FEE AGREEMENT, INSURANCE, AND FINANCIAL POLICY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

IF I BEGIN COUNSELING WITH HIGHER GROUND, HOW OFTEN WILL WE MEET?

Most often, counseling sessions are once a week. If there is a crisis or a need to meet more often, this can be arranged. For some clients, as they progress in counseling they may meet less frequently with their counselor. It is not uncommon for clients near the end of their time at Higher Ground to be meeting with their counselor every 4-6 weeks.

HOW DO I ENROLL IN COUNSELING AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIGHER GROUND?

Before a new client is accepted at Higher Ground, the person or parent/resource must complete the "New Client Enrollment" form. Please click here to fill out the form or go to the "New Client Enrollment" link at the top of front page for more information.

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After we receive the "New Client Enrollment" form we will assess for fit in our area of specialty, what our current availability is, who might work best with that person, etc. Our goal is to respond to each potential client within a week's time to let them know if we are able to work with them. From there, if the person is a good fit, we will start the process of filling out the documents, consents, and questionnaires to get started at Higher Ground.

DO YOU HAVE A WAITING LIST?

No and yes. We currently do not have a waitlist to get into services if you are willing to see a therapist who has openings. However, there may still be a wait if you are wanting to see a specific therapist, as we have several  who are currently full and on a waitlist due to their specialty. 

MY CHILD IS IN SCHOOL, DO YOU HAVE AFTER SCHOOL TIME SLOTS AVAILABLE?

Because the majority of our clients are kids or adolescents, our after school time slots are the most popular and are usually filled. While you can request this at the time of enrollment/screening, the more flexibility and availability that you have the more likely we are able to get you into services quickly.

CAN I CHOOSE MY THERAPIST?

Part of the enrollment and screening process is assessing you or your child’s needs and connecting you with the right counselor. We have both male and female therapists, and most of our counselors work out of both Beaverton and Newberg offices and also provide both in person and telehealth counseling. We all have slightly different approaches and skill sets within our speciality. Part of our initial screening process will include asking you about preferences around a male or female therapist or whether there is a specific Higher Ground counselor you want to work with. Don’t be afraid to let us know what you think would work best.

WHAT ARE YOUR SESSION FEES?

Individual, couples and family sessions fee (53-60 minutes) - $200

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We feel strongly that everyone deserves access to care and we never want cost to be a barrier to getting help. We know that counseling is expensive and we are committed to helping find ways to make it feasible. If you do not have insurance coverage or out of network coverage is inadequate, we have a limited number of sliding scale spots depending on your financial situation. Please inquire further for more information.

DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE AND WHO ARE YOU "IN NETWORK" WITH?

Yes, we accept insurance but we are only "in network" with the following insurance plans: 

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• MODA

• Kaiser

• OHP Open Card

• Oregon Health Plan/Yamhill County Care Organization**

• Oregon Health Plan/Columbia

• Pacific Coordinated Care Organization

• Oregon Health Plan/Pacific Source Community Solutions

• Oregon Health Plan/Intercommunity Health Network

• Oregon Health Plan/Health Share**

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**With these CCO’s, we are a specialty provider needing prior authorization before
providing services.

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We are able to see members from other OHP CCO's as a specialty provider but need prior authorization for each client we serve. While we are most often able to see any client with OHP, the process for out-of-network OHP clients can take longer to get approval. 

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We are currently out-of-network with all commercial insurance plans.

Even though we are not in-network with your insurance, depending on your out-of-network insurance benefits, you may still qualify for a percentage of your sessions to be reimbursement after your yearly deductible has been met. We are happy to file claims on your behalf and will work with you - especially in the beginning - to try to give an accurate picture of what the counseling costs will be after your out-of-network benefits are applied to your counseling sessions.

If you are planning to use "out of network" benefits at Higher Ground, we advise that you contact your insurance company prior to the start of counseling to ask the following questions:

• Do I have out-of-network benefits as part of my insurance plan?

• How much is my annual deductible? How much of it has been met so far?  

• What percentage of the session fee will I owe (called "co-insurance")?

• When does my calendar year start?

• Is an authorization for mental/behavioral health required? If yes, how do I obtain it?

WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?