INTAKE PROCESS AND FEES

Before booking a free information session, we invite you to review the intake fact sheet and the fee breakdown for more information about our services. If after reviewing these materials you have decided that you would like to explore receiving services from the OICBT, please visit our home page and click on “Book Now: Free Information Call Adults/Seniors”. Select a time of your choice and one of our front-line clinicians will follow up with you to answer all of your questions. If our services appear likely to be a fit for your needs, we can book you for a follow up intake assessment appointment during the free information call.

We would like all potential clients to know that the main goal of the intake assessment is for us to gather the information required to develop tailored treatment and/or assessment recommendations. The intake assessment is not the commencement of therapy and no therapy is provided during the intake assessment appointment. While clients are quite understandably very eager to begin addressing their areas of concern, it is important that we first gather the necessary information so that when treatment recommendations are made and treatment does begin, it reflects the very best chance of the client achieving their goals. This is our obligation to you.

Following the intake assessment appointment you will be provided with individually tailored treatment recommendations informed by our stepped care model. If you indicate that you want to proceed with the suggested treatment recommendations, referrals within the OICBT will be made on your behalf and next steps clearly outlined. Please be aware that wait times can vary from 2 weeks to 3 months depending on the service you wish to receive. All recommendations carefully consider timely access to services.

The infographic below provides a basic summary of our intake process.

If we are unable to offer you treatment that is a good fit for your needs, you will be informed as soon as possible and provided contact information of alternative resources. While we aim to identify clients who may be in this situation during the free information session so as to not waste a client’s time and/or resources, there are times where only a proper intake assessment can determine whether we are in a position to help a client with their goals for therapy.

*Please note that at the moment we are not providing services for the following problems:

  • Assessment and treatment for autism spectrum disorder

  • ADHD assessment for people aged 60 years and older

  • Post-concussion syndromes, neurological disorders (dementia, TBI, essential tremor, etc.)

  • Eating disorders requiring tertiary and/or hospital-based care

  • Substance use requiring tertiary and/or hospital-based care

Finally, while we do not provide pro bono services, we have developed a range of services to allow individuals with different financial situations to receive empirically-supported treatment.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

You can find information regarding insurance coverage here. Services provided in private practice in Ontario are NOT typically covered by the provincial health plan (OHIP). Services are covered in part or in whole by various insurance agencies, and the total amount of coverage may be limited to a certain amount. Some insurance companies require a letter of referral for psychological services from a physician (e.g., family doctor, treating psychiatrist). For more information please contact your insurance company before beginning assessment or treatment.

If you are planning on asking your insurance company to reimburse some or all of the costs for our services, make sure to contact your insurance company before scheduling an appointment with us*. When you contact your insurance company, ask to confirm (1) that the services you will receive will be covered, and (2) the amount of coverage available for these services.

In order to get reimbursed, clients must pay for their services and then submit a receipt to their insurance company. We offer direct billing only for clients from Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) (through Blue Cross). Please note that the OICBT is not an approved member of Blue Cross for the Canadian Armed forces at this time.

*We regret that we cannot accept clients with coverage related to:

  • MVA

  • HCAI

  • WSIB (although the name of our clinic is still listed on WSIB’s site we have asked WSIB to remove it)

INTER-PROVINCIAL SERVICES

Under some circumstances we are able to provide tele-services (phone/videoconference) to clients who are located in provinces outside of Ontario or Quebec. If you anticipate that you will need to receive services while you are outside of Ontario, make sure to note the following:

  • the regulations surrounding the provision of inter-provincial services are determined by the Colleges of the various disciplines (e.g., psychology, social work, occupational therapy, etc.). Our therapists have to abide by those regulations, and as a result we may be unable to provide inter-provincial services to some clients. In those cases, this is a decision that is outside of our control;

  • clients should always inquire about the option for inter-provincial services prior to travelling or moving to another province; and

  • the provision of inter-provincial services is subject to change without any notice