It is important to us to provide equitable and sustainable options for those who do not have insurance coverage for mental healthcare. ​
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Little Red Bird Botanicals, writes, "A sliding scale is a tool for building economic justice, and it requires your active participation. If a sliding scale is implemented effectively, everyone pays a similar percentage of their income for the same products or services. A wide range of payment options across the scale promotes broader accessibility, while ensuring fair compensation to the producer. Paying according to one’s available resources creates a more equitable system for pricing of products and services.”
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Historically, The Growth Center has based our sliding scale solely on income. In an effort to move towards a more intersectional application of access, identity, and privilege, we are adding another step to our scale...
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Sliding Scale
Step One: Consider your annual household income
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Annual Household Income reflects combined family income if you share income and expenses
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A client who is financially supported by another person shall have a fee based on the total household income of the person financially responsible
Step Two: Consider the bigger picture
Consider paying less on the scale if you..
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are supporting children or have other dependents
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have significant debt
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have medical expenses not covered by insurance
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are eligible for public assistance
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have immigration-related expenses
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are an elder with limited financial support
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are an unpaid community organizer
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are a returning citizen who has been denied work due to incarceration history
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experience discrimination in hiring or pay level
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are descended from enslaved people or Native American Indians
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Consider paying more on the scale if you:
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own the home you live in
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have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
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travel for recreation
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have access to family money and resources in times of need
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work part time or are unemployed by choice, including unemployment due to full-time school in a degree-earning program
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have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.) Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice
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The scale is intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take inventory of our financial resources and look deeper at our levels of privilege. It is a way to challenge the classist and capitalist society we live in and work towards economic justice on a local level. While I ask you to take these factors into consideration, please don’t stress about it. Pay what feels right.