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. 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. 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:
Counseling Services Your first appointment (or more, in some cases) will involve an assessment of your needs. By the end of the assessment your counselor 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, ABO 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 ABO 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 the treating clinician. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, energy, and often money, so you should be very careful about the counselor you select. If you have questions about the procedures used or conclusions made by your counselor at ABO, 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. The initial assessment will last from one to four sessions. During this time, you and your counselor can both decide if she/he is the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet your treatment goals. If you choose to begin psychotherapy, your counselor will usually schedule one meeting 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. Fees will be collected when services are rendered.*In addition to therapy services fees may include assessment administration, scoring, and reporting; 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. We understand that there are unforeseeable circumstances like sick children or bad weather. Your appointment is important though, and your therapist 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 during business hours. • Cancellations must be made within 48 hours of session time if using our online scheduling program. • We cannot accommodate cancellations made via email as we do not monitor email on a regular basis. • We may not accommodate cancellations made after hours or on holidays to our main number as we cannot check voice mail regularly. 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 fee equal to the total amount of the missed session 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, you will pre-pay a retainer 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 costs begin at $250 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 may be 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 $250 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. We answer our main office number 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Friday (except holidays). 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). • Therapists may not acknowledge or return emails or text messages that are not administrative. This includes emergency texts and emails. • If your therapist 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. You may need to fill out other paperwork if therapist is in another practice.
Psychologists Psychologists hired by the Employer, with no prior years of experience as a school psychologist, teacher, or prior years of military service shall be placed on Step 1 of the salary schedule effective July 1, 1990. Credit for combined years of prior experience as a school psychologist, teacher, and active military service experience shall be allowed at a rate of one (1) year for each twelve (12) months of continuous service up to a maximum of eight (8) years, as per credit requirements in Salary guidelines. Retroactive to the 2000 – 2001 school year, for new school psychologists, credit for combined years of prior experience as a school psychologist, teacher, and active military service experience shall be allowed at a rate of one (1) year for each twelve
Training Services Training Services may include pre-packaged training Products, and/or the development or customization of training programs as requested, including Live Training, Computer Based/Multi-Media Training which encompasses Internet-Delivered Training, and/or Video Based Training.
Surgery Services This plan covers surgery services to treat a disease or injury when: • the operation is not experimental or investigational, or cosmetic in nature; • the operation is being performed at the appropriate place of service; and • the physician is licensed to perform the surgery. This plan covers reconstructive surgery and procedures when the services are performed to relieve pain, or to correct or improve bodily function that is impaired as a result of: • a birth defect; • an accidental injury; • a disease; or • a previous covered surgical procedure. Functional indications for surgical correction do not include psychological, psychiatric or emotional reasons. This plan covers the procedures listed below to treat functional impairments. • abdominal wall surgery including panniculectomy (other than an abdominoplasty); • blepharoplasty and ptosis repair; • gastric bypass or gastric banding; • nasal reconstruction and septorhinoplasty; • orthognathic surgery including mandibular and maxillary osteotomy; • reduction mammoplasty; • removal of breast implants; • removal or treatment of proliferative vascular lesions and hemangiomas; • treatment of varicose veins; or • gynecomastia.
Outpatient Dental Anesthesia Services This plan covers anesthesia services received in connection with a dental service when provided in a hospital or freestanding ambulatory surgical center and: • the use of this is medically necessary; and • the setting in which the service is received is determined to be appropriate. This plan also covers facility fees associated with these services. This plan covers dental care for members until the last day of the month in which they turn nineteen (19). This plan covers services only if they meet all of the following requirements: • listed as a covered dental care service in this section. The fact that a provider has prescribed or recommended a service, or that it is the only available treatment for an illness or injury does not mean it is a covered dental care service under this plan. • dentally necessary, consistent with our dental policies and related guidelines at the time the services are provided. • not listed in Exclusions section. • received while a member is enrolled in the plan. • consistent with applicable state or federal law. • services are provided by a network provider.
Counseling including marriage or pre-marital counseling, religious, family, career, social adjustment, pastoral or financial counseling.
Chiropractic Services This plan covers chiropractic visits up to the benefit limit shown in the Summary of Medical Benefits. The benefit limit applies to any visit for the purposes of chiropractic treatment or diagnosis.
Professional Development and Training The Company shall pay for or reimburse the Executive for any reasonable professional development or training.
Training and Professional Development 11.1 The Employer will develop and maintain an employee training and development plan and provide such plan to the Union upon request. Staff training is intended to provide an opportunity for classified staff employees for training sponsored by the University Training and Development and the UW Medical Centers Organizational Development and Training. Education/Professional Leave is intended to facilitate employee access to continuing education opportunities. Training and educational/professional leave may be used for the purpose of improving job performance, maintaining and increasing proficiency, preparing staff for greater responsibility, or increasing promotional opportunities within the framework of staff positions available at the University.
11.2 Any release time for training for employees accepted for such classes shall be in accordance with the Executive Order (currently No. 52) governing this matter. In the event that two or more employees request the same training period and supervision must limit the number of persons who may participate at one time due to work requirements, the selection will be made on a mutually agreeable basis within the department.
11.3 The training program is a proper subject for discussion by either departmental or University-wide Joint Union/Management Committees.
11.4 If the Employer requires an employee to receive training, reimbursement will be provided in accordance with the University travel rules. Employee attendance at Employer required training, either during or outside working hours, will be considered time worked and compensated in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
11.5 Employee attendance at training not required by the Employer and not covered by Executive Order 52, either on approved leave from or outside of working hours, will be voluntary and not considered time worked.