We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jamaal Simmons, MSW, CAIMHP, CMIP, LCSW-C. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jamaal below.
Jamaal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
In grad school, I learned about the different directions you could take as a social worker. I wanted to go into mental health practice. I connected with Man Alive Lane Treatment Center through another person. I helped establish the internship between Man Alive and Morgan State University, which still exists today, with my first supervisor, JoAnn Suchinsky Jay LCSW-C, and my other unofficial supervisor, David Engwall LCPC. Pro tip: If you’re a student, always have an unofficial supervisor; I did this to have both a male and female perspective when learning about Mental Health.
As I was learning and started to grow in my mental health journey and started making connections, I was always moving towards going to practice. I joined Cedar Ridge Counseling Center In The summer of 2021 and left the VA in the fall of 2021. I still work with Cedar Ridge today as a contractor, and they were invaluable in getting my feet wet with private practice. It was a great starting ground for me as I began to make my LLC, get into Blue Cross Blue Shields Provider Network, and get a general sense of what therapy was like. Officially, according to the government, I started Simmons Mental Health LLC in 2023. However, for me, Simmons Mental Health LLC has been there since 2021, growing, learning, and becoming its own. From there, I also connected with another therapist to rent their office from them, so I had a home base. I haven’t had to use it as much since most people use telehealth services; however, it’s good to have a home base.
The only advice is to know what you’re getting into as best as possible. I knew that private practice was what I wanted to do early on in my educational career, so it was a natural step to move toward this. Once, I went to private practice, and I’ve never looked back. I enjoy working for my boss, who is me, lol. I’m kidding, and I’m also not joking because I’ve previously worked with people I disagreed with. In this case, I can be more authentic and choose something I believe in, thus making my work even better.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Regarding problems that I help solve, I represent the client in therapy. Sometimes, I may be a shoulder to cry on, a father figure, a friend, or someone who provides perspectives based on being a black male and/or a sounding. It really depends on the situation. For those who buy any of the products I’ve published, such as books, apps, video content, and merch, the idea is to release mental health content with up-to-date and quality work for an affordable price. I, jokingly, try to operate like Arizona Tea and keep prices low if possible. I want clients to be able to afford some form of mental health treatment, even if they can’t afford to see me directly.
Unfortunately, with our current healthcare system, I feel the need to do this; however, given how the insurance companies work along with the Big Pharmaceutical companies in the American healthcare system, it is not as efficient at helping people as it should/could be. After the Luigi Mangione incident on December 4, 2024, I remember reading about The next United Healthcare CEO’s statements. I remember them stating that their job is reducing “healthcare costs.” Immediately I knew this was bullshit (excuse my language) because insurance companies do all sorts of tactics to push the losses onto the providers. Delayed payments, partial payments, “clawback” or recoupment (This is when the insurance company can somehow request a repayment of funds it pays to the provider. This can help regulate large companies and career-ending for individual providers like myself), etc., are all ways to “lower healthcare costs” for the insurance company, not the policyholder. When I was first starting out in therapy, I didn’t know why so many therapists (According to the American Psychological Association, about a third of psychologists don’t take insurance.**Cited**) went to cash only until I got into the business myself and saw how relentless, money consuming, and time-consuming the Health insurance industry was and still is. 😒
That’s why I’m proud that I can provide healthcare-related products, such as my up-and-coming ADHD book, which is coming out this year, to help people better understand ADHD at a much lower cost. I’m only one person, so I do what I can, and I can reach more people with easy-to-read and emotionally vulnerable mental health education.
**Cite**: From NPR December 17, 2024, with a fellow therapist in Maryland, Julie Bindeman PsyD.: https://www.npr.org/2024/12/17/nx-s1-5230469/an-increasing-number-of-mental-health-practitioners-do-not-take-insurance#:~:text=Transcript-,About%20a%20third%20of%20psychologists%20don’t%20accept%20any%20health,somebody%20to%20take%20their%20insurance.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
One of the top books that really changed my life was Rich Dad, poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. When working at the VA, I had a strong sense that if I needed to make some changes, I would need to do them quickly and do something out of the box. This book and the subsequent books afterward helped me start thinking outside the box regarding finances. I was never a finance-type person, and especially since I was undiagnosed with ADHD at the time, I didn’t know why I had trouble organizing my finances.
It was afterward that helped me see things from a different perspective and financially. It changed me as I began to delve into real estate and stocks. I would even meet with my friend and coworker, Dr. Matt L., to discuss stock, trading, TSP, etc. Financial intelligence became a hyper-focus for me and has remained the bedrock of my business since then. Don’t get me wrong; it doesn’t mean I’m always the best in my finances because I can still be very impulsive. Still, at least it’s impulsive toward a positive direction for my business.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Being honest with people and putting myself out there helped me. Authenticity and honesty have been significant, especially as an INFP-T (Myers-Briggs personality type). Being authentic and honest, despite the adverse effects of being honest, such as being ostracized and not being invited within specific groups. In other words, I wasn’t always invited to hang with the cool kids. However, that also helped me know who I better aligned with. So that turned out to be a blessing in disguise at times, even though it didn’t always feel like it in the moment.
I am a shy person. I don’t like putting myself out there. However, to make things happen, such as getting more clients, removing the needle, and accompanying or on my own, I have to be willing to put myself out two. It takes a lot of energy and business ownership; I’ve become more willing to do small networking events, book signings, etc. Remember, expect me to actually want to do that all directly. I’d rather be with the cats, to be honest. I love it when my cat, Thomas, comes to check down when I’m doing a therapy session and starts meowing, which is his way of trying to order me around 😂! But I digress, do them; if comfortable, let this hare the worked thus far. However, I’d Like to draw the line at going on live TV at this time, I have no interest in doing that whatsoever,😂😅! (Jamaal is visibly more anxious)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smhllc.squarespace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smhllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimmonsMHLLC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smhllc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/IoriShakor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JamaalSpublishing
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/simmons-mental-health-loch-raven
- Soundcloud: none
- Other: Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jamaal-simmons-towson-md/870507
Google Play Apps: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Jamaal+S.+Publishing
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@iori_shakor
Creator Spring: https://jamaalspublishing.creator-spring.com/
Amazon Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jamaal-S.-Publishing/author/B0CJVRBK6D?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Image Credits
All images owned by Simmons Mental Health LLC