FAQ
Beginning Therapy
-
First Steps: Contact us! The best way to get started is to complete our contact form. We’ll get back to you right away to finish the scheduling process.
You can call our intake line at 651-358-2227, or schedule an intake call if you prefer!
-
After you complete our contact form or call, we’ll follow up to ask a few questions to make sure the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed. This will include things like:
Do want to try to use insurance to pay part of the cost of therapy, or do you want to private pay? (See “Do you take insurance?” below for a list of in-network insurance.)
Do you have any scheduling constraints?
Who are all of the people who’ll be coming to therapy?
Are you looking to meet over telehealth or in person?
Is there anything else we should know to help find you the very best fit possible with one of our amazing therapists?
-
You can expect….
Kind, warm, knowledgeable clinicians with a lot of experience, a lot of support, and a positive outlook on our ability to change, heal, and thrive as human beings.
Clear communication about the kinds of things we can address in therapy, the progress that’s happening toward your goals, and ways we can tailor our work to reinforce the good changes.
Curiosity and a commitment to exploration and growth, with an abiding confidence in the strength and power of connection.
Respect for your autonomy and your unique personality.
A warm and calm environment where colleagues care about each other and take good care of each other.
Ethical and clinical excellence, and intake and billing teams that ensure every part of your experience with Cascade is as smooth and easy as possible.
-
We can help with that!
Our Intake Team has tons of experience listening to people’s needs and questions regarding therapy and connecting them with the right fit. If someone on our team stands out to you, ask for them by name!
-
Cascade Therapy Group is a teaching facility. Providers who are considered to be prelicensed are either Clinical Interns who have completed several years of training toward a Master’s degree, or clinicians who have completed a Master’s degree and are working towards licensure. These therapists receive weekly supervision from Erin Morgan, PhD, LMFT, State Approved Supervisor and founder of Cascade, to ensure best practices while they are working towards licensure.
Financial
-
Yes!
Some people prefer to pay for therapy themselves because they want to keep their care private and do not want to consent to sharing this information with a health insurance company.
Some people prefer to pay for therapy themselves because they want to work with a Cascade therapist even though we are out of network with their payer (e.g., Medica, United Healthcare/Health Group, Aetna).
Some people prefer to use health insurance to help cover the cost of therapy. At Cascade, we believe mental health is health, so we contract with the following insurers and are in-network for many of their plans:
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
Cigna
Health Partners
Ucare
MN Medicaid
South Country Health Alliance PMAP
It is important to call the number on the back of your insurance card before your first session to inquire about your coverage for out-patient mental health therapy with “Cascade Therapy Group”.
-
🛑 PLEASE READ (especially if you have any form of United Health company, Medica, Optum, or Aetna, plan):
If you don’t see your insurer in the in-network list, it doesn’t mean you have no coverage for services at Cascade, but it likely means we are out of network. While you may have some out of network benefits, they often cover very little, and/or after a very high deductible.
If you decide to see one of our providers, it is best to assume it will be entirely out of pocket. To find out what would be covered, it is best to call the number on the back of your card. Then you would pay for sessions at the time of service, and we would bill your insurer for you. They will reimburse you directly for any amount they cover. This is important to do ahead of starting therapy so that you do not have to start and stop therapy - that is a bummer.
-
🛑 PLEASE READ if you have Medicare of any kind: We are opted out of Medicare. If you choose to see one of our providers, it will be entirely out of pocket.
We have a form you can complete saying that you understand Medicare will not cover any part of the services, and you agree to self-pay all of the charges for services. Please know this is true for all Medicare plans of every kind.
-
No problem; you simply sign a form indicating you wish to self-pay and use our easy online portal to pay for sessions at the time they occur.
-
We do not have a sliding fee scale due the considerable administrative costs. We do accept several types of Medicaid/state plans because it is important to us to make mental health care more accessible for everyone.
-
TherapyPortal is our convenient patient portal where you can do almost everything, including pay any amount that’s due.
Co-pays are due at the time of service. There’s a handy QR code in our waiting area. We accept most major credit and debit cards, checks, and cash.
-
Yes, you can! You can enter the information in TherapyPortal and use your card. You can also print out a statement if you need one.
-
Appointments canceled with at least 24 hours’ notice to your clinician are simply canceled and/or rescheduled. Having this notice allows your clinician to offer that appointment time to someone else on their wait list.
Appointments canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice will incur a fee in the full amount of the appointment that was scheduled, e.g., $200 for a 55-minute appointment.
-
The best way to navigate a question about your bill is by talking with your provider.
If you need more help from our Billing Team, your provider will put you in touch with them.
Communication
-
TherapyPortal is a super-convenient, secure patient portal that allows you to fill out confidential paperwork, look at your bill or schedule of appointments, request or cancel your therapy appointments, make payments, and even join your telehealth appointments!
You will get help setting up a TherapyPortal account when you schedule.
Here’s that link again.
-
At Cascade, we deeply value your privacy and data protection. To adhere to best HIPAA practices, we utilize the Spruce Health secure messenger app for you to securely and privately communicate with your therapist through secure messaging (feels like texting, but more privacy!) or phone calls.
Relational Therapy
-
At Cascade, we’re relationship specialists. Coming to therapy as a couple or as a family is different from coming as an individual, so we structure couple and family sessions differently to make space for everyone to be heard so the work can happen efficiently and effectively.
We schedule couples for two hours as a starting point. As long as both parties meet criteria for a mental health diagnosis, one session is billed to each individual. Working this way, each partner is a client and each has a separate medical record, even though the therapy is relational. At the first session, you and your therapist will discuss their recommendation for how often you’ll meet.
-
Research and clinical evidence shows that supporting caregivers is an essential part of supporting a child or teen - sometimes the most important part!
Because parents and caregivers are central to children’s well-being, we involve caregivers in therapy from the beginning. We meet with parents first, even when a child or adolescent is eager to have individual services for themselves. This allows us the best chance to support parents toward supporting their kids’ goals and growth.
After the first session with parents only, kids or teens may join a session with parents, or a therapist may wish to meet individually with the child or teen. After the initial assessment, your therapist will make recommendations for frequency and configuration of kid, parent, and family sessions that will provide the best support for your unique family.
Resources
-
Check out our resources page. We are surrounded with so many wonderful organizations, services, and support.