Dr. Gregory J. Harms 655 W. Irving Park Rd. Ste. 209 Chicago, IL 60613 773-983-1479 gjh1975@peoplepc.com
Psychological assessment is the process of
systematically collecting data about a problem you are experiencing to
more accurately and precisely identify exactly what is going on. The
more we know about the problem, the easier it is to address it. I currently only do psychological assessments with adults ages 18+.
Assessment Services
Psychological assessments are done for a variety of reasons. Sometimes you might notice a change in your emotional state or mental functioning and want to get it checked out. Sometimes a loved one or a medical professional might notice changes and recommend that you get an assessment. If the problem has become particularly debilitating, a thorough assessment can help to support an application for disability or help qualify you for other services or job or school accommodations that can help you manage and improve your well-being. Following a head injury or other traumatic event, a neuropsychological assessment can identify changes in cognitive and emotional functioning and serve as a roadmap for monitoring treatment progress and recovery.
I perform neuropsychological assessments, pre-surgical evaluations, and diagnostic assessments. I do not perform assessments that are requested or required by the legal system, such as child custody evaluations, DUI assessments, domestic violence evaluations, or assessments intended to prove an injury in a civil lawsuit or support a criminal defense claim of insanity.
Neuropsychological Assessments: Neuropsychological assessments evaluate problems with attention, memory, concentration, use of language, or visual-spatial skills. This evaluation involves a brief intelligence test, a brief test of academic achievement, personality testing, and extensive testing of executive functioning (memory, attention, etc.). Neuropsychological testing is often used to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of ADHD as well as to identify the onset of cognitive problems such as Alzheimer's or other degenerative conditions. The results are often shared, with your permission, with a medical doctor or psychiatrist, and together we can develop a treatment plan to help you manage any problems that the testing identified. A neuropsychological assessment is quite extensive and often extends over 3-4 sessions each lasting between 1-3 hours and will require the input of a family member or close friend who has seen you struggle with the problem that is bringing you in for testing.
Pre-Surgical Evaluations: If you are considering weight-loss (also known as bariatric) surgery or surgery to implant a neurostimulator or medication pump to help manage chronic pain, the surgeon may request that you undergo a pre-surgical psychological evaluation. The purpose of this is to help identify any risks for difficulty adjusting after the surgery so that plans can be put in place ahead of time to better manage them. These types of surgeries are quite invasive and recovery often involves dealing with temporarily increased pain and fatigue, which can lead to a loss of motivation to engage in the recovery process and possibly situational depression. If this is not caught and addressed, it can lead to additional complications. A pre-surgical evaluation will identify the likelihood of experiencing these kinds of problems after the surgery so that you and your surgeon can discuss how to best keep your motivation up and minimize the risk. A pre-surgical evaluation involves a structured interview, personality testing, and a health history and is usually done in one session lasting about 3-4 hours.
Diagnostic Assessment: Although psychologists are well-trained to talk with clients and help to identify and diagnose many problems, there are times when the exact nature of a problem is not quite clear. Many mental health conditions share sets of overlapping symptoms and no two people experience an illness exactly the same. Even the best trained and most experienced psychologists at times get stuck. When this happens, it can be useful to get a second opinion and have another psychologist take a look at what is going on. A diagnostic assessment is intended to more precisely pinpoint a diagnosis and better guide treatment so that you can get better and get on with living the life you want to have. A diagnostic assessment involves a structured interview, a brief intelligence test, a brief test of academic achievement, and multiple types of personality tests, depending on the exact reason for the assessment. A thorough assessment can take 2-3 sessions, each lasting 3-4 hours and may require the input of a family member or close friend.
Fees & Insurance
Neuropsychological Assessment: The base fee for a Neuropsychological Assessment is
$2200. At our first session we will work out a payment plan depending
on your insurance and financial situation. Depending on how the
assessment proceeds, it may be necessary to add additional tests, which
will increase the cost. Should I feel that additional testing is
necessary, I will discuss it with you first and explain how I feel it
may help, and together we will decide whether or not to proceed with the
additional test(s). Should we decide at the initial assessment session that further assessment is not warranted, the fee is $180 for the session. Many insurance plans cover part or all of a
Neuropsychological Assessment, although many require pre-authorization,
which I am happy to help with.
Pre-Surgical Assessment: The fee for a Pre-Surgical Assessment is $1100 due at the time of the assessment. Most insurance
plans will not cover pre-surgical evaluations. If you wish to try to
use insurance, I require a $100 deposit at the time of the assessment.
Should your plan end up covering the assessment, the deposit will be
applied to any co-pay due, or if there is no out of pocket cost to you,
it will be promptly refunded. If the plan will not cover the cost, you
are responsible for paying the remaining balance.
Diagnostic Assessments: Given the
variability in referral reasons for Diagnostic Assessments, I do not
have a standard battery. The fee for the assessment will depend on the
extent of testing required and the specific tests that are chosen.
During our initial session, as I gain more understanding of the concern,
we will discuss the proposed tests and the cost and come to a mutually
agreeable plan for proceeding. If it is determined that additional assessment is not warranted, the fee is $180 for the session. Some insurance plans may not cover this
type of psychological assessment. It is important to check with your
plan ahead of time if you wish to use insurance.
I accept cash, check/money order, or credit/debit cards,
subject to the ability of my credit card processor to process them. If
you are using an HSA (Health Savings Account) card, please be aware that they tend to be hit or
miss when it comes to being able to be processed. If your card is
declined, you can pay by another method and I will provide you with a
receipt/superbill that you can send to the plan and they will reimburse
you directly.
I currently accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, Imagine Health, Multiplan
(excluding UnitedHealthcare/United Behavioral Health partnerships), First Health, and Medicare Part B
insurance plans (excluding United Healthcare Medicare Advantage Plans) subject to the limitations noted above for each type of assessment. If you wish to use insurance, your out of pocket cost
will depend on your deductible and co-pay. Please inform me when
scheduling your appointment if you wish to use insurance. I can
pre-verify your benefits and provide you with an estimate of your out of
pocket cost.
Depending on your financial circumstances, I am willing to discuss a modified assessment battery at a lower out of pocket cost.
Scheduling
Following a
Neuropsychological or Diagnostic Assessment, I offer a feedback session to review the results. The results of a
pre-surgical evaluation are sent directly to the referring surgeon who
will review them with you.
Regardless of whether you have a
feedback session or not, I will provide you with a signed hard copy and
electronic copy (if you wish) of the assessment, which you are free to
share with whomever you choose, although as a condition of undergoing
the assessment, you agree not to use them in any legal proceedings other
than applying for SSI or SSDI benefits.
If you wish me to send a copy
to anyone, I am happy to do so after you sign the necessary release
forms.
Please see the
FAQs page for answers to common questions about assessments. If you have
any other questions or would like to to discuss the need for an assessment or schedule an assessment, please give me a call at 773-983-1479 or send me
an email at gjh1975@peoplepc.com. You can also click on the Client Portal button on the left to directly schedule an appointment. I'm looking forward to hearing from
you.
Illinois License Number: 071.009626 Indiana License Number: 20043088A Wisconsin License Number: 3500-57 California License Number: PSY 29793 New York License Number: 025033 Washington License Number: PY 61278750 Florida Telehealth Provider Registration Number: TPPY2093 (https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/) PsyPact E-Passport Number: 5999
The
information contained in this website is presented to acquaint you with
my services. It does not constitute actual or implied treatment nor an
offer to provide treatment. If you wish to initiate treatment, please
contact me to set up an appointment. If you are experiencing a medical
or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest
emergency room.
