REGARDING CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is continuing to have a significant impact on our local community and the world at large. To contribute to the unified effort of social distancing and helping slow the spread of this virus, we are still offering telehealth appointments (via online video conferencing or phone sessions) in addition to limited in-person sessions.

 

Telehealth Services

To request telehealth services, please call our West Allis clinic: 414-329-7000

* Note: All telehealth appointments are held via phone unless you and your provider have decided to move to video sessions. This includes all intake appointments. Your provider can discuss video options with you before your first video session.

Video Session Access Instructions

  • If you are an existing patient and need to access the video services (via Doxy.me) link for your provider, click here to be redirected to the staff page.
  • Once you are on the staff page, click the photo of your provider to access their personal page.
  • An orange button for access to telehealth services should be at the top of the page for your provider.
  • Click the orange “telehealth services” button to be redirected to the Doxy.me portal.
  • Follow the instructions for installing the program and connecting with your provider.

 

 

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Helpful Resources.

We aim to make the path to mental and emotional wellness as easy and refreshing as we can. That’s why we offer a wide variety of services and work with numerous in-network insurance plans. Click on each section below to see a summary of our services, in-network insurance options, contract services and other helpful resources.

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College Planning Guide for Students with Mental Health Disorders

Are you a student, or the parent of a student, with a mental health disorder looking to enroll in a college? Check out this helpful planning guide to discover the resources and accommodations that most colleges provide to help students with mental health disorders complete their degree and enjoy a positive educational experience.

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

  • To set up your bill payment, please call the SMMHC billing office at 414-329-7000. One of our billing staff can assist you in creating a username and password. You will need to have your email address to do this.
  • Coaches provide services that are different from therapy in that they focus on helping people with goal achievement without focusing on any mental health issues. If mental health concerns are noted, a coach may discuss the value of entering into therapy to address the mental health concerns. 
  • Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) are also mental health therapists that can offer individual, couples/family, and group therapy. An LCSW has a Master’s degree in Social Work and supervised clinical experience practicing in a community health agency, hospital, and/or private practice. They are trained as clinical social workers so many may have both clinical skills and the ability to assist with gaining access to community resources. 
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) are post-graduate mental health professionals trained in psychotherapy and family systems. They are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples, and family systems. Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical concerns including anxiety, depression, and other significant psychological disorders, along with marital difficulties and parent-child discord. A family's patterns of behavior frequently influence the individual and therefore these patterns may need to be addressed as a component of treatment. In marriage and family therapy, the unit of treatment isn't necessarily the client alone - often it is the relationships in which the client is imbedded that are treated as well. If, in the course of your treatment, you and your marriage and family therapist feel you would benefit from medication, they can assist you in accessing an experienced psychiatrist to discuss medication options in greater detail.
  • Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) are mental health therapists that can offer individual, couples/family, and group therapy. An LPC has a Master's degree and at least 2 years of supervised clinical experience practicing in a community health agency, hospital, and/or private practice. They are trained in diagnosing and treating disorders related to mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders.
  • A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is able to prescribe medication. Our psychiatrists provide assessment for medications and medication management services. 
  • A psychologist is a person with a Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree. They are extensively trained in psychological theory, research methods, assessment, and intervention. Many psychologists provide a wide variety of therapeutic services (individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, marital therapy, etc.), and many psychologists also supervise other staff or provide consultation services.
  • Who you choose to see is a matter of finding the fit between your needs and your preferences. Here is a rough guide to get you started:
    • For medication evaluation and prescription needs, ask for an appointment with a
    • For individual mental health needs, a Psychologist, LPC, or LCSW can help you.
    • Group therapy or educational groups/seminars may be offered by any provider except for psychiatrists. Groups are usually offered for specific needs. Check with our administrative staff to see what groups are being offered by our providers.
    • For couples’ needs, marital therapy or family therapy, an LMFT can help you. A Psychologist, LPC, or LCSW may also be able to help depending on their expertise or may also be licensed as an LMFT.
    • For specific assessment needs, ask about services with a Psychologist who provides assessment services.
    • For personal development needs that are not based in mental health issues, a Coach can help you.
  • The choice to do therapy is a commitment you make to actively work on issues that are affecting your mental health and/or emotional/behavioral functioning. Your therapist provides you with guidance and support, but you are expected to actively work on you concerns outside of therapy. You and your therapist may decide to work on specific tasks, or homework, to be completed outside of therapy. This is usually discussed in future appointments.
  • Choosing a therapist is an individual decision. At SMMHC we have bios of all of our therapists on our website to assist you with choosing a provider whose experience and treatment philosophy best fits your therapeutic needs.
  • We understand the personal nature of choosing a therapist to ensure a good fit. Many of our therapists offer free 15-minute telephone consultations before an initial session to assist in this process. Please ask our administrative staff if this is available. We can be reached at the following numbers:

Waukesha Clinic: 262-544-6486

Glendale Clinic: 414-962-9156

West Allis Clinic: 414-329-7000

  • Expect to complete and/or review paperwork during the first therapy session. To get the most out of your first session you may click here to download the forms that need to be completed. If you don’t or can’t get the forms before your session you will be provided with the paperwork when you check-in for your first appointment. Try to come about 15 minutes early for your first appointment to allow time to complete the paperwork.
  • The initial therapy session is typically 45 minutes long and is dedicated to reviewing necessary paperwork and obtaining as much information as possible about your current concerns. Your therapist will cover topics such as confidentiality, informed consent, scheduling and payment for services during this session. Your therapist will also ask you a series of questions to obtain an initial view of your concerns and the symptoms that you are experiencing. You will be asked if you would like to schedule another follow-up appointment near the end of this session.
  • Follow-up therapy appointments are also typically 45 minutes long and further assist you to develop and work on specific goals. During these sessions you and your therapist will discuss any current issues, completion of any homework assignments, progress or changes in your symptoms or situation, and other information that may help you to understand your situation better.
  • You can choose to receive either a text message or voicemail reminder message before each appointment. These messages allow you to confirm your appointment or cancel them ahead of time.
  • You and your therapist will discuss how long your therapy course may be. Some people only come to therapy for a few sessions while others choose to remain in therapy on a long-term basis. The duration of therapy is based upon the nature of your concerns, your progress, and your preferences.
  • You and your therapist will also discuss how often you will plan to meet for sessions. The frequency of sessions is based upon your availability, the nature of your concerns, and other factors that might dictate how often you need to come to sessions.
  • If you have a standard scheduling concern our administrative staff at each of our clinics can assist you.
  • If you have an emergency and need immediate assistance, you should call 911 for help.
  • Any other between session contact questions can be discussed between you and your therapist in session.
  • Telehealth services are being provided by all of the SMMHC providers on an emergency basis during the Coronavirus pandemic. This is a special arrangement to address concerns of safety.
  • Standard business practices for all of our staff involves holding face-to-face sessions. This is consistent with legal and ethical guidelines for the provision of therapy services. If there are any changes to this policy, you will be notified.

 

  • Many people are concerned that therapy is expensive. However, therapy does not need to be financially prohibitive. As much as possible, our staff strives to work with your health insurance to secure coverage for your treatment. Staff at SMMHC are network providers for a wide variety of insurance plans. Our administrative staff is able to check to see what your insurance coverage for therapy will be.
  • Many staff at SMMHC also participate in a variety of EAP programs. If you want to use EAP services, please call your EAP to get an authorization number to share when you call to schedule your first appointment.
  • If you do not wish to use insurance or don’t have insurance, you and your provider can discuss an appropriate financial arrangement for services.
  • Finally, if you have any questions or concerns our billing office (414-329-7000) is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM to help you.
  • The choice to participate in therapy and the choice to take medication are two decisions that only you can make. You are not required to take medication to do therapy. Some people choose to take medication along with doing therapy based on their individual mental health needs. However, many people participate in therapy without taking any medication at all and feel like therapy is very effective for helping them with their concerns. If, during the course of therapy, your therapist feels like you might benefit from considering medication as a treatment option, they will discuss this with you during a session. Once again, this decision is yours to make. Your therapist can help you with weighing all options.
  • All therapy services are confidential. This means that your choice to participate in therapy and the information that you share is private. If you are over the age of 18, your therapist can’t tell people that you are in therapy or share any of your personal information without your written permission. HIPAA Privacy Law protects all of your personal information from being shared without your permission. That way you can feel safe that nobody needs to know about you coming in for therapy unless you choose to tell them.
  • Our clinical and administrative staff will work to ensure maintenance of your confidentiality in their communication with you.
  • There are some differences in privacy for people under the age of 18. However, these tend to involve only a parent or guardian. Your therapist can answer questions you might have about this when you meet with them.
  • There are also some limits to this confidentiality based on ethical codes and state regulations. These limits may affect what information you choose to share in therapy. Once again, your therapist will review these limits and their implications with you in your session.
  • If you want or need your information shared with another person, you may complete a written Release of Information Form to indicate who should get your information and what information you want to be shared.

Additional Resources

We offer educational resources that may interest you which you can find at our Healthy Thinking Center and in our Blogs. Please check back often for new resources from our professional staff of experts in human behavior.