What exactly does it mean that you are Board-certified?
Among psychologists, the letters ABPP signify board certification by the American Board for Professional Psychology (ABPP). For more than 60 years, American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) has provided board certification for psychologists through credential review and competency-based examination processes. As such, the letters ABPP document the attainment of the highest level of recognition of competence within a psychological specialty.
The fundamental difference between licensure and board certification relates to the differences between general knowledge and training in psychology, specific knowledge of a specialty, and competence in the practice of that specialty. Licensure provides basic assurance that a psychologist is sufficiently educated and knowledgeable to practice psychology in general. However, may professions, among them medicine, law and psychology, have established methods to evaluate and recognize competence, considering that a professional may be generally well experienced but not necessarily knowledgeable or competent in the practice of a specialty.
Board certification of police psychologists is an outgrowth of this attention to competence and consumer protection. It serves as one method for addressing competency to provide services in the field of police and public safety.
As a way of serving the public and the profession, one of ABPP’s primary purposes is certifying specialists through competency-based examinations. These examinations measure knowledge, assess professional decision-making and practice performance, and evaluates integrated assessment of practice-based skills and tasks.
A key benefit of ABPP board certification of police psychologists is the identification of specialists who have demonstrated competence through an arduous examination by a board of their peers, as measured against established specialty standards and benchmarks. This credentialing is identifiable as ABPPSP (American Board of Professional Psychology in Police and Public Safety Psychology).
For police chiefs and administrators, the benefits of utilizing board certified psychologists are:
Increased confidence. ABPPSP board certification is assurance that a psychologist has obtained the required training and has undergone evaluation by his/her peers.
Specialty knowledge, skills, and experience. ABPPSP certified psychologists have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and in-depth experience required for competent practice.
Board certification incrementally improves the quality of practice across the specialty. Psychologists who choose not to pursue board certification still may be competent in the specialty of police psychology; however, only ABPPSP certified psychologists have demonstrated that competence to the satisfaction of their peers through a demanding series of examinations overseen by a nationally recognized certifying organization.
**Information obtained and adapted from:
American Board of Professional Psychology. (2011). Specialty Certification in Police and Public Safety Psychology [Brochure]. Chapel Hill, NC.
Please visit www.abpp.org for additional details.
What kind of clients do you see?
Kuhlman Psychology focuses on serving the needs of public safety employees, such as law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, and EMS. We also work with 9-1-1 dispatchers and operators, victim advocates, CSI, medical examiners, and prosecutors.
What are your fees?
Our fees differ based on service and clinician; they range anywhere from $130 to $400 per hour.
What methods of payment do you accept?
Most clinicians are currently IN NETWORK with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. You will be required to input credit card information prior to your first appointment, and that will be charged unless you choose to pay in cash at the time of your appointment.
If you would like to use your out-of-network benefits with a plan we are not contracted with, we will provide you a 'Superbill' which you can then attempt to submit for reimbursement after paying at the office. We will happily work with HB2502.
If you are paying out of pocket for services, You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate”
explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
• Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day
before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you
choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call the office at: (480) 800-3620.
What is HB2502 and how does it work?
HB2502 ("Craig Tiger Act") is Arizona legislation that requires police/fire/sheriff departments to pay for at least 12, and up to 36 sessions of psychotherapy if the employee has a "qualified event." This includes most critical incidents include OIS, child deaths, etc. This bill requires the person providing this service to be a licensed mental health clinician. It also states that the employee has the right to choose the clinician of their choice, so your insurance, employer's EAP, etc. does not matter. As a practice that specializes in working with first responders and trauma, we are happy to assist in providing services through this bill, and will work with you to figure out how to get it done.
What should I expect at my first appointment?
Your first appointment is an opportunity to see if we are a good "fit" and for your clinician to get an understanding of your current struggles. Our clinicians prefer conversation over standardized intakes or checklists. At the conclusion of the first appointment, your clinician will together, with you, develop a plan to help you achieve your goals. Not sure what your goals of therapy are at the start? That's ok! Our clinicians will help you hone in on them.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting treatment involves having patients position their eyes in certain ways that allows them to target the sources of negative emotion. The therapist uses a pointer to slowly guide the eyes of the patient in order to discover “brain spots” which will activate a traumatic memory or painful emotion. Finding these brain spots allows patients to access emotions on a deeper level and start to target the physical effects of their traumatic experience.
I live out of state, can I still see you?
Mental health professionals can only practice in states in which they are licensed. Our clinicians are all physically located in Arizona, but some are licensed to practice in others states as well. Please contact us for more information.
Among psychologists, the letters ABPP signify board certification by the American Board for Professional Psychology (ABPP). For more than 60 years, American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) has provided board certification for psychologists through credential review and competency-based examination processes. As such, the letters ABPP document the attainment of the highest level of recognition of competence within a psychological specialty.
The fundamental difference between licensure and board certification relates to the differences between general knowledge and training in psychology, specific knowledge of a specialty, and competence in the practice of that specialty. Licensure provides basic assurance that a psychologist is sufficiently educated and knowledgeable to practice psychology in general. However, may professions, among them medicine, law and psychology, have established methods to evaluate and recognize competence, considering that a professional may be generally well experienced but not necessarily knowledgeable or competent in the practice of a specialty.
Board certification of police psychologists is an outgrowth of this attention to competence and consumer protection. It serves as one method for addressing competency to provide services in the field of police and public safety.
As a way of serving the public and the profession, one of ABPP’s primary purposes is certifying specialists through competency-based examinations. These examinations measure knowledge, assess professional decision-making and practice performance, and evaluates integrated assessment of practice-based skills and tasks.
A key benefit of ABPP board certification of police psychologists is the identification of specialists who have demonstrated competence through an arduous examination by a board of their peers, as measured against established specialty standards and benchmarks. This credentialing is identifiable as ABPPSP (American Board of Professional Psychology in Police and Public Safety Psychology).
For police chiefs and administrators, the benefits of utilizing board certified psychologists are:
Increased confidence. ABPPSP board certification is assurance that a psychologist has obtained the required training and has undergone evaluation by his/her peers.
Specialty knowledge, skills, and experience. ABPPSP certified psychologists have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and in-depth experience required for competent practice.
Board certification incrementally improves the quality of practice across the specialty. Psychologists who choose not to pursue board certification still may be competent in the specialty of police psychology; however, only ABPPSP certified psychologists have demonstrated that competence to the satisfaction of their peers through a demanding series of examinations overseen by a nationally recognized certifying organization.
**Information obtained and adapted from:
American Board of Professional Psychology. (2011). Specialty Certification in Police and Public Safety Psychology [Brochure]. Chapel Hill, NC.
Please visit www.abpp.org for additional details.
What kind of clients do you see?
Kuhlman Psychology focuses on serving the needs of public safety employees, such as law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, and EMS. We also work with 9-1-1 dispatchers and operators, victim advocates, CSI, medical examiners, and prosecutors.
What are your fees?
Our fees differ based on service and clinician; they range anywhere from $130 to $400 per hour.
What methods of payment do you accept?
Most clinicians are currently IN NETWORK with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. You will be required to input credit card information prior to your first appointment, and that will be charged unless you choose to pay in cash at the time of your appointment.
If you would like to use your out-of-network benefits with a plan we are not contracted with, we will provide you a 'Superbill' which you can then attempt to submit for reimbursement after paying at the office. We will happily work with HB2502.
If you are paying out of pocket for services, You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate”
explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
• Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day
before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you
choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call the office at: (480) 800-3620.
What is HB2502 and how does it work?
HB2502 ("Craig Tiger Act") is Arizona legislation that requires police/fire/sheriff departments to pay for at least 12, and up to 36 sessions of psychotherapy if the employee has a "qualified event." This includes most critical incidents include OIS, child deaths, etc. This bill requires the person providing this service to be a licensed mental health clinician. It also states that the employee has the right to choose the clinician of their choice, so your insurance, employer's EAP, etc. does not matter. As a practice that specializes in working with first responders and trauma, we are happy to assist in providing services through this bill, and will work with you to figure out how to get it done.
What should I expect at my first appointment?
Your first appointment is an opportunity to see if we are a good "fit" and for your clinician to get an understanding of your current struggles. Our clinicians prefer conversation over standardized intakes or checklists. At the conclusion of the first appointment, your clinician will together, with you, develop a plan to help you achieve your goals. Not sure what your goals of therapy are at the start? That's ok! Our clinicians will help you hone in on them.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting treatment involves having patients position their eyes in certain ways that allows them to target the sources of negative emotion. The therapist uses a pointer to slowly guide the eyes of the patient in order to discover “brain spots” which will activate a traumatic memory or painful emotion. Finding these brain spots allows patients to access emotions on a deeper level and start to target the physical effects of their traumatic experience.
I live out of state, can I still see you?
Mental health professionals can only practice in states in which they are licensed. Our clinicians are all physically located in Arizona, but some are licensed to practice in others states as well. Please contact us for more information.