July 2008

SANTA CRUZ INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE REPORT

By Pam Kangas, Ph.D.
I & R Chair (Acting)
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Our fourteen members continue to field from one to ten calls a week on the I & R referral line. Calls can offer the opportunity to clarify the difference between a psychiatrist and psychologist, direct people to Medicare/MediCal services, or explain ways of entering the therapy process. The majority of our callers ask for a therapist referral. We give out three names and support the person to begin his/her calls.

At our next meeting (September 12, 2008, Dominican Hospital Education Building) we plan to evaluate our role as a community resource, and discuss ways that we can be a more visible resource to physicians, attorneys, courts and consumers.

Psychologists who are interested in joining the Santa Cruz Information and Referral Service are invited to call the phone line (831 429-7799). The on-call psychologist will return the call and provide information about the committee and how to join.