Looking for a good place to go for my phych evaluation......

I got some wonderful advice from someone on here (THANKS BRENDA!!!    LOL) and I am asking for some help here.

I live in the Alcona/Iosco/Ogemaw area and I am need of finding a good place to go for my Phych evaluation.  I was wondering if anyone out there is from my area and are happy with where you went for your evaluation.

I want to make sure to go to a good place.

Thanks you!!

God Bless,

 

i suggest getting a name from your surgeon, since you need to see someone who knows about WLS and knows what the insurance company is looking for in terms of clearance. A therapist without knowledge of WLS may want to treat you for months before giving approval, and that isn't what you are looking for right now, unless you have some issues to resolve first.

Judy is right, that is great advice!

I went to Dr. Williams at Hurley because that is where I had my surgery.  I knew upfront that is who the surgeon recommended and what my co-pay would be and what my insurance would pay.

A lot of times it depends on your insurance.  I was lucky, since my son went to counseling I asked the office staff about getting my psyc eval done there.  They had to refer me to a different office, that they own too, because only one person had the credentials to do this kind of eval.  I know that my surgeon's office had worked out a plan with a psychiatrist by them that would do the eval for $100 if it was too hard to get my ins to pay for it, or if the wait would have been super long(over 6 weeks).

I highly recommend Dr. Williams in Flint.  He's been working with bariatric patients for nearly 20 years and does the bulk of psych evals for Hurley patients.  He's very good.  Plus, you know before you leave his office if you'll get your letter of approval or if he recommends additional counseling.  The appointment takes a few hours, but his letter of approval is faxed to your surgeon before the end of the business day.  He's worth the drive.

His contact info

Dr. Gerard Williams
810-630-1152

Plummer out of Saginaw is fairly quick, has knowledge of WLS, & will tell you before you leave if he's approving you. Does the basic mental health assessment + MMPI-2. He's a little quirky, kind of coldfish persona but you're not looking for a best friend right!?! He accepts many insurances. He will ask for a credit card in case insurance doesn't pay.

Judy ~ Thanks for your advice.  I hadn’t thought of making sure it was someone who knew about WLS.  I don’t want to HAVE to go to the therapist months BEFORE I could even get approved for the surgery.  Thanks for pointing that out to me. 

 

Brenda ~ UM???  I’m not sure, but I think you posted this in an answer to another post?  Or, am I TOTALLY missing something?  LOL

I am guessing that you have recently lost a hamster???  I am sorry to hear that.  I hope your memorial service went well!! 

Thanks, by the way, for guiding me into doing this post!!  MUCH appreciated.

God Bless

 

Nan ~ Thank you for responding!!  I have two responses about Dr. Williams!!  I took that as a good sign.

LOL 

 

Kellyj ~ I also have a daughter who sees a counselor and had thought about calling her seeing as she knows us.  I thought that would be my next step.  Thanks for replying.

 

Pam ~ well, since you and Nan both recommended Dr. Williams I decided to go that route.  I called the number you gave me (THANK YOU by the way for posting it for me so I didn’t have to go a searching!!  )

I talked to Jena who by the way was super sweet!!  She took down my insurance info and other info from me and then she called our insurance for me.  She called back about an hour later and filled me in with the good news that our insurance would cover for me to go there!!  YEAH!!  So, she scheduled me for the 27^th of this month!!  I’m so excited (and scared ~ I’m scared to do the evaluation).  She said my husband can come back with me to talk with Dr. Williams, but when I have to go do the written test, he couldn’t come with me.  She said they will get the results over to the Bariatrics Center in Yipsilanti for me and it would get to Dr. Poplawski!!  So, thank you, Pam, for the help!!

 

Decker ~ Thank you for your advice.  I had considered Plummer since he is in Saginaw and I LOVE going to Saginaw, but I am already nervous and scared to go through this and when you mentioned how he is kindof  ‘coldfish’, that made me not want to go there.  LOL   I am worried already I will not be good at this or be able to speak well as it is, I don’t want anyone who someone labeled as ‘coldfish’    LOL

But, thank you so much for taking the time to respond.

God Bless!!

 

Thank you all!!
God Bless,

Well,
My appointment for the 27th has been cancelled by them!!  ARGGGG  But, luckily they only pushed it back 1 week!!  So, now my appointment is for Friday, September 4th!! 
It just makes it longer I have to worry about it.  LOL

Thank you all for thinking of me and seeing me through this journey step by step!!

God Bless,
Tari