Advantages of Private Mental Health Services
Private mental health services have several advantages over the public options. They include:
Many private programs provide an affordable sliding fee for those who don't have insurance or have an insurance plan that the program accepts. Teletherapy is included in this. They also have more flexibility in their schedules than traditional therapists.
1. Individualized Treatment
Private pay facilities offer unique healing environment. Contrary to government-sponsored facilities which are often crowded and run as assembly-line establishments, private pay facilities offer an environment for healing that is unlike any other. They permit patients to be able to customize their treatment plans to suit the needs of those who need to overcome their mental illness and lead the life they once enjoyed.
The individualized treatment that clients receive through self-pay mental health services gives them a sense of empowerment and boosts their motivation to get better. It also helps them understand that their behavior issues aren't a result of moral weaknesses. They are the result of the state of their minds, emotions and spirituality, which needs to be addressed to achieve true healing.
Another benefit of receiving mental healthcare through a private company is the ability to schedule sessions at times that are convenient for the individual. The NHS does provide mental healthcare but it can be a challenge to schedule a consultation due of the long waiting time.
Private practitioners are more flexible in terms of scheduling sessions, and many have several different kinds of therapy they can offer, such as individual, group and family therapy. Some offer telehealth as well as online counseling for clients that are unable to be able to make it to their offices.
Private providers are more likely to offer superior results than the NHS, because they have multidisciplinary staff, which includes psychologists and social workers. They are more likely to take advantage of a range of insurance plans as well as be able to assist people with low incomes. They can also offer services in different languages, based on the facility and its resources. They may be more familiarized with local mental health services and may be able to refer patients accordingly.
2. Innovative Treatment Modalities
When a mental health professional works in private practice they are more able to develop innovative treatment options for their patients. They aren't confined by insurance companies who dictate which treatments are covered. Thus the therapists who practice in private practice often utilize a wide variety of therapeutic approaches, including music, art, and nature therapy.
Many people seeking counseling services don't realize that state-funded programs within their community can provide low-cost or free services. These programs have intake experts who can determine whether a person is eligible and refer them to other providers at a low cost.
Many non-profit organizations and charitable organizations provide psychiatric treatment to the most vulnerable population. Many of these programs are designed to be holistic and integrative, with a focus on the whole person instead of treating symptoms. These programs offer a wonderful alternative to psychiatric institutions, which are often more expensive and more restrictive.
In addition to providing an array of mental health services, some non-profit programs offer housing and educational assistance to their clients. Some programs are geared towards certain groups like children or women, while others provide more general psychiatric services.
Many therapists working in private practice and other professionals from the allied field are part of collaborative care teams that combine their services to improve the outcomes of patients. This kind of team approach is highly efficient in treating patients with multiple presenting disorders, including anxiety and depression that are severe. Moreover, collaborative care has been shown to be more efficient than group or individual psychotherapy on its own, even among patients who have Medicare and private insurance coverage.
3. No Insurance Hindrance
Clients who choose to go private receive a range of additional advantages. First they won't be recorded on a medical record and will thus avoid future life and health insurance policy premium increases or possible denials. This is especially important considering the likely repeal of the ACA and the subsequent rise in uncertainty over the future availability of health insurance.
Second, private therapists can decide to accept or deny insurance coverage as they see appropriate. They can also set their own fees depending on the type and extent of treatment. A recent study showed that only 19% of non-physician mental health providers and 43 percent of psychiatrists were included on any insurer's panel. This means that many of them must charge rates outside of network for their services, and often have to attract enough patients to make this financially.
When a therapist has to invoice insurance companies for services, they are required to abide by the restrictions and limits set by the insurance company to be considered medically essential. These restrictions can be inflexible and unjustified, and they can prevent individuals from receiving the treatment that they need.
This is the reason it is so vital to find a therapist who doesn't accept insurance and instead charges on a cost-per-hour basis. By avoiding insurance constraints, you can receive a better treatment that leads towards real healing. You will also not be concerned about a diagnosis of mental disorder or other mental health issues appearing in your medical records if you ever need to secure new health or life insurance in the future.
4. Continuity of Care
Continuity is an important element of mental health care and has been shown by research to improve outcomes for patients in acute services.1,2 However, service providers differ in their approach to implementing continuity. In general the better a patient's outcomes, the better the continuity of care.
Many private pay clinics provide, for instance, an array of treatments for both inpatient and non-inpatient. They may be able provide family therapy, which is a great tool for preventing relapse. Additionally, mental health screening are more likely to be part of an interprofessional team that includes psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, etc. It is easier for patients to get the help they need and receive treatment when it suits their schedules.
In contrast, government-run facilities are often not as well-equipped as their private counterparts. Inpatient care is generally not voluntary and patients are forced out of the facility once they reach their insurance or government stipulated stay limit. This is not only inefficient, but can also be abusive to those who are already vulnerable.
If you're looking for mental health treatment, you should consider a private facility or clinic. They are more likely to accept a variety of insurances, such as Medicaid. These clinics are more likely to have a wide range of programs, including partial hospitalizations (PHP), intensive treatment outpatients, mobile crisis teams, etc. Many offer services in more than one language, either through staff fluency or the employing an expert linguist. Call to learn more. They might have income eligibility requirements. Alternatively, you could also think about online counseling. They are usually less expensive than traditional in-person therapy, and the majority of major insurance companies cover them.
5. Personalised Treatment
The individualized treatment provided by private mental health services is far superior to the standard approach taken by most government-run facilities. Government-sponsored facilities often take in patients and provide them with an regimen of pills that may or not work for them. They then send them back out to the world without assistance or real skills to deal with their mental illness. Patients who pay for their own treatment at private facilities are able to stay until they get the treatment they need.
In addition to the individual care and attention that is often lacking in the managed care system, private mental health services are more likely to be multidisciplinary. This means that psychologists, psychiatrists, or social worker could be in the same location. This could help cut down waiting times and offer a more holistic treatment approach.
Telemental health services are also offered. They can be utilized to provide treatment options at the distance. These services include videoconferencing as well as telephone and e-mail messages to facilitate interactions between patients and clinicians. It is crucial to ensure that these systems are built on a valid theoretical model of mental health care and will allow for synchronous and asynchronous interaction between patients and clinicians.
Despite the fact that Congress has tried to address some of these issues by making insurance companies required to provide coverage for mental health conditions however, the majority of people who require quality care are still shut out of the system. This is because the majority of insurance policies exclude mental health issues, or only cover it as a minor addition to their existing plans.