By Kathy Brown.
After reading about the Nathaniel B. Field Foundation’s donation to the Volunteers in Psychotherapy last year in this article, I got curious about the organization, so I contacted Dr. Richard Shulman, Director and licensed psychologist at VIP. It is an innovative approach that makes therapy accessible to people from all walks of life, because in exchange for therapy, all you have to do is donate your time to a nonprofit or government agency in a “pay it forward” kind of way.
Dr. Shulman worked on an oversight committee of a Connecticut hospital and saw medication chosen over therapy because of insurance and access to therapy becoming “increasingly rationed,” said Dr. Shulman. “Insurers could demand from therapists who contracted with them, that they provide reports about people’s private therapy discussions, in order to receive reimbursement. They also required psychiatric labels, which became part of people’s permanent records — again, potentially problematic for people, and often quite misleading. Increasingly access to therapy was denied or rationed, people were shunted toward receipt of medications – even if they knew they wanted to talk about difficult, very private matters in their lives.”
In 1999, Volunteers in Psychotherapy achieved nonprofit status by the IRS so that they could offer therapy for no fee, but in exchange for volunteer work for the nonprofit of their choice. “Through VIP, people are, in a way, ‘paying for’ their therapy by doing good work, helping other people in the community,” explained Dr. Shulman. “Everyone contributes to the common good, through VIP, and everyone sacrifices a bit. Clients do substantial and documented volunteer work, and participating VIP therapists agree to receive roughly $50 per session (a quarter to a half of what they might make in private practice). Plus, VIP clients get all the benefits of volunteering: a sense of pride in a job well done in helping others, they join with a team of others doing such good work, they’re less isolated… and they’re participating in a decent system of fair-exchange where everyone sacrifices a bit, and everyone benefits.”
It isn’t just Dr. Shulman giving back; it’s a network of like-minded therapists, as well as a Board of Directors, and an Advisory Board. The therapists see clients – individuals, couples, or families – in their own private-practice offices, and get reimbursed out of donations and grants. There are doctoral clinical psychologists, as well as social workers, and other licensed therapists.
Clients get to choose what government agency or non-profit they volunteer for, and the agency doesn’t know that they’re volunteering to earn VIP therapy sessions. Privacy and confidentiality are maintained each step of the way. Clients have chosen to volunteer in hospitals, health clinics, programs that help the blind, disabled, the elderly, veterans, children, and organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, YMCA/YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as medically-related groups which help people who’ve survived breast cancer. People have also volunteered in public schools, Habitat for Humanity, Veterans’ homes, shelters, soup kitchens, or volunteer in a fire company or ambulance corps.
Typically with therapy, the duration of the therapy is decided by how long an insurance company will cover sessions, but not with VIP. It’s consumer driven, and the consumer is the client, or patient. “That should be decided by each person – and since they’re doing substantial amounts of volunteer work to earn each session – they’re clearly the consumer, in the driver seat making decisions for themselves . . .and it doesn’t feel like a ‘handout,'” explained Dr. Shulman.
Right now, VIP provides therapy in the greater Hartford area, though therapists in other regions of the country have consulted with Dr. Shulman about setting up their own adaptations of the VIP approach elsewhere. VIP has even set up a service called the “Export Initiative” to work with others to build their own nonprofit service in their area.
Though I first heard about VIP when Haddam-Killingworthnow.com published the article about the local Nathaniel B. Field Foundation’s donation, they are funded by about 40 charitable foundations, community organizations, and religious congregations. They’ve been supported by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, American Savings Foundation, Bank of America, as well as other foundations.
If someone wanted to donate to VIP, they could donate through their website. Likewise, if someone wanted to work with VIP as a therapist, or become a client, they could find out more information on the website, or call 860-233-5115. All therapists are screened thoroughly.
“It’s a good model for human service philanthropy,” said Dr. Shulman, “since people are helping other people to earn their VIP services – so that they feel good about themselves, the work they’re doing helping others.”
