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Writer's pictureAmelia Ortega

Activist Trauma is Real & Connecting to therapists who understand social change labor is vital

Updated: Dec 12, 2021

Frontline workers, and frontline activists have worked to address the system collapses we are experiencing under Covid-19, and many are experiencing secondary trauma, and acute stress symptoms as a result. Locating in-network therapists who can be trauma-responsive in their care is difficult. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that 34% of privately insured Americans reported difficulties finding a therapist who would accept their insurance.” (NAMI, 2017). System navigation literacy for therapists and community members is a barrier to receiving in-network coverage for mental health care. Therapists and clients often are unaware of how to navigate the health insurance system to request in network coverage as out of network providers. And there is a way! Since 1996, the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) has required that private insurance coverage pay for mental health and addiction services as they would for medically necessary primary or surgical care. Therapists and clients may request that an insurance provider cover care if the therapist is specialized and no other provider within the network can provide the services adequately. You can learn more about Single Case Agreements by downloading the info-graphics and reading each post here.


This website is dedicated to system navigation advocacy for individuals seeking to use their insurance to cover Mental Health care, and for therapists who would like to increase access to their practices.

The resources are focused for BIPOC identified activists who are experiencing the impact of trauma in their work and lives; and for the therapists who specialize in trauma healing. Many of us hold both of these identities and are activist-therapists and healers. These resources are for us.


References


National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2016). Out of Network, Out of Pocket, Out of Options: The Unfulfilled Promise of Parity. Arlington, VA: NAMI. https://www.nami.org/


Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (nd). Double Jeopardy: COVID-19 and Behavioral Health Disparities for Black and Latino Communities in the U.S

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/covid19-behavioral-health-disparities-black-latino-communities.pdf

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