Helpful guidance about how to approach INN and OON billing for mental health services, including busting common myths

Interview-style, with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • Course Description

    Whether you are an In-Network or Out-of-Network provider, clinicians need to have a good awareness and understanding of the ethical and legal issues that may arise when navigating insurance. This course discusses the complexities of accepting payment from insurance companies either as an in-network or out-of-network provider, and clarifies many sources of confusion for providers. Attendees will walk away with a clearer understanding about how to bill insurance as an in-network or out-of-network provider, document Medical Necessity, and develop billing and insurance policies that are ethically and legally compliant.

  • Learning Objectives

    Upon completing this course, participants will be able to: Identify common practices that result in clinicians unintentionally (or intentionally) committing insurance fraud; Develop policies that inform private pay clients about their rights and policies while honoring the virtue of “do no harm”; Describe the importance of appropriate diagnoses and meeting medical necessity


    Target Audience and Instructional Level
    This course is intended for psychologists, therapists, social workers, clinical counselors, and addiction counselors. Instructional level: Introductory/Intermediate

  • How To Take This Course

    In order to receive a certificate of completion reflecting the associated CE credit hour, you must:
    #1: Have an active paid Clearly Clinical membership
    #2: Listen to the corresponding course podcast
    #3: Achieve a passing grade on the post-presentation test (the test has up to ten questions and you must earn a score of at least 80%; you are able to re-test)
    #4: Complete the requested course evaluation.

    Course elements (including the course audio, post-test, and requested course evaluation) can be completed on a computer or mobile device via your Clearly Clinical account.

  • Course Format

    This high-quality and interesting course contains a one-hour, non-interactive audio podcast presentation which is available for free via all major public podcast providers. You can also listen to and download the file via our course player.

  • Commercial Support

    There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for this CE program, presenter, sponsor, instructor, or content.

  • Certificate Access Details

    Once you've completed the course, your certificate will automatically populate in the 'Certificate' section of your account; it will also be emailed to you. Access to completion certificate will expire 365 days after issuance. Course certificates will be on file for ten (10) years from date of course completion.

  • Accommodations

    If you have special needs or need an accommodation, please email us at info@clearlyclinical.com and we will do our best to assist you.

Interviewee and Interviewer

Dr. Ajita Robinson, LCPC-S, NCC

Insurance and Billing Expert

Dr. Robinson has traveled the country providing workshops, trainings and consultations to a variety of audiences including mental health professionals, families, educations, communities, students and many more. Dr. Robinson is affectionately called “The Experts’ Therapist.”

Dr. Ajita Robinson is the owner and Executive Director at Friends in Transition Counseling Services, LLC a group mental health practice located in Bethesda, Maryland. She is the CEO of Mastering Insurance, LLC an agency that offers credentialing and billing courses and services for mental health professionals. Please visit her at www.MasteringInsurance.com and Friends In Transition (FIT), LLC Counseling Services.

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias, MS, LMFT

Interviewer & Clearly Clinical Founder

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias (she/her) is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and the Founder and President of Clearly Clinical. She has specializations in Clinical Documentation, Best Practice, and Utilization Review, and works closely with clinical teams across the US as a trainer and national conference presenter; Beth was formerly an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate Psychology and Education department. Licensed in California and Oregon, she provides therapy via her private practice to young adult and adult clients, members of the LGBTQ population, and those with addictive disorders. She has two young children, a super cool spouse who helps out with Clearly Clinical's tech, and a rescue dog.

See why we're the country's premier CE provider

  • CONVENIENT: All courses are 1-hour podcast episodes, available on all public podcast platforms

  • AFFORDABLE: We offer quality CE courses through a reasonably-priced membership

  • SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE: We donate to The Trevor Project for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention

  • WOMEN-OWNED: We are founded and run by Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • DIVERSE: We highlight expert presenters from historically-marginalized communities


Quick Note: Are you confused about the difference between a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and a Continuing Education (CE) Credit Hour?  You're not the only one! Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for clarification!