PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychologist and patient, and the particular problems you hope to address. There are many different methods I may use to deal with those problems. 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 we talk about both during our sessions and at home. Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Because therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. When treating insomnia specifically, therapy might cause you to experience increased sleepiness and fatigue, especially in the early phases of treatment. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, significant reductions in feelings of distress, improved sleep, and less fatigue. But there are no guarantees as to what you will experience. Our first session will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue with me for therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions about whether you feel comfortable working with me. At the end of the evaluation, I will notify you if I believe that I am not the right therapist for you and if so, I will give you referrals to other practitioners who I believe are better suited to help you. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion. Please note that the psychological services I provide are not for emergency situations. For emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. FEES My fee is $395 for an initial evaluation lasting 90 minutes, and $250 for each subsequent psychotherapy session (either in-person or over the telephone) lasting 45 minutes. I charge this same $250 per 45-minutes rate for other professional services you may need, though I will prorate the cost if I work for periods of less than 45 minutes in increments of 15 minutes, rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment (e.g., 22 minutes of service will be charged for 15 minutes whereas 23 minutes of service will be charged for 30 minutes). Other professional services include telephone conversations or email responses lasting longer than 15 minutes, and the time spent performing any other service you may request of me. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for any professional time I spend on your legal matter, even if the request comes from another party, at the same $250 per 45-minutes rate. I do not charge for time spent writing reports and progress notes as per the standard routine of my care of you. I also do not charge for any time I may spend collaborating with your other providers. From time to time, I may institute fee increases and these will be discussed and agreed upon ahead of time with a new Treatment Contract. If it has been more than one year since our last appointment, then you will re-initiate services at my current standard fee which may be higher than the fee you were previously paying. In addition, if it has been more than one year since our last appointment, you will be scheduled for another initial evaluation (90 minutes) and charged accordingly, with subsequent 45-minute psychotherapy sessions thereafter. INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT You are responsible for paying your full session fee. I am not in-network with any insurance companies. If you decide to submit claims to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have, you may do so. However, be aware that the services provided will still be charged to you, not your insurance company, and you are responsible for the full payment. I have no role in deciding what your insurance covers. You are responsible for checking your insurance coverage, deductibles, payment rates, pre-authorization procedures, etc. Missed appointments, late cancellations (i.e., cancellations within 24 hours of service), and telephone session are not typically covered by insurance companies and therefore you will likely be responsible for the full session fee in these instances. If your insurance company doesn’t reimburse you, I am not responsible for refunding you any payment you expected to be reimbursed or otherwise. I will provide you a superbill after each session with the following information that you will need to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have:
Illness injury, or pregnancy-related condition of a member of the employee’s immediate family where the employee’s presence is reasonably necessary for the health and welfare of the employee or affected family member;
Personal Illness Employees may use accumulated sick leave for hours off due to personal illness. The employee may be required to furnish a medical certificate from a qualified physician as evidence of illness or physical disability in order to qualify for paid sick leave as per District practice. Accumulated sick leave may also be granted for such time as is actually necessary for office visits to a doctor, dentist, optometrist, etc.
Family Illness The start of a family leave for a serious health condition of a family member shall begin on the date requested by the employee or designated by Management.
Inability to Perform This Lease and the obligations of the Tenant hereunder shall not be affected or impaired because the Landlord is unable to fulfill any of its obligations hereunder or is delayed in doing so, if such inability or delay is caused by reason of strike, labor troubles, acts of God, or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the Landlord.
Personal Illness or Disability The bargaining unit member may use all or any portion of his leave to recover from his/her own illness or disability.
Serious Illness Should a participant be unable to take the leave when scheduled because of serious injury or illness occurring before commencement of the leave, he/she may cancel the leave and receive payment as in Article 12.8.3.9 or, with the consent of the College, defer the leave to a time mutually agreeable, not to exceed one (1) year.
Sickness In the event that an employee requires hospitalization or is seriously ill during his/her annual vacation period, the employee shall, upon request and upon presentation of a physician's statement, apply the period of illness or hospitalization to sick leave rather than vacation, provided the sick bank is not used. The employee must inform the College of the claim within one (1) week of returning to work.
Medically Necessary Services for the State plan services in Addendum VIII. B medically necessary has the meaning in Wis. Admin. Code DHS §101.03(96m): services (as defined under Wis. Stat. § 49.46
Sick Leave Abuse When the Employer suspects sick leave abuse, the employee will be provided the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding their sick leave use prior to disciplining the employee, or making reference to sick leave use in the employee’s performance evaluation. The Employer may not adopt or enforce any policy that counts the use of paid sick leave time as an absence that may lead to or result in disciplinary action for an authorized purpose. The Employer may not discriminate or retaliate against an employee for the use of paid sick leave for an authorized purpose.
