Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be referred to you by my doctor?
No, a referral from a physician is not necessary to receive my services or to claim my services against your health care benefits.
How do I pay for the assessment? Do you direct bill insurance?
E-Transfers and credit cards are accepted for payments (deposits and balances).
In Alberta, I can direct bill the Physician's and Family Support Program (PFSP) when services are pre-approved through the program (contact your benefit program before starting an assessment with me).
Unfortunately, assessment services cannot be direct billed through Blue Cross (only treatment/therapy can be direct billed). I can provide you with an itemized receipt for claiming assessment services with your extended provider.
The Medical Services Plan (MSP) in British Columbia does not cover psychological services.
Please note that families are responsible for any costs not covered by their benefits (including any circumstance where a claim is denied by a provider). Please speak with a representative with your extended health provider to better understand how an assessment could be covered in part or in whole by your insurance.
Are there other funding sources for an assessment?
In British Columbia, I encourage families to look into eligibility for funding support through Variety BC.
Do you offer a free consultation before doing an assessment?
Absolutely! I would be happy to speak with you to hear your concerns and propose an assessment that is the best fit. Typically these phone calls are 10-20 minutes. There is no cost for this consultation and there is no obligation to book an assessment.
How long is an assessment?
Assessments are broken into 4 components: interview (virtually), questionnaires (digitally), testing (in office), and feedback (virtually). Clinical interviews and feedbacks are typically one hour each, are not booked the same day as the testing, and are done virtually. The in-office testing for a typical psychoeducational assessment is about 3-3.5 hours with breaks. A typical neuropsychological assessment is about 4-5 hours for youth and 5-6 hours for adults (includes breaks). A gifted assessment, ADHD assessment, memory assessment, etc. takes about 2 hours with breaks. Every person is different, so these times are provided as rough estimates.
The in-office portion of assessments is often completed within one day, meaning there may not be a need for multiple visits to the office. For kids, this is often less time than a full school day. Of course, we can adjust and test over multiple days if necessary.
How long does it take to get the results?
Help has already waited long enough, so a psychologist should not add any further delays because of slow turn-around times. Once I have all data gathered, I can provide verbal feedback a few days after the appointment and then the full report will be ready within another few days. This is the benefit of me having over 15 years of experience seeing the most complex cases. It is also the benefit of using the latest technology from test publishers, such as the Q Interactive platform on iPads from Pearson, which greatly improves efficiency in an assessment.
Virtual, in-person, or both?
Interviews and feedback are done using a virtual platform.
All questionnaires are completed using digital links and can be done in the comfort of your own home.
All testing is completed in person, in our office, and one-on-one with a trained and supervised psychometrist.
Who do you share the information with?
I will send you a copy of my report as soon as it is done. I encourage all clients to share the report with anyone that they wish (e.g., medical doctor, school). If you want me to share the information directly with anyone other than you, I will need to obtain signed permission before doing so.
Do you provide consultation with a school after an assessment?
I would be happy to speak with a school about the results of the assessment. Meetings with the school are billed at $250/hour (minimum one hour is billed, with more than one hour billed in 30-minute increments; this service is in addition to the assessment costs).
Do you help with the Disability Tax Credit application?
Yes, I can help with the Disability Tax Credit application for clients I have worked with already (i.e., provided an assessment). This is not included in the cost of the assessment and costs $250.
What is a neuropsychologist?
A neuropsychologist is a clinical psychologist who also has specialized training in clinical neuropsychology. We have training in brain development, brain-behaviour relationships, psychological diagnoses, assessment, and what happens to the brain when there is an injury or medical disorder.
Still have questions?
If you have any questions that are not answered here, please email me at brooksassessment (at) gmail.com or by clicking the button below:
No, a referral from a physician is not necessary to receive my services or to claim my services against your health care benefits.
How do I pay for the assessment? Do you direct bill insurance?
E-Transfers and credit cards are accepted for payments (deposits and balances).
In Alberta, I can direct bill the Physician's and Family Support Program (PFSP) when services are pre-approved through the program (contact your benefit program before starting an assessment with me).
Unfortunately, assessment services cannot be direct billed through Blue Cross (only treatment/therapy can be direct billed). I can provide you with an itemized receipt for claiming assessment services with your extended provider.
The Medical Services Plan (MSP) in British Columbia does not cover psychological services.
Please note that families are responsible for any costs not covered by their benefits (including any circumstance where a claim is denied by a provider). Please speak with a representative with your extended health provider to better understand how an assessment could be covered in part or in whole by your insurance.
Are there other funding sources for an assessment?
In British Columbia, I encourage families to look into eligibility for funding support through Variety BC.
Do you offer a free consultation before doing an assessment?
Absolutely! I would be happy to speak with you to hear your concerns and propose an assessment that is the best fit. Typically these phone calls are 10-20 minutes. There is no cost for this consultation and there is no obligation to book an assessment.
How long is an assessment?
Assessments are broken into 4 components: interview (virtually), questionnaires (digitally), testing (in office), and feedback (virtually). Clinical interviews and feedbacks are typically one hour each, are not booked the same day as the testing, and are done virtually. The in-office testing for a typical psychoeducational assessment is about 3-3.5 hours with breaks. A typical neuropsychological assessment is about 4-5 hours for youth and 5-6 hours for adults (includes breaks). A gifted assessment, ADHD assessment, memory assessment, etc. takes about 2 hours with breaks. Every person is different, so these times are provided as rough estimates.
The in-office portion of assessments is often completed within one day, meaning there may not be a need for multiple visits to the office. For kids, this is often less time than a full school day. Of course, we can adjust and test over multiple days if necessary.
How long does it take to get the results?
Help has already waited long enough, so a psychologist should not add any further delays because of slow turn-around times. Once I have all data gathered, I can provide verbal feedback a few days after the appointment and then the full report will be ready within another few days. This is the benefit of me having over 15 years of experience seeing the most complex cases. It is also the benefit of using the latest technology from test publishers, such as the Q Interactive platform on iPads from Pearson, which greatly improves efficiency in an assessment.
Virtual, in-person, or both?
Interviews and feedback are done using a virtual platform.
All questionnaires are completed using digital links and can be done in the comfort of your own home.
All testing is completed in person, in our office, and one-on-one with a trained and supervised psychometrist.
Who do you share the information with?
I will send you a copy of my report as soon as it is done. I encourage all clients to share the report with anyone that they wish (e.g., medical doctor, school). If you want me to share the information directly with anyone other than you, I will need to obtain signed permission before doing so.
Do you provide consultation with a school after an assessment?
I would be happy to speak with a school about the results of the assessment. Meetings with the school are billed at $250/hour (minimum one hour is billed, with more than one hour billed in 30-minute increments; this service is in addition to the assessment costs).
Do you help with the Disability Tax Credit application?
Yes, I can help with the Disability Tax Credit application for clients I have worked with already (i.e., provided an assessment). This is not included in the cost of the assessment and costs $250.
What is a neuropsychologist?
A neuropsychologist is a clinical psychologist who also has specialized training in clinical neuropsychology. We have training in brain development, brain-behaviour relationships, psychological diagnoses, assessment, and what happens to the brain when there is an injury or medical disorder.
Still have questions?
If you have any questions that are not answered here, please email me at brooksassessment (at) gmail.com or by clicking the button below:
