Dr. Leslie Ford has been a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 25 years. Her areas of expertise include risk, resilience and adaptive functioning following trauma. During her career she has worked in not-for-profit, private industry and public sectors where she has held roles ranging from direct service to senior leadership. Her background includes work in crisis intervention, school social work, child welfare, case management, corrections, research, healthcare and higher education. She has worked with diverse child and adult populations in urban, suburban and rural communities in Georgia, Maryland, and Illinois.
Dr. Ford is a Certified Case Manager (CCM) who holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Georgia, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Ford is the recipient of two doctoral fellowships from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (Administration for Children, Youth and Families) for research in child abuse and neglect. This course of research focused on identifying approaches to promote recovery and improved clinical outcomes for children residing in foster care and kinship care.
Dr. Ford is the Clinical Director and Owner of Renewal Comprehensive Services, LLC in Elmhurst, IL which specializes in counseling, clinical supervision and consulting. She is also an adjunct professor in the M.S.W. program at Aurora University, a featured speaker and workshop facilitator. Dr. Ford is active in the community and maintains membership in several civic and public service organizations. She routinely volunteers with SIDS of Illinois and is actively involved with the DuPage County ACT-SO Program where she is a member of the Executive Steering Committee and the former Director and Program Advisor for the Jr. ACT-SO an enrichment program.
Dr. Ford practices from a strengths-perspective incorporating a range of empirically validated approaches to meet the unique treatment needs of her clients. She is committed to supporting her clients in achieving emotional, physical and spiritual balance through increased mindfulness and structured, solution-focused therapeutic approaches. The aim of her work is to help clients develop the confidence, tools and techniques to proactively address barriers that prevent them from achieving their personal and professional goals.
“You can take control of the direction of your life and regain a sense of well-being”.
-Dr. Leslie Ford
After years of coordinating services in healthcare and case management settings, Dr. Ford recognized that many of the underlying, complex, real-life issues that clients faced remained largely unaddressed. The toll of these unaddressed life stressors was reflected in the overall health, well-being and emotional stability of the clients that she encountered. In response to this need, Dr. Ford established Renewal Comprehensive Services, LLC in 2011 to provides comprehensive counseling services for clients seeking compassionate, professional support to rebound and recover from difficult life circumstances.
The guiding philosophy of Renewal Comprehensive Services is that with a desire for change it is possible to regain your footing and re-direct the course of your life. Our practice utilizes a strengths-based approach that aids clients in developing new insight, skills and the confidence to navigate current life circumstances and future challenges.
“Unaddressed life stressors can threaten one’s physical health, well-being and emotional stability.”
-Dr. Leslie Ford
At Renewal Comprehensive Services we recognize that making the decision to seek help is not easy. We often find that our clients have been struggling with longstanding issues which have left them feeling confused, overwhelmed and without resolution. Seeking professional support takes courage! By design our practice is a safe, supportive environment where clients can begin the process of establishing a trusting relationship with their therapist to further the process of growth and change.
The first step in the counseling process is to understand your immediate concerns, past experiences and goals for the future. A customized plan of care is then developed to guide the therapy process. Our work will incorporate empirically validated counseling approaches that have been shown to be effective in addressing similar issues.
At Renewal Comprehensive Services we embrace a multicultural perspective that honors diverse traditions, religious beliefs, orientations and life experiences. For therapy to be maximally impactful, we integrate these perspectives in the counseling experience. Our role is to support clients in developing the skills, insight and resources necessary to manage current challenges and future issues with greater self-confidence.
“Seeking professional support takes courage….”
-Dr. Leslie Ford
Forms of Payment Accepted
There are a variety of options that clients may choose from to pay for the cost of counseling. Payment for services is made at the time of each counseling session. We accept most private insurance plans, credit card payments (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, Discover & American Express), Flexible Spending/Flexible Health Accounts and cash payments.
PRIVATE INSURANCE
Renewal Comprehensive Services is in network and accepts the following private health insurance plans:
- Aetna PPO
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO
- Cigna PPO
- Medicare
- Optum
How In-Network Private Insurance Benefits Work
Every insurance company is different as well as the coverage that they provide to their members. Prior to your first office visit, you will be asked to provide:
- Name of the individual insured
- DOB of the insured
- Insurer’s employer
- Group policy number
This information will enable Renewal Comprehensive Services to verify coverage with your insurance company to determine whether prior authorization is required from your primary care physician, how many therapy sessions will be covered, the cost of any copays or coinsurance, and whether you have a deductible that must be met. Our office will share this information with you prior to scheduling your first appointment so that you understand your insurance benefits and any associated costs that you may incur.
OUT-OF-NETWORK BENEFITS
When a therapist is not affiliated with your health plan they are considered to be an out-of-network provider. Some private insurance plans offer their clients out-of-network benefits which allow them to receive care from therapists that are not a part of their provider network. Your plan may cover a portion of the costs of your care when you receive services from an out-of-network provider.
How Out-of-Network Benefits Work
Prior to your first visit, Renewal Comprehensive Services will verify your out-of-network benefits, provide you with the cost of your counseling services and the amount that your insurance company will reimburse you.
You will be responsible for paying the full cost of each counseling session at the time of service. Renewal Comprehensive Services will provide you with a receipt that you may submit to your insurance plan for reimbursement of therapy-related out-of-pocket costs. Clients may access their receipts at any time using the Renewal Comprehensive Services secure online client portal.
HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (HSA) OR FLEX SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (FSA)
Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) allow employees to deduct pre-taxed funds from their paychecks to pay for the cost of medical expenses. In many cases, a debit card is provided that is linked to the HSA/ FSA account that can be used to pay for qualifying healthcare expenses. Many of our clients utilize their Health Savings Accounts or Flex Savings Accounts to pay for counseling sessions.
How Health Savings Account or Flex Savings Account Benefits Work
Prior to your first visit, please verify the balance of your HSA/FSA account to ensure that there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of your care. You will be responsible for paying the full cost of each counseling session at the time of service.
When you present for your appointment, please provide your HSA/FSA card. Your HSA/FSA card will be used, like a debit card, to cover the cost of your therapy session. Should your HSA/FSA account not have the funds available to cover the full cost of services, you will be responsible for paying the remaining balance at the time of service.
PRIVATE PAY (SELF-PAY)
Many of our clients choose to self-pay for counseling without using insurance. Two primary reasons why some choose to self-pay are: 1) insurance companies typically only cover therapy services for mental health diagnoses, and 2) some clients prefer to have their permanent health records remain private.
By self-paying, clients may avoid receiving a mental health diagnosis and prevent insurance companies from having legal access to their personal information, diagnosis, treatment plan and case notes.
When clients self-pay this eliminates the need to coordinate with insurance companies. Private paying clients can be confident that their treatment and personal information adheres to the highest standards of privacy allowed by the State of Illinois. Self-paying for counseling also provides greater flexibility in determining the length of treatment.
How Self-Pay Works
Self-paying clients are responsible for paying the full cost of each counseling session at the time of service. Renewal Comprehensive Services will provide you with a should you decide to submit this documentation at a later time to your insurance company for reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs. Clients can access their receipts at any time using the Renewal Comprehensive Services secure online client portal.
SLIDING FEE SCALE
At Renewal Comprehensive Services we understand that paying for the cost of counseling is sometimes difficult. If you are without insurance and you meet certain income guidelines, our sliding fee scale may be an option for you.
How Sliding Fee Scales WorkSliding fees are calculate for each session as follows; divide your total annual household gross income during the most recent tax year by the number 1000. This will give you the approximate sliding fee for a 50-minute counseling session. For example: if your gross annual income for all wage earners in the household is $60,000, divide that by 1000, and the sliding fee would be $60 for each session. A minimum fee of $60 is required per 50-minute session.
If you are without private health insurance and would like to explore if our sliding fee scale may be an option, please contact our office prior to your first session so that we can assess your eligibility. You will be asked to provide verification of your combined household income to determine eligible for this payment option. It is the responsibility of the client to pay the full cost of each counseling session at the time of service. Clients may access their receipts at any time using the Renewal Comprehensive Services secure online client portal.
CANCELLATION POLICY
We request that you provide 24-hours notice to cancel an appointment. This provides Renewal Comprehensive Services with the opportunity to meet with other clients during the time that was reserved for you. If you do not attend, or cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of your counseling session. The “no-show” fee is not covered by insurance and will be the sole responsibility of the client. No-show fees must be satisfied before future services are rendered.