Question:
How long should it take for the psycologist to send in your referal?

After my meeting and completion of the personality testing the doctor psycologist told me she would have my paperwork send in within 3 weeks -- it has been over 2 months now and she just keeps telling me that she has been to busy to keep up with her paperwork. Any suggestions?    — [Anonymous] (posted on June 1, 2001)

June 1, 2001
I have two friends that are clinical psychologists and they are both very much "people type of people" and not into the paperwork aspect of their work. They both grumble about how time consuming paperwork is and that it is not their favorite part of their jobs. Also, I have taken many graduate level classes in professional counseling to help me in my work and many of my classmates who were studying to become therapists and the professors themselves complain about the paperwork aspect of career in counseling. I would suggest you just very politely, but also very firmly say something to the psychologist like, "When may I expect my evaluation to be completed and in the mail?" If you get a general answer like, "Oh as soon as I can get to it....You see I am very busy," which is exactly what the doc said who is doing my eval, I would add something like, "Could you be more specific? Can I expect it will be in the mail within one week?" Then call in one week and ask if it has been sent and if the answer is "no" then go through the same dialogue again. This process is definitely a lesson in patience for some of us, me included. And no, neither of my friends is doing my psyc evaluation for me. That could be construed as unprofessional.
   — [Anonymous]

June 1, 2001
I had the same thing happen to me. I started the process on August 2nd. Blue Choice Option put me through a living hell. Every step of the way that I got approval from someone they would want me to get a second opinion. See this one, see that one, now go to this one. They were hoping someone, somewhere along the way would say NO! But EVERYONE said YES and they couldn't stand it. I already had an ok from my psychiatrist but no, they wanted me to see a certain guy... and this butt head dragged it out two months! I finally figured to heck with being patient and nice, I'll start calling every 3 days to a week. His secretary felt sorry for me and she got the ball a rolling. (I saw the guy on Jan 2nd). It was early March or so before it was finally sent! Then the jerk (sorry but this guy was one) recommended I see a dietitian. Which I already had in the past to no avail... Rrrrrr. So that added MORE MONTHS to this ordeal. So the whole process (partly thanks to the jerk on Jan 2nd) took nine months to get approval. I hate Blue Choice Option and Psychiatrists. What a rip off. I know how you feel with the wait. Surely it is not necessary for it to take this long. They are just after money and will do anything to drag it on. And don't any of you say they don't. I've had have to go through alot of psychotherapy to get approval for my prior surgeries and they don't give a d$#@ about you, it's just money, money, money. How can we drag it out so we can get the most money out of this sap. I have lost ALL respect for the psychiatrist profession. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but I haven't meant to many. Good luck to you. You'll need it.
   — Danmark