, and maintaining a 6-foot distance when possible.

We are asking our clients to follow the following guidelines in order to continue prioritizing a healthy and safe environment:
·  If you have a cough, fever, sore throat, non-allergy related sneezing, runny nose, or any symptoms that are abnormal to you, we ask that you refrain from coming into the office for at least 14 days. You must be fever-free for at least 14 days without the aid of a fever reducer before coming into our office.
·   Please follow the CDC guidelines regarding personal hygiene: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. We recommend doing this before and after your sessions in the office.
·    Avoid touching your face as much as possible.

There is a chance that our practice may move to telehealth-only sessions, depending on what we hear about the spread of the virus over the coming days and weeks. These sessions can be completed on any smartphone, tablet, or computer, and are done via a HIPAA-secure platform through Google Meet. We have an agreement with Google to hold our data secure, and this software is included. As we recognize there are varying levels of technological know-how, we have chosen Google Meet for its ease-of-use. If you have any difficulty, please reach out to your provider.

Talk with your therapist about setting up a telehealth appointment. We want everyone to be prepared. As more insurance companies are covering telehealth sessions, we are offering these as an alternative as needed (we can check your specific policy). If your insurance does not cover telehealth, or if it is not appropriate (such as with EMDR), then we will waive the fee for late cancellations on a case-by-case basis; this does not apply to no shows. We will return to our normal policy when the risk has been neutralized.

We recognize telehealth may not be comfortable for everyone initially, but it is important to maintain consistent treatment throughout this time. The availability of our providers may change, and if you choose not to utilize telehealth and wish to postpone your treatment, your therapist may not be able to fit you in once we return to in-office hours. Please understand that late cancellations or no shows greatly affect the schedules of our providers as well, so we ask that you still give as much notice as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule.

One of the reasons ACT Services did not previously offer telehealth was the barrier presented by commercial insurance carriers; despite telehealth legislation being passed in 2015, many plans still did not cover it. We are truly in a time of uncharted territory; this may be the silver lining in that telehealth services, as well as mental health services, will now be covered for all universally. Unfortunately, we may be unable to provide estimates for your insurance coverage. Our priority is providing care to you. We promise to work with you if your insurance denies claims due to telehealth not being a covered benefit, and we are willing to set up payment plans, just as we have done since 2014. We are care providers because we want to help people, and we will continue to do so through this community turmoil. If you have specific questions about your plan, you are encouraged to call the number on the back of your card and confirm is video mental health sessions are a covered benefit.

​We provide services to individuals of all ages and health conditions; we are being cautious about the well-being of all of our clients as well as our providers. We thank you for your understanding and patience throughout this new undertaking, as we monitor the situation closely and adjust as needed. Please don’t forget to take care of yourself.
 
Thinking of you all,
Cami Huysman, Owner, on behalf of the ACT Services Team

We have moved into our new suite on the 8th floor! Not only does this mean more space, it means more providers to bring you the quality, ethical treatment you have come to expect. With moving, there are usually bumps in the road and businesses are not excluded- our phones are temporarily out so please email us at info@actspokane.com or complete a new client questionnaire in our secure client portal at https://act.mytherabook.com/account/signup. We're excited to continue providing services North Spokane!

Would you like to join an ethical and dynamic mental health practice? ACT Services is seeking educated and caring individuals to join our team due to an increased demand for quality care. 

Please see Careers for more information and how to apply!

Did you know we hired another provider? Victoria "Tori" Carroll has joined the ACT family and is able to accept to Premera/BCBS/Lifewise, First Choice Health and Asuris plans currently. She brings to us many years of experience treating anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns as well as an interest with obsessive-compulsive traits. Looking for afternoon or evening appointments? Schedule with Tori before she has a waitlist!

This case has been in the headlines since a sentence was handed down on June 2; you probably have heard about it, or seen the trending topic on your Facebook feed. If you want to know the details, please feel free to Google reputable sources; this post is not regarding the politics surrounding the case.

Upon conviction of three felonies, the victim was allowed to share a “victim impact statement.” According to The National Center for Victims of Crime, victim impact statements are “written or oral information… during the decision-making process on sentencing.” The purpose is to provide insight that may not have been allowed in Court, or detail damages caused by the crime (whether physical, emotional, or financial, including the cost of medical treatment or counseling). Her statement read very similar to a trauma narrative, a treatment component utilized during trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, or TF-CBT.

Why would anyone want to relive their traumatic experience? Symptoms, such as invasive thoughts or memories, “flashbacks” and nightmares may be difficult to tolerate, and individuals who are exposed to traumatic events may require the assistance of a mental health professional to learn new and effective ways to cope. Enter the trauma narrative: Retelling the story has been shown to increase a sense of control over events the person felt he or she had no control (the traumatic experience). The narrative also assists to desensitize, which can also be helpful in recognizing that the event is no longer occurring and has ended.

TF-CBT should only be facilitated by mental health practitioners specifically trained to work with trauma. If you are interested in learning more about TF-CBT, please contact us. To read the victim’s statement, please click here (Warning: Graphic Content. May be triggering to victims of crime). 

Online scheduling is functional for both Veronica and Cami; our HIPAA-secure portal makes it easy to complete your intake paperwork and request an appointment with the provider of your choosing. Want to check availability before filling out the intake questionnaire? Click here- we update schedules at least daily. Please remember the intake questionnaire must be completed for all appointments to be considered, and it does not guarantee acceptance as a client. Check our Payments page for insurance acceptance, as well as the most up-to-date information about which providers are in-network with which plans- this will help you maximize your insurance benefit. 

It feels like we just did an update... but we received notice that Premera has approved Veronica as of March 30th! If you have Premera Blue Cross or another Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plan, feel free to give us a call at (509) 228-8901, email us or schedule online. Veronica is currently available Mondays and Tuesdays from 9am-1pm.

We continue to receive notification that Veronica has been accepted to other networks. Most recently, Veronica has been accepted to Asuris, Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, and BridgeSpan, effective April 15.