Legal Services If this Agreement is for legal services, this section is applicable. Contractor shall: (i) adhere to legal cost and billing guidelines designated by the JBE; (ii) adhere to litigation plans designated by the JBE, if applicable; (iii) adhere to case phasing of activities designated by the JBE, if applicable; (iv) submit and adhere to legal budgets as designated by the JBE; (v) maintain legal malpractice insurance in an amount not less than the amount designated by the JBE; and (vi) submit to legal bill audits and law firm audits if so requested by the JBE, whether conducted by employees or designees of the JBE or by any legal cost-control provider retained by the JBE for that purpose. Contractor may be required to submit to a legal cost and utilization review as determined by the JBE. If (a) the Contract Amount is greater than $50,000, (b) the legal services are not the legal representation of low- or middle-income persons, in either civil, criminal, or administrative matters, and (c) the legal services are to be performed within California, then Contractor agrees to make a good faith effort to provide a minimum number of hours of pro xxxx legal services, or an equivalent amount of financial contributions to qualified legal services projects and support centers, as defined in section 6213 of the Business and Professions Code, during each year of the Agreement equal to the lesser of either (A) thirty (30) multiplied by the number of full time attorneys in the firm’s offices in California, with the number of hours prorated on an actual day basis for any period of less than a full year or (B) the number of hours equal to ten percent (10%) of the Contract Amount divided by the average billing rate of the firm. Failure to make a good faith effort may be cause for nonrenewal of this Agreement or another judicial branch or other state contract for legal services, and may be taken into account when determining the award of future contracts with a Judicial Branch Entity for legal services.
Counseling Services Your first appointment (or more, in some cases) will involve an assessment of your needs. By the end of the assessment Xxxx Xxxxxx will be able to offer you some first impressions of what your work may include and recommendations for getting help. One of the recommendations may be psychotherapy. If so, Xxxx Xxxxxx may or may not be able to provide you with psychotherapy, depending on your overall needs. If psychotherapy or any other recommendations suggested by your counselor include things that Xxxx Xxxxxx Counseling, Inc. cannot provide, you will be given suggestions of where you might receive those services. Wherever you choose to obtain treatment, you should evaluate the information from your initial assessment along with your own opinions of what sort of treatment you are willing to do and whether you feel comfortable working with Xxxx Xxxxxx. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, energy, and often money, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about the procedures used or conclusions made by Xxxx Xxxxxx, please discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, your counselor will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion. Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the particular problems you are experiencing, the therapeutic methods used by your counselor, and the personalities of the counselor and client. There are many different methods counselors may use to deal with the problems that you hope to address. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things that are discussed both during your sessions and on your own. Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, shame, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. The changes you make in therapy may also affect your relationships in unexpected ways. Psychotherapy has also been shown to have many benefits. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. But there are no guarantees of what you will experience. MEETINGS The initial assessment will last from one to two sessions. During this time, you and Xxxx Xxxxxx can both decide if she is the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet your treatment goals. If psychotherapy is begun it is typical to schedule one meeting per week at a time you each agree on. Once an appointment is scheduled, you will be expected to attend unless you provide advance notice of cancellation. If you need to cancel an appointment, it is your responsibility to contact us to cancel. PROFESSIONAL FEES Fees will be collected when services are rendered. The fee per 50 minute counseling session is $135, and will be adjusted accordingly when 50 minutes is exceeded. In addition to therapy services fees may include creating reports; creating copies of records on request; and consulting with other professionals at the client’s request. There will be an additional $25 fee assessed for any returned check. CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS We understand that there are unforeseeable circumstances like sick children or bad weather. Your appointment is important though, and Xxxx Xxxxxx is happy to contact you for a phone session or a session via our HIPPA-compliant virtual therapy system so you don't need to leave your sick child or worry about traffic and weather. As long as you are in a confidential location, we can help you keep your regularly scheduled appointment. If you still must change or cancel your counseling appointment, please know: ● Cancellations must be made within 24 hours of session time. ● We cannot accommodate cancellations made via email as we do not monitor email on a regular basis. ● We cannot accommodate cancellations made after hours or on holidays. If you have an appointment on a Monday or the first day following a holiday, you must make your change or cancellation the last business day before your appointment. ● Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will result in a $90 fee that will be collected at your next appointment, or, if payment information is on file, it will be debited from your credit card. ● After two no-shows/late cancellations, a pre-paid retainer will be required before scheduling any future appointments. ● Clients who have pre-paid agree to have the entire fee deducted from their pre-payment in cases of other no-shows and late changes/cancellations. COURT TESTIMONY ● Court testimony costs begin at $300 per hour with a minimum charge of three hours. A retainer of $1000 is due one week prior to the court date. Travel is billed at .55/mile. Failure to provide the specific fees as described constitutes a release from the requested court appearance. ● It is required that a minimum of 36 hours notice be given if the testimony is not required, otherwise the entire retainer is forfeited. If proper notice is given, the retainer will be refunded. ● Additional services related to court preparation including all correspondence with attorneys or other service providers via phone, email, or letter, documentation review and/or documentation preparation are also billed at $300 per hour, rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment. You (not your insurance company) are responsible for full payment of fees. It is very important that you find out exactly what mental health services your insurance policy covers. You must pay your xxxx first, then contact your insurance company regarding reimbursement. CONTACTING US You can contact our main office number (281-350-1277) 24 hours a day/7 days a week. If an administrative assistant or Xxxx Xxxxxx, does not answer, please leave a message on the internal/secure voicemail system. Messages are typically returned within 24 hours during the business week, or 48 hours for messages left on the weekend. You may have your counselor’s cell phone number in order to coordinate administrative tasks (defined as appointment arrival, appointment time, and directions). Email, and text messaging are not secure mediums in terms of privacy and confidentiality so our policy regarding, electronic communication, and cell phone use includes the following: ● We do not provide therapy/counseling via email or text messaging. ● Text messaging and email will be used for administrative tasks only (as defined above). ● Xxxx Xxxxxx Counseling, Inc., may not acknowledge or return emails or text messages that are not administrative. This includes emergency texts and emails. ● If Xxxx Xxxxxx leaves for an extended period of time you will be given the information for another licensed therapist with whom you may schedule if you need an appointment during your therapist’s absence.
