Consult Call GuidePath Forward Therapy · 15-min fit check, not an intake
Fit check: not started
Press start when the call begins 0:00

Potential client

Copy these from the referral tracker before you call.

They reached out by
1

Open & must-haves

0:00 – 2:00 · if any of these don't work, nothing else matters

Open “Hi, is this ? This is Gabriella from Path Forward Therapy, returning your call. Is now still a good time, and are you somewhere you can talk privately?”
“This is a free call, about 15 minutes, so I can hear a little about what's going on, answer your questions, and see if we'd be a good fit. If we get cut off, is this the best number to call you back?”
Who it's for “Is the therapy for you, or for someone else? How old are they?”
“Will a parent or guardian be involved, or are you hoping to start on your own?”
“For anyone under 16, a parent or guardian needs to consent and fill out the paperwork. Are you the parent or guardian?”
“Are the child's parents together, or separated or divorced?”
Location “Will you be in New Jersey for your sessions?”
In person or telehealth “Would you prefer in person at our Hamilton office, telehealth, or either?”
Insurance guide p. 7 “What insurance do you have, or are you planning to pay out of pocket?”
LSWs can only see Aetna and BCBS right now. Say: “I'm only able to work with Aetna and BlueCross right now. I could see you at the self-pay rate of $140 a session, or I can check whether one of our other clinicians takes your insurance.”
Type of therapy “Are you looking for individual therapy, or for couples or family therapy?”
2

What brings them in

2:00 – 6:00 · a few sentences each. The details come at intake.

Why now guide p. 5 “What's been going on that made you decide to reach out now?”
How long “How long has this been going on?”
Effect on daily life “How much is it getting in the way of work or school, relationships, sleep, or taking care of yourself?”
Goal “If therapy goes well, what would you like to be different?”
Past therapy guide p. 5 “Have you been in therapy before? What helped, and what do you wish had been different?”
Hospitalization guide p. 5 “Have you ever been in the hospital for mental health reasons?”
“About when was that, and what was going on?”
Medication guide p. 5 “Are you taking any medication for your mental health? Who prescribes it?”
“What are you taking, and what dose?”
Other therapist “Are you seeing another therapist right now?”
3

Safety screen

6:00 – 9:00 · Columbia (C-SSRS) screener, then a quick substance and medical check

“I ask everyone these next few questions, so it's not because of anything you've said. They're about the past month.”
1 · Wish to be dead “In the past month, have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up?”
2 · Suicidal thoughts “In the past month, have you actually had any thoughts of killing yourself?”

No → skip to question 6.

3 · Method “Have you been thinking about how you might do this?”
4 · Intent “Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting on them?”
5 · Plan “Have you started to work out, or worked out, the details of how to kill yourself? Do you intend to carry out this plan?”
6 · Past behavior “Have you ever done anything, started to do anything, or prepared to do anything to end your life?”
“Was that in the past 3 months?”
Safe right now “Thank you for telling me. Are you safe right now?”
Others' safety “Have you had any thoughts about hurting someone else?”
Alcohol NIAAA single question “In the past year, how many times have you had 4 or more drinks in a day (5 or more for men)?”
Drugs NIDA single question “In the past year, how many times have you used a recreational drug, or a prescription medication for non-medical reasons?”
“When you cut back or stop, do you get shaky, sweaty, sick to your stomach, or very on edge?”
“Is your drinking or drug use part of what you'd like help with, or the main thing?”
If any of these come up, check it
4

Fit check

9:00 – 12:00 · their questions, your call, and whether schedules line up

Their questions guide p. 5 “What questions do you have for me?”
Your experience guide p. 6 One or two sentences on your experience with what they described. Keep your go-to lines below (saved for every consult).
My go-to experience lines
Supervision guide p. 8 “I'm a Licensed Social Worker, so I practice under the clinical supervision of Kristy Castle, an LCSW here at Path Forward. That means I talk about my cases with her, and she keeps everything confidential too. Is that okay with you?”
Your call: within your training? Based on what they've described, not on the call itself.
Availability “What days and times usually work for you? Weekly sessions are about 53 minutes.”
Their readiness “How are you feeling about moving forward?”
5

Next steps

12:00 – 15:00 · book it on this call if it's a fit

How it ended guide pp. 5–6
“I think we'd be a good fit. Let's find a time for your first appointment.”
Basic info guide p. 6
Okay to contact by
First appointment
“Before then you'll get some paperwork by email. Please finish it a couple of days ahead so your insurance can be verified at least 48 hours before. If you need to cancel, give me at least 24 hours' notice, and contact me directly.”
“Of course, take your time. When would be a good time for me to check back in?”
“Thank you for sharing all of that with me. Let me check my schedule and a couple of things on my end, and I'll get back to you by ___. Is this still the best number?”

From the guide (p. 6): this gives you room to consult a supervisor before agreeing to meet, with a reasonable, non-pathologizing explanation.

“Based on what you've shared, I think you'd be best supported by someone who specializes in ___. I'd be glad to send you a few names.”
✓

After the call

Only the steps that match how the call ended are shown.

Every call

Rescheduled

Thinking about it

Not a good fit

Scheduled

Kristy 201-406-3127Crisis 988Emergency 911DCPP 1-877-652-2873
Notes save automatically in this browser on this Mac. Nothing is uploaded. Once what you need is in the tracker or SimplePractice, delete the consult here.
Safety questions are the Columbia (C-SSRS) screener; alcohol and drug items are the NIAAA/NIDA single-question screens. They screen, they don't diagnose. Your judgment and Kristy's come first.