FAQs

Commonly asked questions by current and prospective clients...

Do you offer consultations?

Yes, we offer a free 15-minute consultation with either our office administrator, who is a social worker, or one of our therapists. While this is not a substitute for therapy, prospective clients can inquire about the services we offer, discuss whether we have a provider to address your concerns, and to ask questions about insurance.

How does the intake process work?

If a client chooses to enlist Emerge Behavioral Health to be their provider, our office administrator will send a a secure, electronic client portal link to complete all onboarding documents (informed consent, HIPAA, practice policies, intake questionnaire). Once these documents are received in the electronic health records system, your provider will contact you to set up an initial appointment.

What happens at the 1st appointment?

Generally, your provider will conduct a clinical interview to gather historical information relevant to your care, information about past and present concerns, and identify treatment goals. They will also review with you the limits of confidentiality as well as mandated reporting responsibilities. Much of the first visit is devoted to obtaining information and context in order to conceptualize your needs and build rapport.

How long and frequent are sessions?

The length of sessions are generally 45 to 60 minutes long. Sessions are generally held weekly for at least the first few sessions in order to build a therapeutic working relationship and also develop a good understanding of your concerns and how to help you. As therapy progresses, you and your therapist will mutually decide how you want to pace your sessions and what is recommended to suit your needs and schedule.

Does therapy last months or years?

This is highly dependent on a number of circumstances such as client motivation, severity of problems, maximized benefit, and even financial circumstances. Some clients benefit from only a few months of treatment while others with more chronic/long-term issues can require a few years of care.

How do you conduct virtual sessions?

Sessions are conducted over our HIPAA-compliant platform through Simple Practice or through Google Meet. We do not use Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, or any social media platforms due to lack of HIPAA privacy. Clients receive a virtual link through an appointment reminder via email, text, or both ahead of time.

Do I have to be home for a virtual session?

Visits on the client-end should be held in a quiet, private, and stationery place. Therefore, a home, office, or even your vehicle are fine. However, clients must be physically in the State of NJ per state licensing regulations and may not be in transit in the event your therapist needs to send help your way.

Do you take Medicaid or Medicare?

No, unfortunately we are not an in network provider for any NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid or Medicare plans (Aetna Better Health, Horizon NJ Health, Amerigroup, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, or Wellcare). We are happy to assist you by providing recommendations and referrals to providers in the area that accept such insurances.

Do you provide psychological evaluations?

No, at this time we do not provide any evaluative services. We do not provide anger management training, evaluations to carry firearms, worker's compensation evaluations, custody/parenting evaluations, or educational assessments.

Do you prescribe medication?

No. We are strictly a psychotherapy practice and do not prescribe or dispense psychiatric medication. We are affiliated with RR&C Associates, a psychiatric practice that we are happy to refer you to for pharmacological treatment. Please ask our practice about this partnership.

What insurances do you accept and do you accept cash payments?

We accept Horizon BCBS, most BCBS PPO plans, and Aetna. For all other plans, we are an out of netork provider. We accept cash, check, debit, flex spending cards, and Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards.