Telephone Instructions

My office phone has a 24-hour confidential answering machine for messages. The office is closed Monday and Friday. I personally pick up the calls on the answering machine through out the day when the office is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. In contrast, emails may not be picked up more than one time a day. Please use the answering machine to connect quickly. If you are calling about a Life Threatening Emergency, you may page me by leaving your number at 412-669-7379. Please note: Insurance does not cover phone calls so you will be personally charged $3.11 per minute for a return phone call to your page. 

Calls are returned as soon as possible. Because of scheduled sessions throughout the day, it may not be possible to return calls immediately when the office is open. I appreciate having a day and evening phone number with messages so that I know where to call when I have a few moments. Due to increased telephone costs, I must limit the length of my calls to you to five minutes.  If you need more time, we will schedule a time when you will call me back to talk.  Again, please note: insurance does not pay for phone calls, even though I am doing therapy over the phone.  Therefore, you will be personally charged $3.11 per minute of your phone call.

Should you call, and the answering machine does not pick up on the fifth ring, it means that I am on the phone dealing with an emergency, and can't take the call waiting. Please be patient with me and call back shortly.

Payment Information

My rates for services are $150 for the first session, and $140.00 for a 45-minute session. I change my fees yearly. However, for those insurance companies for whom I am a provider, I agree to accept their rate of payment for their subscribers. As an insurance subscriber, you are responsible for your deductible and all co-pays or co-insurance. I am a provider for HIGHMARK Blue Shield, Magellan, and Aetna.

I require your above types of payment at time of service. For any extra deductible or co-pay that is subsequently found to be due, payment is due upon receipt of notification, whether in session, over the phone, or by letter. Therefore, it is important to determine what your deductible, co-insurance, and copays are before you start therapy. You need to ask your insurance carrier for this information as you cannot judge by what is listed on your card. Specialist does not always mean psychologist.

If you do not bring the correct copay amount for each session, you will be charged a $10 self-pay administrative fee.  This fee must be paid before the next session:  checks preferred, no coins.

For Blue Shield Major Medical plans only, I require that you pay the full amount at the time of each session. When Blue Shield pays, the check usually is sent to your home. If it comes to the office, we will refund the amount to you.

For other insurance plans for which I am not a provider, you would need to self-pay the full $140 for each session.  I will give you a copy of your payment ledger to submit to your insurance plan for payment. If you have a flexible spending account debit card, you may be able to use that for full payment.

Plan of Therapy

The most effective pattern of sessions is to meet once a week. That allows the fastest resolution of the concerns bringing clients to therapy. In the same way, canceled weekly appointments slow down the resolution of client concerns. Too many canceled appointments abort therapy effectiveness.

Sessions last a 45 minute hour; the first may take an hour. The first two sessions are necessary for the initial evaluation. During these sessions we will make a list of the problem areas on which you want to work. We will mutually decide when we have satisfactorily covered the issues on the list, and plan the termination session for the following visit. The last few visits may be spaced farther apart.

Cancellations

There will be a $75.00 charge for appointments that are not cancelled 24 hours before the appointment.  Insurance companies do not pay for missed appointments; therefore, this amount must be self-paid before the next session begins.  The first missed appointment will be without penalty.  This charge will be updated at least yearly.  Dr. Alff's office will make a discreet phone call to remind you of your appointment 24 hours in advance.

In setting appointment times, I make every effort to work with a client's schedule. But I often have people waiting for a session time that would be more favorable to their new schedule. If I have a "no-show" or cancelled appointments, I will alert you and give another your scheduled time slot. If I find that the missed appointments are therapeutically counter-productive, I will terminate therapy until your schedule allows keeping appointments.

Office Location

6348 Library Road, Building Two, Suite 8, South Park, PA 15129

My handicapped accessible office is located in South Park, PA, and just five private homes south of Peter's Creek Baptist Church, on the same side of the road.  To access the office, enter the driveway at my sign, come up the short rise, and turn left into the parking lot.  The office is in a concrete block building with two maroon stripes across the middle:  I am on the right end, Honeymoon Chinese Take Out is on the left side. My name is in white letters on the front door.

The Life Centre

The Life Centre is to the left of the Waiting Room.  It is used for lectures, as well as for NPD Support Groups.

Directions

Route 88/Library Road is one of the three main routes from Pittsburgh to the South using the Liberty Bridge and Tunnels.  Rt. 19S goes directly ahead out of the Tunnels; Rt. 51 cloverleafs off the right hand lane out of the tunnel. Rt. 88 soon branches off Rt. 51. All three routes connect with and go past I-70 in the south.

From The Liberty Bridge and Tunnels:

Go Straight ahead on Rt. 19S.  You can connect to Rt. 88/ Library Rd two ways. The best is to continue on Rt. 19S, alternatively called West Liberty Avenue, then Washington Road, past South Hills Village, and take the right hand lane exit at the bottom of the hill just past Upper St. Clair High School.  At the McMurray Road light, merge right, driving under 19S and continue driving on McMurray Rd / Orange  Belt, and in about 10 minutes, turn left at the light just past Al's cafe.  You are now on Clifton/Library Road/Orange Belt. When it ends at the light, turn right on Rt 88/Library Road, past Peter's Creek Baptist Church, and turn up the drive right after my sign on the right.

The second way with more stop and go traffic -- and many strip-malls -- is to take 19S until the Galleria Shopping Center. Turn left onto Conner Road.  At the end, turn right on Rt 88/Library Rd.  Go past the entrance of South Park, continuing about 15 minutes more on Rt 88/ Library Rd.  You will pass over the trolley RR tracks, then pass the light at Clifton Road, pass Peter's Creek Baptist Church, then turn right up the drive at my sign.

From the East:

Take Parkway East through the Liberty Tunnels and follow directions above.  Another way is to go to Century III Mall and follow Lebanon Church Road / Curry Hollow Road / Broughton Road to Rt. 88S. Turn left, and follow directions under the second way above.

Public Transportation services this office:

The Mid-Mon Valley Transit Lines have a Library Rd / Rt. 88 stop at the Clifton Rd light north of the office, and at Rite Aide south of the office. The PAT Transit 47L Library West Library "T" stop is seven minutes walk along Library Road from where the trolley tracks cross Library Rd / Rt. 88. Walk south / left on Library Road, past the light at Clifton / Library Rd, the PNC Bank, Peter's Creek Baptist Church, five private homes, and turn right at my sign, pictured at the end of this page. 

From the I-79 Bridgeville exit:

Cloverleaf of the Exit ends at Rt. 60. Turn right going under   I-79 to Bridgeville/Rt. 50/Washington Pike, but get into the left-most lane, as soon as possible. At the light at Exxon, turn left at Washington Pike, still staying in the left-most lane. Go through two lights on Washington Pike, and turn right at the third light at Bower Hill Rd.  There will be a white road sign before Bower Hill Road, that has a yellow ball on it with the words "Orange Belt" and an arrow pointing to turn right at the intersection.

After you turn right on Bower Hill Road, you will go over RR tracks, then a small concrete bridge, and at the next intersection, you will turn right onto McLaughlin Run Rd.  You will go a short distance, through a light, and then bear right again.  The "Orange Belt''  signs will have arrows to point the way.  Yes, the yellow ''Orange Belt'' sign does indeed become orange in color soon! 

Follow the ''Orange Belt" signs across country without worrying about street names or signs.  On the Orange Belt, McLaughlin soon becomes McMurray Rd, and takes you under Rt. 19, past Kings, up the hill past St. Louise Church, and the light at South Park Rd.  Immediately past Al's Cafe, the Orange Belt turns left onto Clifton/Library Rd and ends at Rt. 88. Turn right, past Peter's Creek Baptist Church. Take the drive just past my office sign on the right. Turn into the left parking lot.

From Washington, PA:

Take I-79 north to Cannonsburg Exit.  At the 'T' intersection, turn left on to Weavertown Road.  At the stop, turn right on to Morgano Rd.  Where Morgano Rd turns off to the right, continue straight ahead on West McMurray Rd.  Cross over Rt. 19 to East McMurray Rd.  At light right before Al's Café turn right on to Orange Belt/Clifton/Library Road. It will end at Rt. 88 at the light. Turn right on Rt 88/Library Road, past Peter's Creek Baptist Church, and turn up the drive right after my sign on the right.

A second way is to take Rt. 19N to Donaldson's Crossroads. Turn right on East McMurray Road, and follow the directions immediately above.

From Washington, Westmoreland, and Fayette Counties:

Take I-43 North; Rt. 88 North; or 51N to Rt. 136 W/S, then Rt. 88N. The office is in the Library section of South Park, about five minutes North of Trax Farms in Finleyville. The office is across the street from Black Diamon Bar and Grill [the previous site of the Pizza Hut in Library]. 

From I-70/I-43: The toll is 50 cents.  Exit Finleyville, go left under I-43.  Stay right, follow along Finley/Elrama Rd. until you see a Rt. 88 arrow turning left at a stop sign.  Turn left.  [Stone Church Road is the right turn.] At the traffic light at Rt. 88, make a right to travel north.  Continue past Trax Farms, the Library VFD, Rite Aide, Tasty Cream, and turn left up the drive at my sign.