COUNSELING FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & CAREER ISSUES
Psychotherapy for mental wellness and personal growth.
COUNSELING FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & CAREER ISSUES
Psychotherapy for mental wellness and personal growth.
Meet Will Mahan, LPC
My Story
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
My Story
I hold a B.A.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Carolina, a M.S. from Purdue University in Human Resource Management, and an M.S. in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University. During my undergraduate career, I spent a year studying politics, economics, and genetics at the University of Leeds in Engla
I hold a B.A.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Carolina, a M.S. from Purdue University in Human Resource Management, and an M.S. in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University. During my undergraduate career, I spent a year studying politics, economics, and genetics at the University of Leeds in England, as well as completing a thesis on European Economic and Monetary Union. At GSU, I was also employed as a research assistant in the Counseling & Psychological Services Department. Before returning to Georgia State for my Counseling degree, I worked in Human Resources as a project manager and trainer for IBM and Fidelity Investments for 7 years. Through my association with Georgia State University, I have also been involved in the research and publication of articles regarding issues of methamphetamine addiction, internet compulsivity, and the bullying of sexual minority youth in schools. I continue to teach continuing education classes to other therapists on LGBT issues in counseling. I am a National Certified Counselor, and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of Georgia (LPC005723) and Oregon (C7935).
Services
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
My Story
In addition to individual counseling services, I offer:
* A free initial phone consultation. E-mail atlantacounselor@gmail.com or call 404-229-6177 to schedule.
* A safe and welcoming environment for all individuals, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or sexual identity, to explore how they would like their lives to be different, w
In addition to individual counseling services, I offer:
* A free initial phone consultation. E-mail atlantacounselor@gmail.com or call 404-229-6177 to schedule.
* A safe and welcoming environment for all individuals, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or sexual identity, to explore how they would like their lives to be different, whether in personal relationships, career, or achieving goals.
* Expertise in the areas of career development, substance abuse & recovery, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) issues, anxiety, and depression.
* Convenient appointment times during and after regular work hours, with session starting times until 6PM, Monday-Thursday. Lunch time sessions are also available Monday-Friday.
* Appropriate receipts to provide to insurance companies for “out of network” reimbursement. Session fees are currently $175 per 55-minute session. Sliding scale is often available for those who qualify.
* Adherence to all guidelines of the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics, including confidentiality.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
Atlanta is one of one of top 10 cities in the country for the number of same-sex couples, and has one of the largest concentrations of LGBTQ+ populations in the Southeast. The city is known throughout the region for being an overall safe and accepting place to be a sexual minority. However, many LGBTQ+ individuals in Atlanta have moved h
Atlanta is one of one of top 10 cities in the country for the number of same-sex couples, and has one of the largest concentrations of LGBTQ+ populations in the Southeast. The city is known throughout the region for being an overall safe and accepting place to be a sexual minority. However, many LGBTQ+ individuals in Atlanta have moved here to find acceptance, and have experienced prejudice and discrimination in their previous residences, and Atlanta-area LGBTQ+ individual are often impacted by discriminatory policies enacted at the state level. As youth in particular, sexual and gender minorities are subjected on average to a higher level of verbal and physical harassment than are their cisgender, heterosexual peers – often from multiple sources, including classmates, family members, and members of the community. As a result of this discrimination, sexual and gender minority individuals often experience higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and anxiety than the cisgender, heterosexual population. Each sub-group within the sexual and gender minority population also experiences unique stressors, apart from the overall discrimination that faced by those who fall outside of society’s “norms” with regard to sexual and gender identity.
Fortunately, the fields of counseling and psychology have been, for the most part, ahead of the curve in dealing with sexual minorities not as individuals with “mental disorders,” but as individuals with problems just like any individual, which may or may not be exacerbated by their sexual and/or gender minority status. Counseling theories have begun to acknowledge that – just as with women and other minorities – previous discrimination can also have a dramatic impact on the current mental well-being of individuals.
YOUR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS
YOUR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS
(OMB Control Number: 0938-1401)
When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?
When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.
“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.
“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care - like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.
You are protected from balance billing for:
Emergency services
If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.
Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center
When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.
If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you unless you give written consent and give up your protections.
You’re never required to give up your protection from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.
When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:
You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will payout-of-network providers and facilities directly.
Your health plan generally must:
- Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance(prior authorization).
- Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
- Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
- Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.
If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact The Secretary of State in Georgia by visiting https://sos.ga.gov or by calling 404.656.2881
Visit https://www.cms.gov/files/document/model-disclosure-notice-patient-protections-against-surprise-billing-providers-facilities-health.pdf for more information about your rights under Federal law.
HIPAA Privacy Policy
HIPPA Privacy Policy
Effective Date: Sept 23, 2013
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
• Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
• Correct your paper or electronic medical record
• Request confidential communication
• Ask us to limit the information we share
• Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
• Get a copy of this privacy notice
• Choose someone to act for you
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
Your Choices
You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:
• Tell family and friends about your condition
• Provide disaster relief
• Include you in a hospital directory
• Provide mental health care
• Market our services and sell your information
• Raise funds
Our Uses and Disclosures
We may use and share your information as we:
• Treat you
• Run our organization
• Bill for your services
• Help with public health and safety issues
• Do research
• Comply with the law
• Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
• Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
• Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
• Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask us to correct your medical record
• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Request confidential communications
• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
Choose someone to act for you
• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information
.• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated.
.• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using at the bottom of this page.
.• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
• Share information in a disaster relief situation
• Include your information in a hospital directoryIf you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
In the case of fundraising:
• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.
Our Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information? We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.
Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition
Run our organization
We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.
Bill for your services
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.
How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.
Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
Do research
We can use or share your information for health research.
Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you
• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
Our Responsibilities
• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.
WILL MAHAN, LPC
34 LENOX POINTE NE
ATLANTA, GA 30324
EFFECTIVE DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2013