Diverse Understanding Mental Health Counseling LLC is a startup behavioral health private practice in the city of Lawrence Massachusetts. The lead managing member has been in the business for just over ten years. When he approached me to assist him and his other two partners in setting up this practice I asked one very important question. " Why do you want to open a private practice? " His response was simple, " because there is a great need for Latino counselors and psychologist to offer a culturally responsive treatment to immigrants, their children and their family members, and right now there is a shortage of licensed practioners who are Latino." I then asked, " what do you attribute this shortage to?" Many counselors get the education and preparation but become comfortable in a clinical setting where the only thing they are responsible for is treating the patient." " their time to get their license passes and in order for them to get the license they must start from the begining because too much time has transpired." Therefore, the perspective of the very folks providing these services is that there aren't enough behavioral health practitioners in the field due to lack of motivation. Who wants a practitioner whose not willing to push the envelope to treat them? I know I don't. In fact, with waiting list at local clinics growing to number we can't imagine; patients who are wating up to six or more months to receive services, it is important to note that this is a crisis. The Merrimack Valley has a mental health crisis on its hands. PCC's in the area are eager to refer their patients to someone, but can't find anyone who is accepting new patients.
What are we to do about this? Well Mr. Pagan says, " the answer is simple assist practitioners in opening smaller practice that can be grown into clinics." Yet it is difficult because credentialing is a process that impedes the creation or formation of these practices by its very structure. It is also expensive if you are not wiling to engage in it yourself and hire a consultant to assist you with the process. Applying for as little as three insurance companies can cost you up to $5,000. In other words, if you apply for credentialing you must make an investment of up to $20,000 dollars or slightly more to setup the office, contract electronic billing and electronic health records, meet the credentialing guidelines which include having the office set up and Insured, have malpractive coverage of 1 milliom to 3 million, then submitting all documents, There are computer servers to purchase, telephones, and more.
Finally, you are putting all at the mercy of the insurance carriers credentialing board. They decide if you can bill their companies by insuring that all is in place and on the up and up. Moreover, a practitioner needs to apply to enough of the insurances carriers in the state to earn enough to justify his or her investment. This means long hours applying to insurance companies and completing applications. If you are willing to go through this then you can earn up to $150,000 in the first year. However, you must endur and be assertive and work long hours. Mr. Pagan, set up his office hours to include 24 hour coverage, 7 days a week, starting at 8:00am and seeing patients till 7:00pm. This is an eleven hour day five days a week. and weekend hours 8:00 to 3:00 Sat. and 9:00 to 1:00 Sundays. Also. he has entered into agreements with a couple of PCC's, who agree to send him their patients, a requirement from MBHP(Masshealth). In addition, he plans to be on-call 24 hours if needed to treat his patients.
Now let us say that if you are a "go getter" and can work at your practice and another clinic at the same time, meaning put in extra time at your own practice until you can get insurance credentialing approved. then and only then will you be successfull. It means long days and weekend work, Mr. Pagan has demonnstrated his desire to succeed by doing just this. On weekends and evenings he is at his practice seeing cash patients and holding meetings with community interest to get himself and his practice closer tobecoming a full fletched clinic. Of course this measns additional credentialing from DMH and DPH. Not to fear, it is possible. This brings practitioners into our vecinity who would never have known that LAwrence needed their skills.
Therefore, for those of you who are eager and have the drive and energy to start a practice, areas like the City of Lawrence, Worcester, Springfield, Boston, has a great demand for behavioral health practitioners who are bi-cultural, bilingual, and desire to work with needy populations offering Culturally Linguistically Appropiraite Services to patients who have been waiting for months on a waitning list to see a psychologist or counselor. If you would like more information about Mr. Pagan's project please call him at 978-476-9016 tell him you read this article and desire to learn more about how to setup a private mental health practice. We'll be expecting your call!
Written by Eduardo Lebron, MM, CHI
eduardo.lebron@northeastconsultinginterpreting.com
