Cost should not be a mystery when you are already stressed. Shanti Orange County explains insurance and fees up front so you can focus on care.
Insurance Overview
Shanti accepts many insurance plans, including CalOptima, for many mental health counseling services. When you call intake, have your member ID, plan name, and date of birth ready if possible. It is not required for the first question, but helpful before session one.
Insurance verification can take a business day or two. Intake tells you what is covered and what copays may apply under your plan. Shanti does not guarantee universal zero copay.
Low-Cost Counseling Without Insurance
If you are uninsured or between plans, ask about:
- $65 per session with unlicensed therapists (supervised, masters-level trainees)
- $100 per session with licensed therapists
These rates support access when Medi-Cal or employer plans are not active. Low-cost fee details may apply to clinical groups, so ask specifically about the HIV therapy group.
What Is Usually Free
| Service | Typical cost | |---------|----------------| | Círculo Latino (monthly Spanish circle) | Free, open | | Initial intake call | Free conversation |
HIV case management and psychological testing and evaluation have their own funding rules, and intake explains at enrollment.
CalOptima and Medi-Cal
Many Orange County residents use CalOptima for Medi-Cal benefits. If you are newly enrolled, counselors handle emotional health, and for clients living with HIV, an HIV case manager can help with the paperwork.
Shanti is not a county eligibility office. We connect you to care once you have or are pursuing coverage.
Telehealth and Billing
Counseling via telehealth is available throughout California. Insurance rules depend on where you live and your plan's telehealth policy. Intake confirms before you schedule video sessions.
Questions to Ask Intake
- Is my specific insurance accepted for counseling right now?
- What is my copay or low-cost fee per session?
- Are there session limits on my plan?
- Does testing or group therapy bill differently?
Call (949) 452-0888 (Mon–Fri, 9 am – 5 pm PT) or start at First visit.
Financial Stress Is Common
If paperwork feels overwhelming, say so. Intake can slow down the process until you understand each step. Healing should not require guessing what you owe.
How Billing Fits Into Intake
Fees come up early, not after you have committed. The sequence at Shanti Orange County looks like this:
- You reach out. Call 949-452-0888 or send an inquiry. Nothing is billed for this conversation.
- Intake asks about coverage. Insurance, no insurance, or "I'm not sure" are all normal answers.
- Paperwork arrives by email. Our intake team typically sends enrollment forms through Simple Practice within about a business day.
- You complete the forms. Insurance details go here, so you are not reciting numbers over the phone.
- We schedule. Once forms are in, we usually reach back within a day or two to book your first session. Most callers are seen within one to two weeks, though timing can vary.
By the time you sit down with a counselor, the cost question is already settled.
If Cost Is Still a Barrier
Say so directly. The low-cost fee structure exists because a sliding reality is normal in Orange County, and intake would rather adjust the plan than lose you to a number. If counseling is genuinely out of reach right now, there are still open doors:
- Círculo Latino meets the first Tuesday of each month, 5:30–7 pm, entirely in Spanish, free and open. You do not need to be a Shanti client to attend.
- Community resources. We maintain a directory of Orange County clinics, testing sites, and national services we refer to when another provider is the better fit.
- 988. The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and staffed 24/7. If you are in crisis, that call comes before any billing question.
What We Are Not
Shanti Orange County is a nonprofit provider, not a county eligibility office and not an insurance broker. We cannot enroll you in Medi-Cal, adjudicate a denied claim, or tell you what another provider will charge. What we can do is tell you plainly what care at Shanti costs for your situation, and point you somewhere useful when the answer is "not here."
That distinction matters. A lot of people lose weeks bouncing between offices because nobody said which building actually handles their question.
Start With a Conversation
You do not need your insurance sorted out to make the first call. Reach intake at 949-452-0888, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PT, or email [email protected]. The office in Laguna Hills is at 23461 South Pointe Dr., Suite 100, with free parking on site, and telehealth is available anywhere in California.
