Microsoft word - faqs2revnp.doc

Welcome to Palos Behavioral Health Professionals
Thank you for choosing us to meet your behavioral health needs. Most often, clients contact us at a time in their lives when a crisis is occurring or has recently occurred. It is our goal to assist you in addressing these challenging issues in the highest professional While your relationship with Palos Behavioral Health Professional providers is often a very personal one, it is also a business relationship. We at PBHP will try to do the best that we can to assist you in not only benefiting from behavioral health services but also addressing the financial demands for these services. We live in a time where medical reimbursement for behavioral health services is often confusing, labor intensive and frustrating. PBHP is willing to work with you in order to maximize your benefits and assist you in this process. Behavioral health issues are a major medical condition and account for a large amount of distress and difficulties to persons in our community. Issues that bring about the need for behavioral health services are personally difficult and taxing. In order to address these important issues we have put together a comprehensive outpatient practice that includes medical, individual, family, marital & group therapy, bio and neuro feedback as well as psychological testing. These services alone or combined will hopefully make your time spent here as beneficial as possible.
What do I need for my first appointment?
Please bring a copy of your insurance card, a picture ID, your payment/co-pay and any
testing reports or school reports, that the doctor may find useful to be attached to the
patient’s chart.
How long is my visit?
Initial appointment with a psychiatrist is about 50 minutes long and the follow-ups are
about 10-20 minutes
An initial appointment with a psychologist, therapist or counselor is 45-50 minutes all
follow-ups will also be the same length.

I’m running late for my appointment, what should I do?
Please call our office staff and let them know your estimated time of arrival. If your arrival
time causes you to miss more than half of the session, the appointment will need to be
rescheduled.

If I have to cancel an appointment how long before do I need to let the office
know?
For an appointment with a therapist or psychiatrist we ask for 24 hours notice.
For a testing appointment we ask that you provide us with 48 hours notice. Because we
do not double book for patients we will charge for appointments cancelled within these

My child was diagnosed and prescribed medication at our initial visit, I now have
been reading over the literature about the medication and I have concerns, what
should I do?
Please call the office and schedule a follow-up appointment with the doctor. Any
medication changes or questions should be addressed with the doctor face to face more
often there is more to the explanation than a phone call can handle. If there is a concern
about starting the medication let the office know that you have chosen not to start the
medication until your questions can be addressed at your next appointment.
I am not sure if the medication my child is taking is working anymore, what
should I do?
Again any change in the medication will require a follow-up appointment with the doctor.
The doctor needs to see the patient and discuss the options with the patient and the
parent, so just call the office to schedule that appointment.
How do I obtain a refill on my prescription?
If the patient is prescribed a non-controlled substance (such as Lexapro, Wellbutrin,
Cymbalta, Abilify) the pharmacy can fax the request for a refill to our office, at 708-671-
8446. Just call your pharmacy and ask them to fax the request.
If the patient is prescribed a controlled substance, i.e. Concerta, Focalin, Ritalin,
Vyvanse, the pharmacy will require an actual paper script be turned in. Only one month’s
worth of these medications can be prescribed at a time. So, we ask you to call when the
patient has five days dosage left that allows us enough time to write it and you to pick it
up and fill it.
What is psychotherapy?
Similar to physical therapy that can train the muscles and body to maximize performance,
psychotherapy is a tool used to train the brain to maximize healthy personality and
functioning. Individual psychotherapy is an opportunity for an individual to meet a skilled
therapist to improve the way they process material, and help build strategies to cope and
deal with the behavior health issues they face.
How do I know when I need psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is intended for individuals whose symptoms cause significant distress or
impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. In most
cases, it is the combination of therapy and medication that result in success in the
treatment of these illnesses.
What is Group therapy?
Group therapy is often used as supplementary to individual therapy. Group dynamics can help individuals in different ways than individual therapy by allowing the individual to process thoughts and experiences with a group of similar-aged peers. Group therapy also works on building personal skills such as social skills, interpersonal skills, coping skills, and relaxation skills. Groups can be especially helpful for children and adolescents who have difficulties with peers and/or family members.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback training is brainwave biofeedback. During a typical training, a few
electrodes are placed on the scalp and the earlobes. Then, cutting edge electronic
equipment provides real-time, instantaneous audio and visual feedback about brainwave
activity. There is no electrical current that is put into the brain; instead, the brain’s electrical activity is relayed to the computer and recorded. Neurofeedback is used to train children, adolescents and adults to change their brain wave patterns. Using an electroencephalograph to monitor the brain waves and a system of positive reinforcement, the client learns how to make their brains become more alert and attentive. The result is a significant reduction in symptoms and improvements in behavior; relative to how well the clients learn to control their own brain function. When the client is referred for neurofeedback training, the neurofeedback therapist will set up an initial assessment, called a Quantitative EEG (QEEG). The QEEG reads the client’s real time electro-cortical activity and data is then compared to a normative database to detect any dysfunctions. With the results, the therapist designs a specific protocol to teach the brain. Sessions are typically twice a week and can be as often as four times a week. On average, it takes 40 sessions to teach the brain and in turn make
significant improvements in brain activity.
What is psychological testing?
Psychological testing is meant to help clarify diagnosis and assist in treatment planning.
Psychological testing is used to provide the individual, family and provider understanding.
The testing information is used to clearly identify intellectual abilities, emotional and
personality strengths and weaknesses and identify specific areas for medical or therapy
intervention.
What is a psychiatric evaluation?
Psychiatric evaluation is done to determine and differentiate any behavioral/biological
issues in the patient. This is done to determine whether or not medication is appropriate
for the individual, and to accurately prescribe the appropriate medication and dosage for
the patient.
What is play therapy?
“Play is the child’s natural medium of self expression.” -V.Axline
A child plays out their feelings, problems, and behaviors that go on in his/her life.
Children use play therapy as a way to “play out” and work through their problems and
feelings, just as adults “talk out” their problems in adult therapy. Play therapy is based on the idea that the child has the ability to solve their own problems and has a growth impulse that makes mature behavior more satisfying than immature behavior – meaning they want to do well. One of the jobs of the therapist is to provide the right environment for this positive development to occur.
If my child has a diagnosis, why would our whole family have to come for
therapy?
Family therapy with the patient and family members is intended for psycho education on
the diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms of the patient. This treatment is designed
to help the family system shape realistic expectations, and to assist the family in developing strategies to help manage the child’s behavior at home. Parenting work can help change the family ways of interacting to aid in teaching essential life skills to children and adolescents that medication, individual therapy and neurofeedback cannot teach.

Source: http://www.pbhp.net/FAQs2revnp.pdf