MCG’s Equitable Sliding Scale: Affordable Mental Health Care

 

At MCG we strive…

to increase accessibility to effective, evidenced-based practice. We recognize that while some individuals can comfortably afford treatment, for others, access to mental health services is outside of reach. For this reason, we have adopted an equitable sliding scale payment option. Our aim is to increase access to all for quality mental health services while also ensuring fair compensation for our hard-working clinicians by asking clients to pay according to their available resources. The chart below is intended to help you consider where you might fall with regard to payment for services. It is “…intended to be a map, inviting each person to take inventory of their financial resources and look deeper at their levels of privilege or systemic barriers…[a way] to challenge classist and capitalistic society we live in and work towards economic justice as a community” (Hawthorne, 2018).

  • Support children and/or other dependents

    Have significant debt

    Are eligible for public assistance

    Experience discrimination in hiring or pay level

    Have immigration-related expenses

    Are an elder with limited financial support

    Are an unpaid community organizer/worker

    Are descended from enslaved people or Native American Indians

  • Travel when needed especially for an unexpected occasion

    Have reliable transportation

    Are able to repay or are in the process of repaying your student loans

    Are able to miss work for sickness or leisure and are still able to pay next month’s bills

    Receive economic support from others for things like car payments, phone bills, spending money

    Are able to contribute to a retirement plan

  • Are single and/or without dependents

    Are able to repay your student loans, are in repayment, or have paid off your student loans

    Have employer health insurance and/or other employer benefits

    Have daily reliable transportation

    Travel for recreation

    Have access to family money and resources, or have family who pay for treatment

    Have a high degree of earning power

    Own the home you live in

    Work part-time or unemployed by choice, including unemployment due to full-time school

    Have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money