Your first visits at Gyro Psychology Services
When you call Dr. Callies office, he will confirm that you are the child’s legal guardian and ask you to give a brief description of your concerns about your child to make sure we are the most appropriate service for your child, teen, or young adult.
If you have insurance he will explain your benefits to you and what you can expect from the initial visit with him, and every visit thereafter. If you are unsure of your benefits he will contact your insurance carrier and determine your child’s mental health benefits for you so that there are no surprises when claims are submitted and processed.
Once this process is complete, Dr. Callies will schedule an appointment for you to meet with him, for a comprehensive intake interview. The initial meeting typically involves the parents or caretakers only.
The second step in your initial visit involves reviewing and signing our “Patient Policies” and “Confidentially & Medical Records forms”. In addition, we ask that you complete the “Patient Registration form” and our “Parent Questionnaire”, so that Dr. Callies can learn more about your specific concerns and your child’s developmental, family, and school history. Dr. Callies will also need a signed “Release of Information” form so that he can communicate with members of your child’s medical and education teams and other providers involved in your child’s wellness. If you have child who is 13 years or older they will also need to sign the release form.
Please download and complete the following forms and bring them to your first appointment:
Your First Visit
The first meeting is dedicated to talk with you and understanding your child’s behavior, challenges, concerns, and strengths. We will talk about the history of these behaviors, changes that may impact their behavior, their coping skills, how these behaviors impact their functioning at home, in school, socially, and in the community. Getting an understanding of your child’s developmental history, social history, academic history and their current and past living situations are key areas that will be discussed.
Toward the end of our 50-minute meeting you will be given a series of assessments for you, your child, and members of the community, like teachers, to complete. You will be asked to these assessments completed by your second visit.
The evaluation would not Abe complete without supporting information from other professionals. So please bring copies of previous school evaluations, evaluations completed by a Psychologist or Psychiatrist, Occupational and Psychical Therapy Evaluations and reports from your child’s Pediatrician or Family Physician with you to this meeting.
Your Second Visit
Children 13 years and older will be informed of their rights to confidentiality at the outset of the meeting. The primary focus of the second meeting is to talk with your child, teen, or young adult to understand their concerns about their home environment, school, and friendships with peers. You may be asked to participate with your child at the outset of the meeting to discuss your initial concerns and your reasoning for seeking an assessment and/or treatment. Once your initial concerns are discussed, we will meet with your child individually.
Your child will typically be asked about specific symptoms, when they first observed these symptoms, how they impact their relations with others (caregivers, teachers, friends), academic achievement, their ability to participate in community and family activities, and situations that are stressful for them. Dr. Callies also ask about their coping strategies, perceived support system, activities they enjoy, strengths and what areas they feel need improvement. They may be asked to complete symptom specific assessments during the course of the meeting. The interview with your child typically takes about 50 minutes.
Your Third Visit
By this time Dr. Callies will have pulled together all the information you have shared with him. The focus of this meeting involves sharing the outcome of the assessments, clearly identifying your child’s areas of difficulty and strengths and providing you with a clinical diagnosis. Once this is established Dr. Callies will develop a plan on how to address your child’s unique needs and establish a course of treatment.
Many parents have questions about their child’s mood or behavior, how ling it will take to see improvement and expectations for both them and their child as treatment moves forward. Your questions will be answered during the course of this meeting. Establishing behavioral goals and recommended readings so that parents or guardians can support change at home are often recommended. Often times, treatment begins at the end of this informational session. This meeting typically lasts approximately 50 minutes.