FAQs Professional Development

Adjunct services

What are adjunct services?

Maybe your patient needs group therapy to apply behavioral experiments in the treatment of social anxiety, but you don’t offer group therapy. You can refer the patient to us, we provide the group therapy as an adjunct to your therapy, and you continue seeing your patient to process the group therapy experience in your individual therapy with them. Another example may be you have a patient with selective mutism. They have reached verbalizing with you in your clinic setting, but those gains are not transferring to school or community settings, and you are not able to provide services outside of the clinic. You can refer the patient to us, we can provide the school or community exposures for you, and you continue seeing your patient to process the exposure therapy within the larger context of your work with them. You have a patient with a specific phobia of driving. Your patient has successfully completed the imaginal exposure goals in your office, but is having difficulty with the in-vivo exposure driving tasks on their own. They would like in-vivo therapy guided by you, but you aren’t able to provide services outside the clinic. You can refer the patient to us, we can provide the in-vivo driving exposures for you, and the patient returns to you to process the experience within the larger context of your work with them. Therefore, with adjunct services, we partner with you to provide a short-term, solution-focused treatment to cover a specific area that you’d like covered for your patient.

How much do adjunct services cost?

There is no cost to the primary therapist for the adjunct services. The patient enters into a therapist-patient agreement with ATSA, and we bill them/their insurance as we would any patient. Cost varies depending on travel distance and duration of exposure. In-network exceptions are possible. Contact 630-230-6505 for more information.

Does this mean the patient has two therapists? Who do they call when they need to talk to their therapist?

As an adjunct therapist, we only focus on the specific treatment area delegated to us. The primary therapist continues to be the main therapist the patient calls for all other matters.

As the primary provider, how am I kept updated on the progress of my patient receiving an adjunct service?

Collaboration with the primary provider is essential when providing adjunct services. Patients sign an authorization that allows us to provide you, their primary provider, with regular updates. We also seek feedback from you that can inform our work with your patient, and vice versa.

What happens when the adjunct service ends?

We will contact you to provide you with feedback on your patient’s progress, alert you to areas that came up that can be explored further in your work with them, and pass the baton back to you. Sometimes, patients come back for another round of an adjunct service. If that’s the case, we flush out with you what the treatment plan would be and the timing of the next round of adjunct service.

Consultations

Who is consultation for? I am a teacher working with a student with selective mutism, and I am wondering if I can get consultation?

Consultation is for anyone seeking guidance in their work with anxiety. Since you are a teacher, you may want to consider the school district training option (insert link), and pass the information on to your school. There are also free training options (e.g., Adventure Camp Counselor Training, Selective Mutism Learning University, etc.) and other options under our Resources page. You can, however, pay directly to receive consultation from us, and some educators who decide to go that route deduct the costs from their taxes.

I am a treating professional, and I would like help with a case. How do I arrange for consultation?

Call 630-230-6505 or email info@advancedtherapeuticsolutions.org to start the process. You can schedule one consultation, or a set number of consultations, depending on your need. Keep in mind that consultation costs can be deducted from your taxes as a business expense.

How much does Consultation cost?

Consultations are charged on an hourly basis. You can schedule one consultation or a set number of consultations for a discounted rate. Call 630-230-6505 for more information.

Professional Development Options

I am interested in working more with anxiety cases and would like to know what options I have to develop professionally in this area.

If you are a licensed professional (or provisionally licensed), you might consider scheduling consultation sessions to receive information and guidance about treating anxiety, such as discussing evidence-based treatments, understanding the nuances of anxiety conditions, and considerations on the application of treatments. Evidence-based treatment is more than just following a protocol; there is an art in applying an intervention, and many times consulting with an experienced colleague can help you access and hone the artistic delivery of your interventions.

Joining professional organizations is also a great way to continue developing professionally. We recommend the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Their conferences and trainings (including webinars) offer a great way to learn and network, and membership in their Special Interest Groups (SIG) also offers another option for consultation in specific areas of interest, such as OCD, Social Anxiety, and more. We also recommend the International OCD Foundation. Even though OCD is now a separate category, there is a lot of overlap with anxiety disorders. Similar to ADAA, the IOCDF conferences and trainings are excellent and offer opportunities for networking with other OCD professionals.

I am specifically interested in treating selective mutism. What is the option for professional development in this area?

If you are interested in learning more about treating selective mutism, Adventure Camp Counselor Training is a great option. It provides hands-on training working directly with a child with selective mutism under the supervision of our specialists. Currently, it is set up as a work-study model, in which you learn about selective mutism and the Adventure Camp protocol, and then you apply the protocol with one of our campers at Adventure Camp. Click here to learn more about Adventure Camp Counselor Training.

If you are currently carrying a caseload of patients with selective mutism, and would like guidance, you might consider our Consultation services. Evidence-based treatment is more than just following a protocol; there is an art in applying an intervention, and many times consulting with an experienced colleague can help you access and hone the artistic delivery of your interventions.

There are also other options for developing professionally in the treatment of selective mutism. Steven Kurtz, Ph.D. has developed the free Selective Mutism Learning University. There are also other trainings, such as Selective Mutism Association’s training for treating professionals. The SMA also posts events from other specialists worldwide that may be of interest to you.

Do you offer supervision for therapists accruing hours towards licensure?

Yes, in two ways. Those interested in a postdoctoral fellowship can send a cover letter and CV to Postdoc@advancedtherapeuticsolutions.org. Those already receiving supervision from their current placement but would like to add an ATS clinician as an adjunct supervisor for specific anxiety cases can email info@advancedtherapeuicsolutions.org stating what type of supervision they are looking for.

Do you offer practicum placements?

Yes, we run a practicum program for graduate student externs who have earned their master’s degrees. The training year runs from July 1 - June 30. If you don’t yet qualify for our practicum program, or you’re looking for a supplemental practicum, you might be interested in Adventure Camp Counselor Training which is a short-term, intensive training program that runs during the summer and recruits graduate students, including first-years. Both options offer direct contact hours that can apply towards your overall clinical hours for your degree.

Joining the team

You guys are amazing! Do you have any job openings?

Working at ATS reaffirms our purpose and passion, especially because of the tears of joy we share with our patients when they overcome their hurdles - it reminds us why we love what we do. If you want to provide top-notch care for your patients, reaffirm daily why you love what you do, and truly live out your calling, we hope you will join us. Check out our Careers page here.