Counseling - Employee and Family Resources

Counseling Services

Life Happens. We’re Here to Help.

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If you’re seeking help regarding mental health or substance abuse, EFR’s counseling services can meet your needs. You will benefit from counselors with experience addressing both mental health and substance use disorder issues. If you are facing any of life’s challenges, let us help you reach your full potential.

Co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health counseling. Are you considering counseling for an issue that is keeping you from reaching your full potential? We want to help!

We offer our services to individuals (both youth and adult) and families in a safe and confidential setting. Our experienced counselors have worked with people from all backgrounds, and approach all clients with respect, kindness, and dignity. Counselors will work with you to set goals that are important to you, and will provide interventions and resources that support you along the way.

EFR’s counselors have training and experience with a number of life issues, including:

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
Grief and Loss
Drug or Alcohol Concerns
Parent/Child Relationships
Marital or Couple Relationships

Life’s challenges often don’t give us any warning, and we don’t always know where to look for help when we need it most.

When life happens, Employee & Family Resources is here to help.

What To Expect

Make the Call

To make an appointment, call our call center staff at 515-471-2357. Our call center staff will:

• Determine how you would like to pay for counseling (or help determine whether you qualify for the EAP’s free sessions benefit)
• Help you with any urgent needs or issues
• Transfer your call an intake specialist (if during office hours)

Make an Appointment

The intake specialist will ask to collect your information, such as name, phone number, and date of birth. If you chose to pay with insurance, we will verify your eligibility; during that process, we may check your benefits to see what amount of the service payment will be covered.

The intake specialist will call you with a reminder the day before your scheduled appointment. Make sure you know which location you will be going to for your appointment!

Prepare for Appointment

Click here to access the patient portal and complete your intake forms. If you cannot access the portal, you can click here to view and download the forms.

Go to Your Appointment

Walk up to the front desk and say you have an appointment. You will then be asked to look over and sign pre-admit forms. Forms are also available in hard-copy form, should you want a copy.

After signing the forms, we will scan a copy of your insurance card and collect any money due.

Fees for Services

EFR accepts various forms of insurance (including Medicaid) and third party payers. If your health insurance does not cover EFR’s services or if your services aren’t eligible for health insurance or third party payment, your fee will be based on EFR’s sliding fee scale, which considers your gross family income and the number of family members under the age of 17 in your household.

Payment Policies

Payment of your fee or insurance co-pay and/or deductible is required at the time of service unless other arrangements have been made with EFR.
If your insurance carrier or other third party payer doesn’t pay for your services, EFR may charge your services in accordance with our sliding fee scale, and you may be responsible for any unpaid services.
Lack of payment toward an unpaid balance (excluding outstanding insurance payments) may result in an interruption in services until payment arrangements are agreed upon.
Unpaid balances with no payment activity may be subject to external collection.
You will be charged $30 for returned checks.
Cash, check, or debit/credit card are accepted.
We encourage you to inform your provider or the EFR Clinical Director if assistance is needed in developing a payment plan.
A 24-hour notice is required for cancellations. Failure to provide 24-hour notice may result in a charge of $25 for the missed appointment or the amount of your private pay fee, whichever is less.

Rights & Responsibilities

Rights

As a client of EFR, you have the right

To be treated with respect and compassion
To be from harm, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, retaliation or humiliation regardless of your color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or cultural background in the delivery of your services
To confidentiality and privacy in accordance with state and federal law
To be informed of the circumstances under which EFR may disclose information about you without your consent
To receive an explanation of all choices made by your provider in your counseling and/or treatment process
To participate in the development of your treatment plan
To make an informed choice to accept or decline treatment
To receive information from EFR in a language your understand
To an explanation if services are refused for any reason, including admission ineligibility or continued care ineligibility, and have the right to appeal such decision
To file a complaint or grievance without retaliation from EFR
To be informed of the various steps and activities involved in receiving services

Responsibilities

As a client of EFR, you have the responsibility

To ask your provider all questions you have about your treatment
To let your provider know if you feel uncomfortable or dissatisfied with the services being provided to you
To confidentiality and privacy in accordance with state and federal law
To discuss with any party who has recommended or required you to attend counseling or integrated treatment services (e.g. courts, DHS) any consequences if you choose to decline or terminate your treatment
To treat your provider, EFR employees, and all others on EFR’s premises with dignity and respect
To keep your appointment or contact EFR as soon as possible when canceling an appointment
Attendance is critical for those wishing to seek benefit from services. It is expected for those participating in treatment groups, and all group members are expected to be present and checked in at the time the group is scheduled. Those who are not present at the scheduled start of groups will not be permitted to attend on that scheduled date.

Confidentiality

EFR protects the identity and confidential records of each client as required by its professional, ethical standards, Iowa state law, and the federal laws of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and 42CFR, Part 2.

In most cases, EFR will not disclose information about you and your involvement with EFR’s counseling and treatment services verbally or in writing unless you provide signed, written authorization. Exceptions may include:

Court order
A threat of harm to yourself or others requires us to ensure your safety or the safety of others
Actual or suspected child or dependent adult abuse or neglect requires a report to child/adultprotective services
To be informed of the circumstances under which EFR may disclose information about you without your consent
A licensing or accrediting body requiring case auditing for program evaluation

In these or other situations where we may or must disclose information without your consent, we will inform you of our intent to disclose the information, when possible, and will disclose the least amount of information needed for the situation.

Minors

Confidentiality is crucial for everyone receiving counseling services, regardless or age. Without trusting that their sessions are private, children and adolescents will feel less safe and will be less likely to open up with the counselor. Parents and guardians are encouraged to talk with their child’s provider about the ways the counselor must legally protect confidentiality, in accordance with state and federal regulations. Parents and guardians can be assured that provider will keep you informed of important information and that you will be included as an essential part of your child’s treatment.

Additional Rights Related to Your Confidential Information

You have the right to:

Review and receive a copy of your records
Request limits to how your information can be used and disclosed
Identify the means by which we may communicate with you
Receive a list of all disclosures that have been made by EFR
Request to amend your records

Notice of Privacy Practices

Click here to access a copy of EFR’s full Notice of Privacy Practices.

If you believe your confidentiality has be violated, you may report this to EFR’s Privacy Officer, who will investigate and provide you a formal, written response:

Privacy Officer

Employee & Family Resources

505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600

Des Moines, IA 50309

Or:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights

200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 509F, HHH Building

Washington, D.C. 20201

800.368.1019

Click here

Meet Our Counselors

Trust our experienced masters-level clinicians to provide guidance and support to address your concerns

Counseling Services

What To Expect

Fees for Services

Payment Policies

Meet Our Counselors

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Life Happens. We’re Here to Help.

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