HELP WANTED: PLEASE!

HELP WANTED: PLEASE!!!

On one of the morning news programs there was a piece about job scamming online. ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION wants you to know that we are serious about PAYING YOU to help us get the word out about membership. (See our 8/28/09 blog for the how-tos and what you can earn.)Think about it: ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION wants to be a global organization. Our Mission is legitimate and simple: building a safe platform for ONLINE WELLNESS SERVICES. OWA is offering to pay you $100 for each member that is you refer that is approved for membership. No tricks. This IS gorilla marketing at its best. Won’t you PLEASE help us in YOUR town–wherever you are?! If you need OWA business cards to hand out, contact OWA with your mailing information and we will get those right out to you. Remember THERE IS NO LIMIT WITH THE NUMBER OF REFERRALS YOU CAN SEND US!!

Look forward to sending you lots of money!

http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com

EARN MONEY: NO SELLING

ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION is still offering it stimulus package to help you have money for the up coming holidays. Instead of buying expensive advertising, OWA wants to offer YOU $100 for helping get new members. $100!! No limit!!! Here is how it works:

-Browse through http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com to understand what ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION does. I would suggest being sure to read “Words from Our Founder”.

-If YOU have any questions, or need clarification on anything on the website, contact our OWA President at maxfabry@onlinewellnessassociation.com. OWA wants YOU to be clear about what you are selling.

-YOU actually aren’t selling anything. OWA staff members will do the selling. YOU are INTRODUCING ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION to wellness practitioners in your community.

-To be clear what a “wellness practitioner is” visit the blog entry from 5/28/09 at http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com/blog/

-INVITE wellness practitioners to browse the site, and ask if you can send their contact information to ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION. If you would like to have cards to hand out, e-mail a request to maxfabry@onlinewellnessassociation.com. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number.

-OWA DOES NOT hard sell. But, we can offer special discounts because of YOUR referral. The OWA staff will not embarrass you in any way.

-Within a week of your referral being approved for membership, YOU WILL RECEIVE PAYMENT FOR $100.

REMEMBER there is NO LIMIT on the number of referrals you send. WE WANT TO PAY YOU TO MARKET ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION!!

http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com

ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOC MEMBER CRITERIA

Do you have an OWA SEAL OF APPROVAL on your website? Have you applied? In order to qualify for an OWA SEAL you have to meet certain standards and criteria set by ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION. If you haven’t visited the site to find out what is necessary to qualify the following is taken off the ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION membership site:

What sets OWA apart from other online therapy services, are the extra efforts we take to assure the professionalism of all of our practitioners. This will assure our goal of making OWA the primary resource when looking for safe and reliable therapeutic practices on the internet. Though our efforts are to utilize advanced communication technology of the internet to bring clients and practitioners together, we must take the extra time necessary to assure the qualifications and credibility of all our practitioners. Our background checks typically take about two weeks for completion.

The following list is a breakdown of our application process and requirements:
1. Personal Information: name, date of birth.
2. Contact Information: address, telephone number, e-mail, web address, webmaster contact information, business card.
3. Recent Digital Photograph: photos will be resized as needed.
4. Professional Information: title, specialty, licenses.
5. Description of Services: summarize the specific services, specialty, or focus you are offering, hours of operation, preferred method(s) of e-therapy: e-mail, i.m. (instant messaging), a.v. (audio/video), optional method(s).
6. Mini Profile: a one to three sentence description of your method/approach to the services you provide; to be placed in the OWA Directory.
7. Brief Biography: biographies may be utilized if you are chosen as Member of the Month, or for other recognition programs.
8. Copy of Credentials: copies of any licenses, certifications, degrees, required to practice professionally.
9. Four Recent Professional References: colleagues in your field who are familiar with your work, credentials, and integrity. Please notify your references that an OWA Staff Member will be contacting them for identity verification.
10. Agree to Background Check: a background check will be completed by a third party online agency. OWA will only receive communication that you have either passed your background check, or that we ‘need to discuss the findings’. OWA does not receive any of the information needed to complete this background check. Having a felony conviction does not necessarily exclude you from being a member of OWA, particularly if you are already actively working in your field. However, the following felony convictions will exclude you from membership in OWA: Pedophilia, Domestic Violence, Rape, Stalking, and Technology Related Crimes. In addition, you may also be excluded if you have lost your license based on ethical misconduct.

Learn more about becoming an ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION member and having the privilege of displaying an OWA SEAL OF APPROVAL on your site at

http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com

OWA: HEALTH SERVICES

ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION members are dedicated to their professions. They share the same principles and approaches that drive the OWA Mission: “OWA’s goal is to provide a SAFE platform for practitioners to build successful practices online and for potential clients to feel safe when choosing a practitioner.” The practitioners and staff of ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION share this philosophy:

“Health & Wellness: therapists, counselors, coaches, and guides in the health and wellness field, integrate various techniques to align mind, body, spirit, and relationships through the use of both traditional and nontraditional therapies. Cognitive and mind-body health techniques are used to achieve presence and peace of mind. Natural diet, exercise, sleep, relaxation, and prevention is emphasized to strengthen and heal the body. Spiritual connectiveness is emphasized to achieve a healthy connection with the mind, body, and external factors. Fulfilling relationships with our work, purpose of life, family, friends, and acquaintances are achieved through learning to free the ego. Achieving wellness means alleviating anxiety, drama, and disease to attain a more fulfilling and peaceful quality of life.”

Have you applied for membership with ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION? Go to

http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com

OWA: EXPANDING MEMBERSHIP

ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION is ready to expand beyond present borders. Are you a LEGITIMATE WELLNESS PRACTITIONER that wants to increase your visibility? Establish yourself an expert? Have immediate proof that you are reliable and SAFE to use? If the answer is “yes” to these questions, then see if you meet the standards and criteria for membership with ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION. Go to

http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com

HEALTHY HEALING INTRODUCTION

I introduced the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM (HH) the middle of July 2009. This is an alternative holistic approach to the more traditional programs. For the past three years, my colleagues and I have used all the methods that are components of the HH program with remarkable results. Starting with this blog, I would like to share some of the findings from the work I have done to date, then, take you along on the single subject test I have just started at the beginning of August. My purpose in blogging this information is (1) it forces me to write about the program; (2) it helps me identify patterns coming up during the case study; and, (3) I want very much to have your feedback as I go along working the kinks out of the program. Who I would like to hear from are:

ADDICTS: Resisting going into treatment and why. Ever been in recovery? How long? What happened to throw you back?

RECOVERING PEOPLE: How did you get there? How long have you been in recovery? How do you maintain your recovery? How is life different for you? What is the ONE thing that made all the difference for you being where you are today?

PRIVATE PRACTICE PROFESSIONALS: If you specialize in addiction counseling, I want to hear from you. Comment on what I am doing, offer what you are doing.

ADDICTION COUNSELORS WORKING FOR AGENCIES: Share with me what your agencies are doing differently these days. What are the strengths of the program you work at?

Please let me know if it is alright to reprint your comments in my blog, articles, or other publishings. I will NOT use your name unless you give permission to do that.

To learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM go to:

http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com

ADDICTION: SPIRITUALITY

ADDICTION: ADDRESSING SPIRITUAL
The approach I use in my private practice is that human beings are three-dimensional: physical, emotional (brain), and spiritual. Usually when people first hear the word “spiritual” they think one of two things: “Oh, she is one of those religious nuts.” Or “Here we go with that foo-foo stuff”. Wrong on both thoughts.

Usually on the initial assessment done with new clients, the question “Religious belief” is asked. While I am getting to know the new client, I listen carefully for how vested they are in their stated religion. Are they firm in their religious foundational belief? Are there cracks in that foundation? Do they not have any belief at all? Are they atheist? Agnostic? Could they be undefined spiritual? Once I can understand where they are at, I can help them either rebuild on their solid foundation, explore possibilities to cement the cracks, or help define their spirituality.

For me it is helping the client balance that third dimension of the human experience: the spiritual. Having all three dimensions in balance means a healthier path to continued healing.

What are your thoughts on spirituality in recovery? Please send you thoughts to me at
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com.

Be well on your spiritual journey.

To learn more about me, MAx Fabry, and my private practice, please go to

http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com

RSVP

MAx Fabry is a regular contributor to a weekly column "ASK MAx" published in the SPRINGFIELD TIMES, Springfield, Oregon. The SPRINGFIELD TIMES is published weekly on Friday by S.J. Olson Publishing, Inc. This column is published on this blog by permission of the SPRINGFIELD TIMES. Visit their website at http://www.springfieldtimes.net.
_____________________________________________

This letter dealt with a National lifestyle change that has gradually taken place called “proper etiquette”. Young girls have been calling boys for a couple decades now. And, I can’t remember when boys stopped opening doors for girls—maybe somewhere in the seventies. But, like the woman that asked this question, the term RSVP has not only lost “proper etiquette” meaning, it has given way to 21st century technology.
_____________________________________________

Dear MAx,
Compared to some of the letters you get, this may not be so bad. But, this is something that makes me so angry. My husband and I entertain a lot, this is something that we really enjoy doing together. We usually go to great extents planning the meal, the decorations, the entertainment—we want everything perfect for our guests and we want them to have a nice evening. Unfortunately, our guests don’t seem to put their part in it—answering the RSVP! And, when they do RSVP they either still show up if they said they weren’t, or, they don’t show when they say they will. What is going on here? I am beginning to think people forgot what RSVP really means. Is this important enough to do a column on?

Kathi

Dear Kathi,
Important enough? Kathi, if it is bothering you, then it is important enough to do a relevant column. Besides, I am totally with you on this one. When I moved to the Pacific Northwest, I thought RSVP was just something that was more “traditional” on the East Coast where I was raised, and everyone out here was just rude.

A check-in with my very proper Sicilian Aunt, who still lives on the East Coast, verified that RSVP seems to be loosing meaning. She also lamented that sometimes she doesn’t even get official invitations to parties that—people just expect she will show up for special occasions.

For those 21st Century computer driven readers that may not be sure what we are really referring to, this is NOT the “Rapid Serial Visual Presentation” method used to display text in a limited space; nor is it the “Resource Reservation Protocol” which is a protocol transport layer for the Internet. For the physics scientists, we are also NOT talking about the experimental physics project, or the, “Rare Symmetry Violating Process”. And, finally, for my fans down-under in Australia, we are not talking about your largest online dating service for singles.

Kathi and I are sharing a concern about the lack, or sincerity, of people responding for social events via “RSVP”: “répondez s'il vous plait”, a French expression that means, “please respond”. The request is to respond to the invitation whether you are going to attend, or not attend.

I consulted with Linda Reed, Etiquette Consultant with Burns & Reed Enterprise, regarding her thoughts on what is happening with the RSVP tradition. She said “Lack of knowledge and social entertaining.” She pointed out that many people do not entertain as much these days, so the formal etiquette of response is getting lost.

Ms Reed also said that those hosts sending the invitation with an RSVP can be impacted economically by not having an accurate head count. She pointed out that tables, chairs, linens, flowers, food, etc, are all charged by how many people are going to be there. This amount can vary from $10/head to $1000 or more/head. If you are planning on having 90 people show up and only 75 show up—well, you can do the math.

On the other hand, if you have 75 people respond that they are going to attend, but 90 show up, this stretches the party plans, stresses the hosts, and puts a damper on the entire affair. Again, it can also have an economical impact.

When someone receives an invitation with RSVP written anywhere on the invitation, it is a plea to let the host know whether or not they either plan TO ATTEND or NOT ATTEND. If the host only needs to know if you are NOT going to attend, the invitation may have the words “regrets only” for your response.

Kathi, I really appreciated you asking this question. I found over thirty definitions for RSVP, some of which I shared above, so I am thinking that people being “rude” may not be a reason they don’t respond. I would have to go with Ms Reed’s opinion that people just don’t know, and the social art of entertaining is diminishing.

I sincerely hope that my readers have gotten the importance of appropriately responding to an RSVP the next time you receive an invitation. Your host is working hard to put an event together for your enjoyment as well as theirs, help them do it right by providing an accurate head count. It is the “proper” etiquette.

Be well on your journey and have fun at your next social event.

Have a question about addiction, recovery, or life transitions such as retirement, career change, grief and loss issues, empty nesting, etc, ‘Ask MAx’. Send your questions to Lifestyle Changes, PO Box 1962, Eugene, OR 97440; or, e-mail your questions to maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com. Learn more about MAx Fabry and read her blog at www.lifestylechangescounseling.com.

MAx FABRY INTERVIEW

Interview with MAx Fabry, Founder and President of ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION:

How did you get started with online counseling?

“I was able to see the value of internet counseling which I have been offering clients for almost three years. When I first started, e-mail was the most efficient way of interacting with my clients in Australia and England. Then, as I started getting additional clients, I learned about online phone services that incorporated web cams; and, chat rooms for real time counseling. Somehow, in three years I had accumulated clients in Australia, England, Alaska, California, Florida, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. These clients were all by personal referral. ‘Imagine if I actually started marketing for clients’ I thought one day. In the fall of 2005 it was time to move forward with developing a website to begin expanding my online therapy sessions. Technology had caught up to counseling online—we could now view our clients in real time. And, new generations are becoming virtual community members buying products, downloading music, seeking education—it was truly time for counseling, and other wellness practices, to move into the 21st Century.”

So, you put your private practice online first?

“That was my initial idea. Banking on my three years of internet counseling experience, I decided to embark on an on-line counseling practice. I was ready to put a website up for my own private practice: Lifestyle Changes Counseling Services. As I was doing research to register as an online counselor, I was surprised, and aghast, that there was no specific organization verifying credentials, and, no one able to assure the potential client that I am, in fact, a real counselor, with real credentials. There did not appear to be any real organization to help keep the predators away from the potential vulnerable clients, and to make the internet immediate and efficient for potential clients to chose a wellness practitioner.”

Hence, the idea of ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION?

“The idea of developing a safe platform for practitioners actually hit me in the shower the morning I decided to bag the idea of putting my practice on-line. Talk about a scary thought! I went through the pros and cons of starting a new business that I, or anyone else, had limited knowledge about: developing websites, educating why and how, marketing a virtual business, and on and on! I talked to some friends, consulted a mentor or two. After thinking about the idea for a few days, I seized the opportunity to not only move my own practice, Lifestyle Changes, into the 21st century, but to also develop a platform that would be safe for professionals to offer legitimate services, and, potential clients to find legitimate professionals. I decided I wasn’t going to do online counseling alone—I would invite the rest of the therapeutic community to join me.”

“Thus, ONLINE WELLNESS ASSOCIATION (OWA) was conceived.”

What are you presently working on?

“I have just launched HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM. This is an alternative to the 12-step approach. I have been experimenting with components of this program for the past three years. Presently I have a test subject going through the entire one-year program. This case just started at the beginning of August, so, more to follow.”

Join MAx and other wellness practitioners building a safe platform for wellness services. See if you qualify as a member at

http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com

Learn more about MAx Fabry, her private practice, and the new HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM at

http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com

ADDICTION: INSURANCE COMPANIES

I had an interesting interaction with an insurance company last week that has been staying on my mind. With all the talk going on right now about health reform, I would like to run this by you with the hopes of getting some of your experiences, feedback, and general thoughts about how insurance is allocated for addiction. I would like to qualify that I work and live in Oregon; I believe each state makes up their own rules as they go along---now, I could be wrong about this, too.

My (ten year) practice was actually built on not accepting insurance; I have a sliding scale that has worked for my clients, as well as for me. As an addiction counselor I wanted to be sure that clients that came to me had total confidentiality. When anyone signs a release for a vendor to bill their insurance, they are signing a release that the insurance can request any and all of your records. I believe that this is not only a violation of someone’s privacy, it also limits people accessing help for early addiction help for fear of repercussions with their work, family, and societal standing. In addition, when a counselor/therapist is “approved to be on a panel” (someone approved as a “preferred provider”) the insurance company basically dictates how to keep records.

Another reason I did not want to consider taking insurance is the enormous amount of extra work it takes just to bill the insurance and keep the necessary documentation in order to get paid. Taking insurance would mean hiring someone to deal with the insurances; for a small office, this is not financially feasible. It would cost me almost $1000 per week (salary, benefits, taxes, office space) to hire someone to do this job. I would have to see a lot of clients to cover this cost.

My clients often send a paid invoice for services they received to their insurance company for reimbursement. Surprisingly, many of them have received checks covering a portion, or all of what they paid out. There is one insurance company in Oregon, however, that won’t reimburse, and this is the incident I want to share with you: My client had sent in a paid invoice for services she received over a couple months. She received a rejection for payment. She called the insurance company, but they would not budge on their decision. She called me with a number to call to speak to someone on her behalf. The initial person I talked with was a claims representative with a scripted answer; I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor I spoke with was very adamant that their insurance company only paid “licensed therapists” (Licensed Clinical Social Workers-LCSW). I pointed out that “licensed therapist” were, for the most part, not certified in addiction counseling, and not even required to have taken education in addiction counseling. She held her ground saying “You have to be licensed to be paid by insurance.” I then pointed out that Oregon required “certification” and went over what it took to get a certification from the State of Oregon—the hours, the hands on experience, the education, the case presentation, the continued education hours—“That doesn’t make you a licensed therapist” she responded. I protested “But I have more education about addiction then the usual licensed therapist.” She repeated her mantra “You are not a licensed therapist.” I was frustrated. I took a deep breath, then asked “You are an LCSW, aren’t you?” “Yes.” She answered. Our conversation was over.

Here is what I am looking for from addiction professionals and LCSWs: What are the standards set forth in addiction education for LCSWs? How were professional addiction counselors left out of insurance reimbursement opportunities? How can this be changed? Do we want to change it? What can the insurance companies really request from a client’s files? What is going on in the addiction profession in other states as far as billing insurance, certification, and licensing?

If you can answer any of these questions, or shed additional light on this subject, I would be most appreciative. Meanwhile, I will be do research of my own to see if this topic needs to be part of the present movement for changing how health care is delivered.

Learn more about me, MAx Fabry, at

http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com