FAQ | Manatee

services

billing & insurance

returning families

manatee app

frequently asked questions

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Services

What type of therapy do you provide?

Evidence-based interventions (CBT, Mindfulness, play therapy, etc.), insight-creating discussions, as well as parent counseling and education.

What services can you offer families?

In child or family therapy, the therapist works closely with the child and may at times involve the caregiver in sessions. The therapist focuses on assisting children with processing and coping with thoughts and feelings related to relationships, trauma, and more.
Parent counseling focuses on helping caregivers better understand their own emotional needs and parenting patterns so they can build stronger, more supportive connections with their child. This service complements child therapy by addressing the entire family's well-being. Caregivers in parent therapy work with a therapist and a child development specialist.

What states do you offer services in?

We offer our child or family therapy and parent counseling services in the following states:

California
Colorado
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas
Montana
New Jersey
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Texas

What challenges can you help with?

We support families with a diverse set of challenges. We help children who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues.

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We also support parents who are facing emotional or relational challenges that impact their parenting, and who need additional education around how to respond to particular behaviors displayed by their child.

What age range do you serve for child therapy?

We provide services for children aged 4 to 18.

For parents with kids aged 0-4, we recommend exploring parent counseling.

Do you provide adult therapy?

At this time, we do not provide adult therapy. However, we do offer parent counseling.

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How are they different? Adult therapy focuses on an adult’s general mental health as it pertains to all areas of their life, while our parent counseling service focuses on how to support a caregiver’s mental health specifically as it relates to parenting.

Do you have in-person therapy?

We do not have in-person services. We support families through telehealth. Sessions are held through secure video conferences on Zoom.

What's the difference between in-person and virtual therapy?

The benefits of virtual therapy include having sessions in the safety and comfort of your own home. Think of therapy like a movie night—with a snack and a cozy blanket in the comfort of your home. Convenience!

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Skip the commute—no more wrestling your kids in the car, parking, and traffic jams. You can attend sessions while traveling, reschedule on the fly, or have co-parents join from anywhere. Kids often find it easier to connect virtually and can give their therapist a peek into their world.

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Click here to learn more about our virtual care.

Can services be performed on vacation or internationally?

For therapy, services can only be provided in the state where you live. We understand that families take vacations, so you can inform your provider if you need to pause services.

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Connect with your care coordinator in the Manatee app if you have more questions!

How do you schedule services?

After completing our questionnaire, a Manatee Care Coordinator will promptly match the family with a provider that suits their family’s needs. Families also have the option to schedule a free 30-minute consultation phone call with a Care Coordinator.

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Once we match you with a provider, we will schedule a 45-60 minute Intake Session. At the end of the Intake Session, your care team will schedule your weekly recurring sessions.

Who are the providers?

Meet our team of specialized providers here!

Can I change my provider?

We try our best to match you with a provider who can best support your family. But if you would like to change your provider, contact your care coordinator in the Manatee app to discuss transitioning services.

Billing & insurance

How much do your sessions cost?

We take most insurance plans, so it depends on your co-pay and deductible. Our cash pay rates are:

60-minute intake session: $220
55-minute weekly sessions: $200

Click here for more information about our rates!

What insurance do you take?

At this time, our providers are in-network with:

Aetna
Anthem Blue Cross of California
BCBS Kansas
Horizon BCBS
Highmark BCBS
Optum
United HealthCare

Get started with our questionnaire and we can check your insurance benefits prior to your initial session with a provider.

When do I pay for services?

To hold your intake session, we will ask for your credit or debit card information. Your card will be charged after the session, at midnight.

Do you take Medicare or Medicaid?

We are not currently accepting Medicare or Medicaid. Insurance varies from state to state. If you want to know if we accept your insurance plan, email your insurance information to billing@getmanatee.com or go ahead and complete our questionnaire.

Do you take FSA or HSA?

If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA), you can use those pre-tax funds towards sessions with us!

Returning families

How do I restart care?

Log into your Manatee app and message your care coordinator that you are interested in restarting care, or you can call (213) 558-4348 to speak with a care coordinator.

Will I need to complete a consultation and intake again?

If you received care in the last year, please message your care coordinator that you would like to return.

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If it has been over a year, please complete our questionnaire again to restart services.

Can I restart care even if my child graduated from care?

Yes! We know new challenges can arise, and we’ve got your back. Families are always welcome to start care again.

Manatee app

The basics

Where do I download the Manatee app?

You can download the Manatee app on your Apple or Android phones or tablets here.

How do I add my child or co-parent to the app?

To add a child or co-parent to your Manatee account:

Tap the settings icon (⚙️) on the upper right corner of your home screen.
Go to ‘account settings.’
From here, you can add a new child account or invite a co-parent to make their own Manatee account; it will be linked to your own account upon creation.

I forgot my password - what do I do?

If you forget your password, you can use the ‘forgot password’ link at the bottom of the login page. Enter the email you registered with to receive a temporary login code. Use that code to set a new password for yourself.

My child forgot their password - what do we do?

A child cannot request a password reset themselves, but you can login to your parent account and change your child’s password at any time with these steps:

Tap the settings icon (⚙️) on the upper right corner of your home screen.
Go to ‘account settings.’
Choose ‘change child password.’ Here, you should be able to select the appropriate child from the dropdown list and set a new password for them. Your child should then be able to log in again using their new password.

What can my child do with their own account?

Your child’s profile is limited in what it can do.

Goals & rewards: Your child can view the goals and rewards assigned to and available to them, see the details of each by tapping on it, mark goals as done, and redeem rewards. However, they cannot add, remove, or modify their goals or rewards.
Chat bot: Your child can start a chat to tell the smart chatbot assistant about their day. When your child is ‘chatting’ with Manatee, they are actually engaging with a conversational chatbot that derives its intelligence from helpful conversations and exercises built by our clinical psychologists. At this time, there is no ‘free text’ option, meaning that the conversation functions like a multiple-choice quiz. Based on your child’s answer, the chatbot provides the most relevant and helpful content.
Account: Your child can view their accumulated points on their main dashboard. A child cannot change their name, username, or password. You’ll have to do it for them through your parent account.
Notifications: Your child will be notified when you, the parent/caregiver, approve or reject a goal that they marked as completed or approve or reject a reward that they have redeemed.

Care desk

How do I complete the clinical evaluation?

Once a Manatee provider has sent you the clinical evaluation, you will be prompted to complete it when opening or resuming the app.

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To complete the clinical evaluation:

Open the Manatee app.
The app will show a screen that says, ‘complete (Child)’s clinical evaluation.’ Tap the ‘next’ button.
Complete the evaluation by selecting an answer to each question. Your provider will not receive the complete results until you have answered all questions.
Your evaluation is complete when you see a thank you screen. From here, you can see your family’s results by tapping the ‘see results’ button.

If you opt to skip the evaluation, you will not be prompted for it again until the next day. If the clinical evaluation does not appear again when you open the app, try closing the app and then reopening it.

If this does not work, please reach out to your care team on the messaging tab.

How do I complete my forms?

When you have any incomplete forms, the home screen will alert you under ‘Your to-dos’. Tap the arrow (➡️) to go right to your incomplete forms. You will be able to complete each form in one go!
You can also access your forms by going to the ‘care desk’ tab and selecting the ‘documents’ tab. From here, you can also complete forms individually.

Can I see my appointments in the app?

Your next upcoming session will be visible on your Manatee home screen. To view your following sessions, go to your ‘care desk’ tab and the ‘schedule’ tab there. You will be able to see your family’s appointments for the next 30 days.

How do I reschedule my session?

On the home screen or in the ‘schedule’ tab under ‘care desk,’ tap the three dots in the corner of the session you’d like to reschedule.
Select ‘reschedule’ from the menu.
Choose a new date and time for your session, then tap the ‘reschedule’ button.
After confirming, your session is now rescheduled! The session information should now show the new date and time.

You can reschedule your session at any time. However, rescheduling your session within 48 hours of its start time will result in a late rescheduling fee of $99.

When you schedule sessions with Manatee, we set aside time with the highest quality child and family mental health providers. If you need further assistance with rescheduling your session, please contact us as soon as possible, and no later than 48 hours prior to your appointment.

How do I cancel my session?

On the home screen or in the ‘schedule’ tab under ‘care desk,’ tap the three dots in the corner of the session you’d like to cancel.
Tap on the option to ‘cancel session’ at the bottom of the menu.
Select a reason for your cancellation.
Confirm your session cancellation.

You can cancel your session at any time. However, canceling your session within 48 hours of its start time will result in a late cancellation fee of $99.

When you schedule sessions with Manatee, we set aside time with the highest quality child and family mental health providers. If you need further assistance with canceling your session, please contact us as soon as possible, and no later than 48 hours prior to your appointment.

What equipment do I need for telehealth sessions?

To ensure your family’s sessions run smoothly, we recommend:

Using a desktop computer or laptop with a webcam, speakers, and microphone, or a smartphone device with the latest software.
A strong internet connection. Ideally, your family will attend sessions from home or a place with a stable connection. Test your video chat to make sure your settings are properly configured.

How do I join my telehealth session?

To ensure your telehealth sessions go smoothly and consistently, we recommend downloading Zoom for your phone, tablet, or computer!

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Before joining a session on your computer or mobile device, you can download Zoom from the Download Center. Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link.

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To join a telehealth session on your phone or tablet:

Open the Zoom app on your device.
At the time of your session, the ‘Join Session’ button will be visible on the Zoom app. Tap ‘Join Session’ to open the Zoom link and join using the app.

Or: locate your Zoom link in your session reminder email to copy, paste, and send as needed.

To join a telehealth session on your computer:

Open the Zoom desktop app.
Locate the Zoom link in your session reminder email or calendar invite (recommended).
On the home screen of the Manatee app, tap the ‘copy’ button on your session tile. You can then paste your session link into an email or message that you can access on your computer.
Select if you would like to connect audio and/or video.
Click Join.

To join from your web browser without downloading Zoom:

Locate the meeting invite link from your email reminder, calendar invitation or the Manatee app
Click the join link to join the meeting.
If a pop-up window prompts you to open or install the Zoom desktop client, click Cancel.
At the bottom of the page, click the ‘Join from your Browser’ link. You will be directed to a new page.
Click Allow to allow Zoom permission for your microphone and camera.
Sign in with your name to join the meeting
Click Join.

How can I improve the quality of my video connection?

Make sure that you are connected to a stable internet connection. If possible, use a wired connection.
Close other applications or programs that you might have open on your device prior to the session, and ensure you are not downloading any large files.

How do I update my insurance?

Tap the ‘care desk’ tab on the bottom navigation bar of the Manatee app.
Tap on ‘billing’ along the top of the screen.
Select ‘insurance’ and use the ‘+’ button to add a new insurance policy to your profile.

Our billing team will then confirm your updated insurance information and be in touch via in-app messaging.

How do I pay my invoice?

When you have an unpaid invoice, the home screen will alert you under ‘Your to-dos’. Tapping the button here will take you directly to your unpaid invoice.
You can also access your invoices under the billing section of the ‘care desk’ tab.
From here, tap on the ‘pay’ button on the invoice you would like to pay for.
Choose which payment card on file to pay the invoice with. If you have no cards on file, you will be prompted to add one.

Tap the ‘pay invoice’ button to use the selected card.

How do I change my credit card on file?

Tap the ‘care desk’ tab on the bottom navigation bar of the Manatee app.
Tap on ‘billing’ along the top of the screen.
Tap on the ‘cards’ section and use the ‘+’ button to add a new card to your profile.

To manage your existing cards, tap on the three dots on the right side of the card information. From here, you can set a card to be your preferred card for payments or remove it.

Goals & rewards

Who designs the goals and rewards library?

Our goals library is designed by our team of clinical psychologists who specialize in children with behavioral and developmental disorders. Their expertise includes autism, anxiety, ADHD, sensory issues, emotional issues, and trauma responses.

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The idea behind behavioral goals is a framework called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy is based on the notion that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all connected in a way summarized as: ‘What we believe is how we feel, and how we feel is how we behave.’

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This means that the goals themselves focus on behaviors, making it easier to track progress and celebrate achievements.

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The standard rewards are all ‘clinically’ appropriate, but we recommend working together with your child to understand what would be the most motivational.

What makes a goal a 'good' goal?

Great goals are usually ‘SMART’ goals, which stands for:

Specific – goals should be clear and without any ambiguity. Helpful questions to answer here are: ‘What exactly needs to be done?’, ‘Where does it take place?’, ‘Who is involved?’, etc.
Measurable – in order to track progress and stay motivated, we need to understand when the goal has been achieved. This means we need to know what its completion looks like and how we measure it.
Achievable – goals also need to be realistic and attainable to be successful and motivational. It is important for kids to build confidence and stretch their abilities by achieving goals. However, setting unrealistic goals can be very defeating and have the opposite effect.
Relevant – make sure the goal you are setting matters to you and your family, and that it aligns with your other goals. Some helpful questions to determine this may be: ‘Does this seem worthwhile?’, ‘Is this the right time?’, ‘Does this match our other efforts/needs?’
Timely – every goal needs a target date so that you have a deadline to focus on. In Manatee, you just need to set the ‘expiration date’ for your goals, which range from 30 to 90 days.

How do I assign a goal?

Navigate to your family tab and go to ‘child goals & rewards.’
If you have multiple children on your family account, select the appropriate child in the drop-down menu.
Tap the ‘assign goals’ or ‘manage’ button. From here, you’ll have access to our goals library, or you can create your custom goals. To assign or create a goal, tap the ‘+’ button.

You can also read or customize our premade goals by tapping on their names and selecting ‘copy and edit.’ From here, you can also set reminders for your child to complete their goal.

How many goals should I set?

We recommend setting 2-3 goals at a time. More than 3 goals may be overwhelming for your child. To optimize the effectiveness of any intervention, it is important to focus on a few key behaviors at a time.

How does my child mark a goal completed, and how do I approve it?

When your child is logged into their account:

They’ll see their goals listed on their home screen. There, they can tap on any goal and then the ‘I did it!’ button to mark their goal as completed.

To approve a goal that your child marked as complete:

You’ll see a notification on your device and/or in the Manatee app by tapping the notification icon (🔔).
There, you’ll see which goal your child marked as complete. If task completion is verified, you can approve it; otherwise, you can reject it. Either way, the child will receive a notification bubble on their dashboard informing them if their goal was approved or not.
If approved, the child will be awarded the assigned points. Yay!

You can also mark a child’s goal as completed on their behalf. To mark a goal as completed as a caregiver:

Navigate to your ‘family’ tab.
There, you’ll see each child’s goals listed. Swipe to the goal you wish to mark as complete and tap the ‘mark done’ button.
Now your child’s goal has been marked as completed and approved all in one go!

How quickly should I approve a goal achievement after it has happened?

We encourage you to approve the goal as soon as you are able. In the beginning, you may need to establish trust by checking in and having a conversation prior to approving. However, as time goes by, you may feel more comfortable approving a goal without any additional evidence. Either way, the sooner, the better!

What makes a good reward?

We recommend working together with your child to pick out something that is personalized and most exciting to them. Moreover, we believe that the best rewards encourage bonding time with the people we care about, such as game nights, baking cookies, or going on an adventure together.

How many rewards should I set?

We recommend setting about 2-4 rewards. It’s important to mix up easy rewards (5 points) with harder rewards (>20 points). This way, your child can receive near-instant rewards while also looking forward to and working towards something bigger.

How do I add a custom reward?

Navigate to your ‘family’ tab and go to ‘child goals & rewards.’
If you have multiple children on your family account, select the appropriate child in the drop-down menu.
Tap on the ‘manage rewards’ button.
Select the custom reward option marked by the edit icon (✏️).
Assign the reward a self-explanatory name, a description (optional), points required (to claim the reward), and finally a colorful relevant image. All this will be visible to the child when assigned.
Tap the ‘save reward’ button. The custom reward has now been created and saved permanently.

By default, it is assigned to the active child’s profile, but feel free to unassign it if needed. This custom goal will also be available as an option for all other children on the account, but not automatically assigned.

How does my child redeem a reward?

While your child is logged in:

Tap the ‘view rewards’ button at the top of the home screen to view a list of their possible rewards.
If your child has enough points to redeem a particular reward, they will be able to claim it by tapping the blue ‘claim’ button and confirming their choice.
Parents will then receive a notification about this claimed reward.
Parents will have the ability to approve or reject it from their own notifications. If approved, the child will be notified, and the respective points will be deducted. If rejected, the child will still be notified, but their points stay the same.

If your child does not have enough points for a particular reward, it will have a lock icon (🔒) in the corner and show a progress bar with how many more points are needed.

How quickly should I ‘honor’ a reward after it has been redeemed?

We encourage you to give or carry out the reward as soon as you are able. For example, if your child has redeemed ‘Pick out what is for dinner tonight,’ it is highly recommended to honor the reward that same evening. Keep in mind that there are also rewards that require additional planning, in which case it is advisable to start planning the reward as soon as possible.

The satisfaction of achieving and receiving the reward at the same time will increase the effectiveness of the reward system moving forward.

Who is my child talking to when using the chatbot?

The chatbot functionality is only enabled for the child app and is based on helpful conversations and exercises built by our clinical psychologists.

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This means that when your child is ‘chatting’ with Manatee, they are actually engaging with a conversational chatbot that derives its intelligence from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. At this time, there is no ‘free text’ option, meaning that the conversation functions like a multiple-choice quiz.

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Based on your child’s answer, the chatbot will provide the most relevant and helpful content. After every exercise, we ask whether the conversation was helpful or not—we will use this information to make our chatbot smarter!

Need support? Get started here!