
frequently
asked questions
Q: Who do you serve?
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Evolve’s typical college and employment coaching clients are between the ages of 17 and 35
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While diagnoses are not necessary in order to receive coaching, Evolve’s clients sometimes have diagnoses which include:
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Autism Spectrum Disorders (including Asperger’s Syndrome)
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ADHD
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Anxiety Disorders
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Those who participate in our summer arts programming are between the ages of 10 and 30.
Q: Where do meetings take place?
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College students meet with their coach on their campuses and/or online depending on location.
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Job-seekers typically meet with their coach at Evolve’s office. Coaches can also provide on-the-job support once employment is secured to assist with job-maintenance.
Q: I live/go to school outside of the Pittsburgh area. Am I able to work with a coach?
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Yes! We offer remote support using secure video chat.
Q: How frequently do you meet with clients?
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College students - twice per week (once per week when stable). Students can also access a weekly group, peer mentoring, and study hall/"body doubling" opportunities.
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Job-seekers - once per week / once every other week until job is secured. Then, support varies from 40 hours per week maximum down to 1 hour per month, determined by client need.
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Q: Do you coordinate services with a school’s disability services offices?
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Yes! It is important for us to help students use all of the resources available to them on their campuses including advisors, disability/student services offices, writing and tutoring centers, etc.
Q: What qualifications do college coaches have?
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All of our college coaches are masters level clinicians. While our team of college coaches are trained as therapists, and while the support we provide is indeed “therapeutic,” our work does not always take the form of a typical therapy session. Our goal is to assist clients with goal creation and accountability, and sessions can sometimes be very hands-on and practical, taking a strengths-based and solution-focused approach. Meet our team!
Q: I’m in high school, are coaching services appropriate?
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Coaching may be appropriate for you. We support job-seekers via OVR’s pre-employment transition services program who are 17 and up, and many are in high school. Please reach out so we can discuss the possibility of working together.
Q: Do you offer job placement services?
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Rather than “placing” you in a position, our aim is to provide you with the tools to determine what jobs align with your skills, talents, and interests, and then help you find work that would be meaningful to you. We want to ensure that you can apply to jobs in the future with minimal or no support, so we want to help you learn these skills during our time together. Since we focus on individualizing our support for every client we encounter, we avoid working with the same employers for everyone.
Q: How do I get started with services?
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The best way to connect with us is by reaching out through our website. We will respond to your inquiry before the end of the next business day. One of our coaches will reach out to you to learn more about your goals and help you determine whether working with a coach would meet your needs.
Q: Do you accept insurance?
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We do not work with insurance companies for college or employment coaching services. Some clients who receive therapy from a licensed therapist at Evolve may be able to use insurance to pay for their sessions, or they may be reimbursed by their insurance company.
Q: What do you charge for college coaching services?
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The fee for college coaching is $4500/semester for twice-weekly sessions with a uniquely qualified coach, access to peer mentoring, various groups, study support, and other programming Evolve offers related to the arts and employment.
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Those who are affiliated with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) may qualify to have their coaching services fully or partially covered.
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We also secure scholarship funding to provide partial scholarships to those with a financial need.
Q: Do I need to sign a contract to receive college coaching for a full semester or year?
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We require clients to review and sign a declaration of services which outlines our duties and our clients’ responsibilities, and this declaration is not a contract. If at any time you and your coach decide that support is no longer needed, Evolve will reimburse you on a prorated basis.
Q: If I go to a school that uses a quarter system, or if I start services after the semester has begun, what will my college coaching rate be?
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Your rate will be prorated to reflect the number of remaining weeks in the semester.
Q: What does Evolve Coaching charge for employment coaching services?
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We believe that everyone who wants to work deserves help to find a great job. Evolve works hard to ensure that this service is available to ALL who want it. We work with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) to offer services at no cost to many. We also secure scholarship funding to support students at rates as low as $5/session for those with a financial need. For those who are not affiliated with OVR and do not have a financial need, private pay rates are $100/session.
Q: How does one get involved with OVR?
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If you would like to learn more about the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), visit their website.
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To apply, complete the OVR pre-application here.