New Professional Membership is Now Closed

TherapySafetyNet is no longer accepting new applications for professional membership. The therapists listed on our site are alumnae of TherapySafetyNet from 2007-2013 when we operated as a referral service for uninsured New Yorkers. Please follow our News section to learn more.

Following is the archival introduction to TherapySafetyNet membership:

About TherapySafetyNet Professional Membership

Welcome to TherapySafetyNet.org, a co-operative professional network designed to address the mental health needs of uninsured New Yorkers.

Our organizing vision is for every New Yorker to have the opportunity to receive quality mental health care at an affordable fee. We currently serve the five boroughs of New York City.

Our network consists of licensed psychologists and social workers in private practice. Membership in TherapySafetyNet offers professionals an organized way to meet the ethical aspiration to devote some portion of one’s professional work for little or no compensation.

Low Fee Requirement

TherapySafetyNet is different from most on-line therapist directories. Most of the prospective clients who ask us to help find them find a referral are unable to afford competitive private practice fees. Experience has shown that most uninsured clients can typically only significantly reduced fees. Your participation in our network requires you to work with eligible clients on a sliding scale basis, with a requirement that each participating clinician work with at least one client at a very lowest end of the scale. We do not publish specific information about the sliding scale on this website, but you are welcome to contact us for details.

Changes in Insurance and Income

Clients remain eligible for services at a reduced fee as long as they remain uninsured and their gross annual income remains below $60,000. Clients and therapists will be expected to discuss changes in insurance and income status. Fees may be reassessed periodically as the client’s income changes. If a client becomes insured, the therapist and client may continue working together on mutually agreeable terms apart from the TherapySafetyNet sliding scale.

Dues

TherapySafetyNet operates on a co-op model. Participating professionals are required to pay annual dues ($130 for 2013) and are invited to contribute service to help the organization achieve its goals. Current service opportunities include public relations, outreach, referral coordination, and blogging.

We are not a group practice, but rather an informal network of like-minded professionals. As independent practitioners, each member of our network maintains complete control of his or her private practice.

Referrals

Prospective clients may inquire online about our services, and a member of our network will then determine their eligibility. When a client is eligible for reduced fee services and you have corresponding openings in your caseload, you may receive the referral. Please see the Client Inquiry page for more details about the referral process.

New Professional Applicants

Applying to join TherapySafetyNet requires both a written application and an interview. The application may be completed on-line here:

Professional Membership Application

You will be asked to enter information about your practice that will appear on the the web site. You will also be asked about your professional standing and liability coverage. To be considered eligible to join our network, you must be a psychologist or social worker who is licensed in New York, who has current liability coverage, and who practices within the five boroughs.

The application will also ask you to agree to the terms of our co-op model. Clinicians joining the network are required to pay annual dues, currently $130. Members are also invited to contribute service to help run the organization.

Once your application has been received, we will review the information you have provided. We may then invite you to interview with a member of our executive committee. This meeting allows us to orient you to participation in TherapySafetyNet and to learn about your practice so that the referrals we may send you are as close a fit as possible. Once the meeting has taken place, we will notify you as to an acceptance decision within two weeks.