Referrals
CAPS Referral Services is serious about providing quality care by helping Penn students understand and organize the referral they may receive at CAPS. Students usually obtain a referral after their first appointment at CAPS or after they have worked with their CAPS counselor for some period of time. The CAPS counselor obtains thorough information so that a sound decision can be made as to which resource would be most clinically helpful for the student. Students can also obtain a referral directly from the Referral Coordinator Leslie Hempling.
CAPS maintains active referral relationships with many mental health agencies and private practice clinicians in the community. This list helps CAPS be more effective in matching students with outside therapists. The CAPS therapist typically gives students at least three names of recommended agencies or counselors. The outside providers come highly recommended by other Penn students. However, there are always exceptions and sometimes students do not feel a particular clinician is the best fit for them. Students are therefore highly encouraged to determine for themselves which provider is most right for them.
The Referral Coordinator
at CAPS makes every effort to make the referral process easy for students.
Some of the responsibilities of the Referral Coordinator include helping students
successfully connect with an outside practitioner, contact and become better
acquainted with their mental health insurance coverage, and finding low cost
quality mental health care for students who have insufficient insurance. Students
are requested to call the CAPS Referral Coordinator or their CAPS clinician
to obtain any referral assistance.
Why Students Receive a CAPS Referral
There are a variety of reasons Penn students obtain a referral from CAPS. Students' psychological needs and particular circumstances are primary factors which help determine if a referral outside of CAPS will be given to a student. CAPS staff match students to an agency or clinician based on students’ individual concerns, request for a specific counseling approach, counselor gender and cultural background, students’ financial situation, and insurance benefits. Students of course make the final decision about whether or not they can work with a particular outside provider.
Find the Right Clinician For You
1. Know What You Want: The first step is for students
to make a few decisions that will help them with the referral process. Issues
to consider are:
• Do I have a provider preference for gender and cultural background
(e.g., ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.)?
• Do I want therapy, medication, or both therapy and medication? (Keep
in mind that psychologists, social workers, and therapists provide counseling
services, and psychiatrists prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists provide
both counseling and medication.)
• Do I want to see a practitioner with certain expertise or who can
provide a particular type of counseling approach?
• How will I pay for treatment and how much can I afford for counseling?
• How often do I want to be seen in counseling (e.g., once a week, once
every other week, twice a week, etc.)?
2. Obtain Insurance Information: We know at CAPS
that obtaining and interpreting health insurance policies can be daunting
at times. CAPS staff is always here to help you.
Many Penn students have the Penn Chickering/Aetna insurance. CAPS clinicians
are familiar with this plan’s mental health benefits and will recommend
providers on this plan (as well as other plans) that match student needs.
For students who do not have the Penn Chickering insurance and feel comfortable
doing so, they can call their insurance carrier and ask the following questions
for both their in-network as well as their out-of-network mental health coverage:
• How many
counseling sessions are allotted per year?
• How much will I have to pay per session? (This is referred to as a
“co-payment”.)
• Do I have to pay a certain amount before any of my benefits kick in?
(This is referred to as a "deductible".)
• Do I have to get permission from the insurance company to see a particular
provider, and if so, when should I call for the “pre-certification?”
• Do I have to get a referral from my primary care physician to receive
counseling?
3. Contact Providers: There are a number of options students have when contacting providers. Students can see one provider at a time to decide if they feel connected to a particular counselor before calling another clinician. Students can also meet with all the recommended providers to see which one is the best fit for them.
When calling the provider(s)
for the first time, students should ask the following questions:
• Do you have a few minutes to talk about the services you provide?
• Do you still take my particular insurance policy?
• Are you seeing new clients for the services I need (therapy, medication,
or therapy and medication) and when is your first available appointment?
• What is your therapy style/approach?
• How much experience and training do you have treating my particular
concern?
• How long are your sessions?
• How much do I pay per session and when do you want these payments?
• How can I contact you if I have an emergency?
• If you are going to see out-of-network providers, ask them: Are you
flexible with your fees in a way that takes into account my ability to pay
and how much I earn?
4. See the Provider:It is important to know
there is no therapist that works best with every individual. Students often
feel anxious when meeting their therapist for the first few times, so it may
take two to three sessions to know if a student can work and feel connected
with a clinician. It is suggested students consider the following factors
when deciding if they can work with a provider:
• Do I feel comfortable, connected, and cared for when talking to this
person?
• Are my values and cultural background respected by this clinician?
• Is the person assertive and/or empathetic enough for me?
• Does the therapist warmly challenge me when my beliefs and/or behaviors
interfere with
my well-being?
• Do I feel I will be able to trust this clinician?
• Does the provider behave in a professional manner?
• Was I able to set some therapy goals?
Referral Difficulties
There are times referrals do not work out. For example, students have problems understanding their insurance information or may not feel connected with their clinician. We strongly encourage students who are experiencing referral difficulties to call their CAPS counselor or the Referral Coordinator. We are happy to help!
Contact Us
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
133 South 36th Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Hours: 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday
Emergencies: 215-349-5490 (ask for CAPS Clinician On Call)
Tel: 215-898-7021
Fax: 215-573-8966
Email: caps@pobox.upenn.edu
