Frequently Asked Questions

Not at all. For a lot of people, there is a stigma attached to needing therapy, but we want to invite you to reframe that thought to think of therapy just as it is… health care. Just like your child’s annual check-up at the doctor or the physical they need to play sports, therapy can be absolutely normal—even preventive. This means that nothing has to be wrong for your child to benefit from speaking to a professional. It can also mean that if something is wrong, we are a part of your team that is dedicated to the well-being of your child. We can help develop care plans, work with you to find resources, and attack the problem while providing support for your young person.

Your child may have been referred to Hopebound as an intervention measure by their school or another adult in their life. Knowing that there could be something going on with your child that is causing an issue can be alarming.

Please know that this is common and is not an indictment of the goodness/badness of your child or a judgment of your parenting. They often say it takes a village, and we hope you see this as your village in action.

If someone is referring your child to Hopebound, that means that someone cares about their future and believes that they deserve support. We believe that too

Hopebound runs for the majority of the academic school year starting in the fall and ending in the spring, at the end of April. You and your child will have the option to renew in the fall with a new clinician. Hopebound works with different clinicians every school year, so your child will not be able to continue with the same clinician multiple years in a row. If your child returns for a second year, Hopebound will ensure your child is matched to an equally caring and compassionate clinician to continue their mental health and wellness journey.

Hopebound mainly serves clients who are between 10 and 18 years old, or who are in 4th grade through 12th grade.

Once your child completes 12th grade, Hopebound will refer them to outside services if they would like to continue to participate in counseling.

We work really hard to match your child with the right clinician, but sometimes there is just a disconnect. If that is the case, please get in touch with Ian, the Interim Co-ED by emailing iansmith@hopebound.com to discuss if finding a better match is possible. Please note that a new match is subject to the availability of the counselors on the clinical roster and cannot be guaranteed, though we will try our hardest to accommodate. Just like you and your family, our clinicians have busy lives, and it requires flexibility and patience on all parts to support your child in their mental health journey!

Hopebound operates on a sliding scale policy where we provide therapy that is no or lowcost. This means that caregivers are asked and encouraged to contribute between $0-$30 a session depending on what they are comfortable with giving. Insurance is not required. Hopebound is committed to never letting the inability to pay be a barrier to families in need, and any contribution ensures that will always be the case. We operate in good faith and will not ask families to prove their financial status, but ask that if possible, you consider cost-sharing with us to the best of your ability.

Please note that if Hopebound is partnering directly with your child’s school or after-school program, you will not be asked to pay for services as they will cover the cost.

Our team of outstanding counselors who are completing their master’s degrees and are emerging clinicians go through a rigorous interview process followed by comprehensive hands-on training that extends from the beginning of their Hopebound engagement all the way through to the end. As well as regularly working alongside the full-time Hopebound team, they have at least two licensed clinical supervisors to support them throughout—so that means not only are they bringing their learnings from their graduate programs directly into sessions, but they are constantly refining it with a top-notch team of professionals almost daily. This is a win-win. These emerging clinicians, who need these clinical hours to graduate, are what we call “Near-Peers” to the students we serve. In a recent article by EdSurge, it was noted that “Several research studies have shown the efficacy of near-peer and other mentorship programs on students from underrepresented backgrounds in supporting students’ social-emotional needs, boosting their self-esteem and academic performance and leading to other positive outcomes.”

Hopebound strives to provide the highest quality mental health services while attempting to accommodate each client’s schedule. While we understand emergencies may occur and that life can sometimes get in the way of plans, cancellations, tardiness, and absences reduce our ability to accommodate the scheduling needs of all our clients. As such, we request your full cooperation with the following company policy:

• Hopebound operates on a “three strikes” policy. If your child is a no-show or late cancel (cancels within 24 hours of an appointment) three times, they may be asked to leave the program so that another child can benefit.
• Hopebound requires all cancellations to be made 24 hours in advance. It is the client’s/parent’s/guardian’s responsibility, when he/she/they calls in to have an alternative time in mind that will ensure he/she gets in the full prescribed number of treatments that week whenever possible.
• If a client does not show up for the scheduled appointment, their Hopebound counselor will mark the client as a “no show” after 15 minutes and the missed appointment will count toward the “three strikes” policy.
• Hopebound maintains the right to administratively discharge patients that do not follow our attendance policy.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please contact your child’s clinician directly at least 24 hours in advance. To log into SimplePractice, you will visit https://hopebound.clientsecure.me/. For security purposes, there is no password required. Instead, each time you visit the website, you will select, “I am an existing client,” enter your email address and will then be sent a sign-in link. Note that the link will expire after 24 hours. SimplePractice also has an app that we recommend you download for ease of completing intake forms and communications!

If you are having issues logging into SimplePractice, joining a scheduled session, or messaging your child’s clinician, please get in touch with our Operations Associate by emailing hello@hopebound.com or arayamcgee@hopebound.com.

In order to establish trust between your child and their clinician, we adhere to a strict confidentiality policy. What your child talks about in their sessions will not be shared with anyone else, unless it is determined that your child’s safety or the safety of someone else is at risk. However, your child’s clinician will set up monthly check-in sessions with you so that you have the opportunity to regularly share how you feel your child is responding to counseling and express any potential concerns.