Parents of children with behavioral needs know finding the right treatment facility is one thing; paying for it is quite another. As with all other parts of the country, Arkansas families needing mental health services are caught in a tug and pull of escalating costs and health care reform.

Even under the best circumstances, raising children is expensive and for families facing special medical concerns, acutely so. The website MentalHealthTreatment.net puts average inpatient costs between $300 and $500 a day, bi-polar therapies at $19,000 per year and private psychotherapy sessions conservatively at $100 per week.

While such figures are merely benchmarks—varying widely by patient, condition, region and facility—the staggering number of cases in American society underscores the issue as a potential mental health care crisis. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports 21.4 percent of children ages 13 to 18 and 13 percent of kids 8 to 15 experience a severe mental disorder in a given year. Half of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14.

Behavioral disorders strike across social and economic lines—often, lower-income families can be forced to delay treatment—and sometimes stubborn social stigmas can lead families to deny warning signs altogether. Such attitudes often accompany tragic consequences: NAMI reports 70 percent of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental health condition—at least 20 percent with serious mental illness—and more than 90 percent of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition.

Insurance companies overall have improved in the number of offerings insofar as mental health coverage, even if there’s still much progress to be made before such plans place behavioral conditions on par with physical conditions. Sara McClain of Rivendell in Little Rock says as these plans become more common, it is important to read policies carefully.

“Insurance can be a foggy subject for individuals at a time when perhaps many things are unclear,” she says. “There are now many plans to choose from that offer coverage for behavioral health whether for outpatient psychiatric appointments or an inpatient evaluation. Our staff is happy to help patients and their families navigate through the benefit terminology for quicker access to treatment.”

McClain says providing such “translation” of insurance policies has become an important and, from families’ perspectives, welcome value-added service. “Those with insurance can give us a call and we help them understand their mental health coverage,” she says. “Our Assessment and Referral Department offers a confidential assessment at no charge along with a referral for treatment 24/7. After the assessment, we help guide each patient, parent or guardian through the financial process. Because each insurance plan is unique and financial obligations can be stressful, our staff makes every attempt to be supportive through the process. We want each patient to get the most out of his or her treatment plan.”

For those families left with an out-of-pocket expense, some facilities offer payment plans while others have started to farm this function out to a small but growing number of specialized companies that have recently entered the market. Youth Home CEO David Napier says his organization has moved slowly on that particular option.

“There are companies now offering financing for families who have issues like this,” he says. “We’ve not really done that yet. There are ethical discussions around whether or not you want to lead a family into that kind of debt, so we haven’t moved in that direction. But it is an option that’s out there.”

Bridges also points to a unique partnership Youth Home shares with the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock to bring outpatient services to low-income patients through the diocese’s Westside Free Clinic.

“(The diocese) refers people to us and helps subsidize the cost of that care,” he says. “We’d love to see more community and businesses and organizations come up with programs like that to help their own members.”

Payment Options

Private Insurance
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 required most private insurance plans to cover mental health and addiction services on the same terms and conditions as other types of care, but there are important exceptions and individual policies vary widely. Be sure you gain a firm grasp of what how your plan works and what it covers. Under the Affordable Care Act, most teens and young adults up to age 26 are covered under their parents’ insurance plan.

Public Assistance
Medicaid pays for some health and mental health care costs for low income people who fit within certain eligibility groups. Medicaid does not pay money directly to the patient, but reimburses health care providers. The primary strike against Medicaid is navigating the system which varies by state. The Arkansas Department of Health is a good place to start.

Financing/Grants

Payment plans are often available for families through their mental health treatment facility. There may be grants or other sources of funding these facilities can point families toward, but these can be harder to come by and generally target very specific situations. Finally, for-profit medical financing companies have begun to emerge writing interest-bearing medical loans to pay for treatment.

Access to Counseling Services/Support

Community resources
Community mental health centers often offer counseling and other services at no or greatly reduced costs, work off donations or base fees on a sliding scale. The drawback is such facilities don’t always exist in smaller communities and where they do, are often overwhelmed by demand.

School-based resources
Many colleges, universities and some high schools offer counseling services either ongoing or in the wake of a traumatic event, such as the death of a student or teacher. These services are often free for the asking although in some situations the school may bill the student’s insurance company.

Religious institutions
Churches, mosques, or synagogues may provide counseling services, often staffed by pastoral counselors whose degree training in counseling also incorporates spirituality. Experience levels vary widely and medications are not dispensed, but such services are very accessible.

Self-help groups
A wide variety of such groups exist, some supported by community centers, hospitals or religious institutions. These generally gear toward adults, so look for a group that specifically mentions teens or young adults. Groups may have a professional leader and may charge a fee. American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse is a directory of self-help groups and state-specific resources.

Hotlines
There are a number of free hotlines associated with specific topics and areas, easily found on the web. Immediate crisis assistance includes the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) and a youth helpline. Your Life Your Voice at (1-800-448-3000), sponsored by Boys Town, open to both boys and girls.

Source: ReachOut.com