FAQs

What insurance do you take?

We are in network with the following insurance companies:

Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
BCBS PPO for City of Chicago Telligen
Aetna
Cigna
Medicare
UHC
Magellan

We take the following Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO’s:

Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO Duly/DuPage/DMG Partners
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO Silver Cross/Psychealth
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO Illinois Health Partners #243 (Edward Elmhurst)

I do not see my HMO listed, what can I do?

You can call your insurance and ask for a Single Case Agreement (SCA). Legally, your insurance company should be able to provide the exact same service in network and we know that the current HMO plans in Illinois do not provide the services FRWC do. FRWC solely sees first responders, uses evidenced based therapy, all clinicians are former first responders, military or family of first responders. Therefore, you should be able to do a single case agreement.

You will have to call your insurance company and explain why you would like to go out of network and why HMO cannot produce the same services. Often, HMO will ask for a referral from your primary care but sometimes, they will generate a single case agreement on the phone. If you have questions please contact us, and we can help you. 630-909-9094

What should I look for in a mental health professional?

The clinician should be licensed in the state of Illinois, and you can check this by going to: eLicense Online. You should be seeing a Psy.D, PhD, LCPC, or LCSW. If you are seeing an LPC or LSW, they should be letting you know that they are under the supervision of a licensed person at the same agency.
The clinician should be well versed in trauma and provide evidenced based treatment which includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Exposure & Response Prevention Therapy (PE or ERP), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). For couples therapy, the clinician could also use Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused therapy (EFT).
You should ask the clinician if they know when to call the state for FOID mandated reporting? If they do not know, I would be concerned that they may not use the reporting correctly and your FOID card may be at risk.
Ask if they see other first responders as first responders have their own culture and multiple trauma exposures that most people do not, so you want to see a specialist. You would not go to a regular doctor for heart surgery.

If I go to therapy, will I lose my FOID card?

No. According to the FOID Act (430 ILCS 65) attending outpatient therapy does not require a therapist to report DHS FOID Mental Health Reporting System as this does not constitute “a clear and present danger”.

Pertaining to officers, the only time mental health professionals would ever be required to report to FOID is if they feel that an officer is a “clear and present danger” i.e., the officer has an active plan to kill themselves or someone else and/or is committed to an inpatient psychiatric unit. Being committed to inpatient psychiatric unit also requires an officer to be an immediate danger to themselves or others.

If I get a mental health diagnosis, will I be sent for a FFDE or lose my job?

No. And if you are you may have a federal lawsuit.

According to the Americans with Disability Act in 2000, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against you simply because you have a mental health condition. This includes firing you, rejecting you for a job or promotion, or forcing you to take leave. The employer must have objective evidence that you cannot perform your job duties. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing these federal laws and may be contacted for violations.

A fitness for duty exam can only be requested when two requirements are met;

(1) objective evidence that the employee may be unable to safely or effectively perform a defined job; AND

(2) a reasonable basis for believing that the cause may be attributable to a psychological condition or impairment. The central purpose of an FFDE is to determine whether the employee is able to safely and effectively perform his or her essential job functions, not if an officer has a mental illness. Many officers (even officers who have completed a FFDE) can have a mental health diagnosis such as anxiety, depression, etc. and work full active duty without restrictions.

Will my department find out if I go to therapy?

No. The Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act (740ILCS 110/1-17) and HIPPA 1996 is highly specific that "confidential communication" means any communication made by the client or other persons to the client’s therapist providing mental health services including the patient’s identity. Further, any records cannot be disclosed unless written release by the client of such records. (However, if an officer is claiming a workmen’s compensation or disability due to mental illness, records may be subpoenaed.)

Will my therapy records get subpoenaed for court?

Likely no, it is extremely rare for an officer’s therapy records to be requested by subpoena or court order after police shootings, arrests, etc. as the judicial standard would be to prove “good cause” and “relevant” to the proceedings. The client and the therapist also have the right to refuse and prevent disclosure of their client’s records in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings. However, if an officer is claiming a mental health condition as a defense, then records may not be confidential. FRWC has never had a subpoena for a police shooting.

Will I be involuntarily committed if I have suicidal thoughts?

No, having thoughts of suicide but no plan, intent, or action made towards killing yourself will not affect an involuntary admission. Many therapists have clients who have suicidal thoughts and work with them solely on an outpatient basis.

What if I run into someone at the office I know?

Be aware that the FRWC sees first responders for annual wellness visits, critical incidents, pre-employment evaluations, and therapy, so the other person could be here for any of those reasons. We do offer open rooms if you are uncomfortable sitting in the waiting room, just ask. We do try to space clients and get clients seen at their designated time as well to reduce waiting time. Also, we ask all clients to maintain confidentiality and everyone else wants the same thing as you.