Questionnaires completed with a pediatrician/PCP can provide a screening for disorders, and this is a good place to start. The results of testing completed at New Leaf provide in-depth information about the type of disorder, severity, strengths and weaknesses, appropriate accommodations for school or work, and specific recommendations for treatment. Additionally, psychoeducational testing explains the person’s deficits and how these deficits affect their ability to learn in the classroom as well as offers specific academic accommodations. 

· Time: After testing is complete, I seek to provide a feedback session within a week. When completing an evaluation in the school, you usually have to wait for the school district’s Response to Intervention (RTI) process to identify that your child should be tested (which can take 2-3 grading periods depending on the school) and then wait for a School Psychologist to be available. 

· Comprehensive evaluations: School evaluations are limited in the testing provided, and the diagnoses covered. I provide a detailed report that includes results, explanations, identifying strengths and weaknesses, diagnoses, and recommendations. 

· Flexibility: I can schedule testing that caters to the individual’s needs. For example, some people are more alert in the mornings and some in the afternoon. Sometimes children are doing fine during testing and then they start to feel fatigue or have a stomachache. I can stop and reschedule testing for another day. 

· Attention to detail: I am able to take more time assessing the individual and analyzing the results. I complete a full set of psychological and psychoeducational testing that is comprehensive and catered to the needs of the individual. I also use my clinical judgment to uncover what may not be obvious. My evaluations provide an explanation of individual’s deficits and how these deficits affect their ability to learn in the classroom and keep them from performing their best on standardized testing. 

For younger children, I would recommend keeping it simple and using calming words (i.e. they will be completing activities, instead of saying exam or testing). A parent may say "we are going to meet Dr. H, who can help us make school decisions on how to best help you in class." It can be helpful to talk about how we can uncover areas of strengths as well. For older children, you can be more upfront and explain how these meetings  will help parents/teachers/tutors/therapist understand what is going on and how to best help. 

"Medically necessity" is a term used by insurance companies to determine coverage. Testing is considered medically necessary if the doctor or mental health professional cannot determine a specific diagnosis through further interviewing, history taking, or an adequate trial of evidence-based treatment or the individual has tried evidence-based treatment (i.e., therapy, medication etc.) for long enough and this has been unsuccessful/lack of progress; and the selected tests are targeted to the specific diagnostic questions, &the answer to the diagnostic questions will lead to specific recommendations & actionable steps that will directly impact clinical treatment.

*There are some limitations when using insurance for evaluations; for example, testing is not covered if the evaluation is being conducted primarily for educational (learning disabilities), vocational, or legal purposes. 

I request a minimum of 48 hours prior to cancelling an appointment. For testing appointments, 3-6 hours are often blocked in my schedule. It is difficult to fill an appointment spot at the last minute. Failure to cancel a minimum of 48 hours in advance will result in a late cancellation fee of $325.

You have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" explaining how much your mental health care will cost. Under the No Surprise Act, New Leaf Psychological Services must provide clients who do not have insurance (uninsured) or who will not be using insurance to pay or reimburse for services (self-pay) an estimate of the total expected costs for services. You can ask New Leaf Psychological Services for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.