Frequently Asked Questions

Who should I contact to begin services?

You should contact Dr. Childs at 708-430-5993. He will conduct his initial assessment and help in referring you to the appropriate therapist to best suit your needs.

After speaking with Dr. Childs, you may receive a call from our administration office requesting insurance information. Our administration team will contact your insurance provider to determine your insurance coverage.

After benefits have been verified, you will receive a call from your treating therapist to set up your session.

This process generally takes from 24-48 hours; however, we ask that you remain patient. Our therapists hold your care in their highest regard and will contact you as quickly as possible.

What insurance providers do you accept?

We accept Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO plans. We will also bill out of network insurance providers as a courtesy to the client. We accept clients without mental health insurance who are willing to pay out of pocket fees. Unfortunately, we do not accept Medicare or Medicaid.

Is there anything that insurance does not cover?

Psychological testing for educational issues are generally not covered by insurance providers. However, if precertification is required we will do our best to justify the necessity of psychological testing.

What payment options do you accept?

We accept Cash, Check, Visa, or MasterCard.

Payment is due at the time of service.

What services do you provide?

We provide the following services:

· Individual Therapy – one on one therapy with client and therapist.

· Group Therapy – Clients meet to discuss and troubleshoot a pre-determined topic with a group facilitator (therapist) present.

· Family Therapy – Family is treated as a whole. Family therapy is based on the belief that the family is a unique social system with its own structure

· Couples or Marriage Counseling – Counseling sessions together to discuss specific relationship issues.

· Mediation Service – A third party (mediator) assists parties to negotiate a settlement. Mediation services are usually provided to clients going through divorce who are having difficulty deciding on a variety of topics (visitation schedule, parenting style, extracurricular activities for the children, etc).

· Co-Parenting Guidance – Sessions to help parents put their own personal feeling about the other parent aside to facilitate a positive parenting relationship.

· Psychological Testing – Psychological tests are written, visual, and or verbal procedures administered to assess the cognitive and emotional functioning of individuals.

· Supervised Visitation – Court appointed or approved as a mutual supervisor for parent child visitation time. Can be done in the office; more often however is done at a public place of the courts choosing.

· In Home Service – Services provided in home for those who are disabled, custody evaluations or supervised visitation. An additional charge, not billable to insurance will apply.

· Presentations – Our office and therapy staff can provide presentation services on a multitude of topics including but not limited to: parenting, bullying, and conflict resolution, the benefits of a particular the type of therapy, divorce, education providers and their interactions with troubled students etc.

Who do I call if I need to cancel my appointment?

As a courtesy, we request that you call 24 hours in advance to cancel your appointment. Failure to do so may result in you being charged a fee for a “No Show”. In the event that you need to cancel your session, please call your treating therapist.

Do you need both parents’ signatures to begin therapy?

It depends; the state of Illinois has clear guidelines regarding consent for treatment:

If Parents are married: Only one parent’s signature is required (However, if parents are in the process of divorce the treating therapist has the right to request that both parents give consent for the treatment of their child).

If a parent has sole custody: Services can be provided after the custodial parent has given consent for treatment.

If parents have joint custody: Both parents must give consent for treatment, regardless of “Primary Custody”.

What happens if I have been Court Ordered to attend (or have my child attend) therapy?

If you or your child has been Court Ordered to receive services through our office, you are expected to provide a copy of the court order to the treating therapist and comply with the order, and the policies and procedures of the practice. If you are having difficulty understanding the court order, inform your treating therapist and they will be happy to go over the document with you. Failure to comply with the Court Order requires the therapist to inform the court of the lack of compliance.

Is therapy confidential?

The client’s right to confidentiality is held in the highest regard. Your information will not be released to anyone without your prior written consent via a release of information. However, there are limits to confidentiality (duty to warn, court subpoena, etc) that will be discussed with your treating therapist in your initial session.