Dr. Montañez provides the following services for Spanish-speaking injured workers:

 

1) Behavioral Health Intervention (BHI) - Behavioral health intervention, or “BHI,” refers to a brief course of mental health care focused on addressing psychosocial barriers that impede workers’ ability to return to work. A course of BHI typically consists of 16 sessions of behaviorally-oriented counseling sessions. The following are examples of the psychosocial barriers that are the focus of BHI:

 

  • low recovery expectations

  • activity avoidance and unreasonable fear of worsening

  • catastrophic thinking

  • fear-avoidance behavior

  • perceived injustice

  • loss of vocational connection

  • family/ support system issues

  • inadequate understanding or expectations of diagnostic and treatment options

  • inadequate understanding or expectations about the industrial insurance process

 

Sometimes, a worker may develop mental symptoms in response to a physical injury. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the worker has a mental disorder. Common reactions —such as mild or moderate depression, or mild or moderate anxiety— can be addressed as psychosocial barriers impeding the worker’s ability to return to work.

 

Workers don’t need a psychological evaluation, psychological diagnosis, or authorization from their claim manager to qualify for BHI. BHI is covered for all injured workers to support their recovery. No authorization is required and there is no cost to the worker if they have an active claim. The diagnosis used for BHI is the physical injury diagnosis of the accepted condition.

 

2) Psychological Consultation - If a worker is suspected to have a mental disorder, they should be referred for a psychological consultation to ascertain whether there is a diagnosable mental condition impeding their ability to return to work. Typically, a psychological consultation includes a diagnostic interview, review of available medical records, and psychometric testing. It requires authorization from the worker’s claim manager.

 

Psychological consultations are fundamental in guiding psychological treatment. They also help to clarify whether a worker has a mental disorder that is caused or aggravated by a work-related injury or illness, or whether there is a pre-existing or unrelated mental condition that is delaying recovery from work-related injury or illness.

 

3) Psychotherapy - BHI is not appropriate for workers with a diagnosed mental disorder. In such cases, workers should attend psychotherapy. In the L&I environment, psychotherapy is usually called “mental health treatment.”

 

Workplace accidents can have a significant psychological impact on the workers who experience them, as well as their families and loved ones. Psychotherapy can help workers overcome emotional problems that can arise after a work accident or its sequelae, learn pain management strategies, and rebuild their self-esteem.

 

A course of psychotherapy can last up to 90 days. Reauthorization for ongoing treatment may be sought if documentation shows that the psychotherapy has resulted in clinically meaningful improvement.

 

If a mental health condition is accepted on the claim, a referral must be made by the injured worker's treating provider. Contact us to make a referral.

 

 

How can Spanish-speaking injured workers receive mental health services from Dr. Montañez?

 

 

All injured workers can see an L&I-approved psychologist for mental health support services while they are receiving medical treatment and recovering from their work injury. Injured workers who have a diagnosed mental condition as a result of their work injury are entitled to receive treatment from an L&I-approved mental health provider. However, workers do not need to have an accepted mental condition to receive mental health support services. Dr. Idalia Montañez Miranda is an experienced psychologist working with L&I-covered cases and is happy to help injured workers through their recovery. Injured workers do not need authorization to receive mental health support services to help them recover.

 

Workers who are receiving treatment under the Washington State Workers’ Compensation (“L&I”) system can receive mental health support services from Dr. Idalia Montañez Miranda at no cost to them.

 

 

Why telehealth?

 

Telehealth counseling is a surprisingly comfortable and convenient way to reach people. By meeting from where they are, workers avoid the hassle and extra time involved in traveling to an office every week.

 

If an injured worker and Dr. Montañez decide to work together, they will meet in Dr. Montañez’s HIPPA-compliant platform.

 

When meeting via telehealth, it is important to be in a quiet, private space with a good internet connection.