Common use of Sessions Clause in Contracts

Sessions. Normally an evaluation will last from one to three sessions with the first session being longer. Together, it is decided if your counselor is the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet your treatment goals. Thereafter, if you begin counseling, usually you will schedule one 55-minute session (one appointment hour – 55 minutes face to face and 10 minutes documentation) per week at a time agreed upon, although some sessions may be longer or more frequent. Assessments may take more time. Once an appointment is scheduled you will be expected to attend and pay for that session. 24 hours advance notice of cancellation is required. Our office understands that occasionally circumstances beyond your control arise. We will work with you if that is the reason for cancellation. However, only 2 less than 24-hour cancellations will be excused in any 6-month period. It is important to note that insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for cancelled sessions. PROFESSIONAL FEES. Fees vary depending on the services provided and the credentials of the counselor. A fee schedule is provided on the Professional Disclosure Statement. In addition to weekly appointments, this office charges for other professional services you may need. Other services may include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 5 minutes, consulting with other professionals, preparation of records or treatment summaries, and the time spent performing any other service you may request. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require this office’s participation, you will be expected to pay for all professional time, including, but not limited to communication with any involved attorney; court testimony; and preparation; as well as any expenses or costs, such as transportation or parking. Due to difficulties associated with legal matters, this office charges a higher hourly rate for work related to legal matters. Please refer to the current fee schedule. Refer to our Litigation Related Services Policy for full details regarding involving this office in legal matters. CONTACTING YOUR COUNSELOR. Your counselor is often not immediately available by telephone. This may be because the counselor is seeing another patient or due to other work commitments. While your counselor will usually be in the office between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., your counselor will not answer the phone when with other patients. When your counselor is unavailable a secretary or voicemail will answer the telephone. Messages are monitored and your counselor will make every effort to return your call on the same day you make it, with the exception of weekends and holidays. If you are difficult to reach, please inform this office of some times when you will be available. If you are unable to reach your counselor and feel that the situation is an emergency, contact your family physician, psychiatrist, or the nearest emergency room and ask for the mental health person on call. If your counselor is unavailable for an extended time (for example, on a trip) you will be provided with the name of a colleague to contact, if necessary. LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY. The law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient and psychologist or counselor. In most situations, this office can only release information about your treatment to others if you sign a written authorization form that meets certain legal requirements imposed by HIPAA. PATIENT RIGHTS. HIPAA provides you with rights with regard to your Clinical Record and disclosures of Protected Health Information (PHI). These rights are outlined in detail in the Notice provided to you. Please review that information and ask any questions you have. This office will be happy to discuss any of these rights with you.

Sessions. Normally Our first few sessions (4-6 sessions) will involve an evaluation will last from one to three sessions with the first session being longerof your (or your child’s) needs. TogetherDuring this time, it is decided we can both decide if your counselor is I am the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet your treatment goals. ThereafterIf therapy has begun, if you begin counseling, I will usually you will schedule one 5545-50 minute session (one appointment hour – 55 of 45-50 minutes face to face and 10 minutes documentationduration) per week or two at a time agreed uponwe agree on, although some sessions may be longer or more frequent. Assessments may take more time. Once an appointment hour is scheduled scheduled, you will be expected to attend and pay for that session. it unless you provide 24 hours advance notice of cancellation is required. Our office understands that occasionally circumstances beyond your control arise. We will work with you if that is the reason for cancellation. However, only 2 I charge for cancellations of less than 2424 hours notice and for no-hour cancellations will be excused in any 6-month periodshows (see Billing/Payment section below). It If you elect to use insurance, it is important to note that insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for cancelled sessions, so you will be expected to pay the entire fee, not just the coinsurance amount you might normally pay. PROFESSIONAL FEESAttending regularly, as well as starting and ending on time, are considered vital to the treatment process, therefore please consider your appointment time a priority. Fees vary depending My rate for individual sessions (45-60 minutes) is $100. Reduced fee options and payment plans may be available on the services provided and the credentials of the counselora limited basis to those in need. A fee schedule is provided on the Professional Disclosure StatementPlease speak to me for additional information. In addition to weekly appointments, I also charge this office charges amount for other professional services you may need, though I will break down the hourly cost if I work for periods of less than one hour. Emergency phone calls of less than 10 minutes are normally free. Other services may include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 5 10 minutes, consulting attendance at meetings with other professionalsprofessionals you have authorized, preparation of records or treatment summaries, and the time spent performing any other service you may requestrequest of me. However, if we spend more than 10 minutes in a week on the phone, if you leave more than ten minutes worth of phone messages in a week, or if I spend more than 10 minutes reading and responding to emails from you during a given week I will bill you on a prorated basis for that time. Insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for most services provided outside of the face-to-face session and it is therefore your responsibility to cover those charges. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require this office’s my participation, you will be expected to pay for all my professional timetime even if I am called to testify by another party. Because of the difficulty of legal involvement, including, but not limited I charge $300 per hour for preparation and attendance at any legal proceeding. The legal and ethical guidelines for therapists indicate that a court order is required for a provider to communication with any involved attorney; court testimony; and preparation; as well as any expenses or costs, such as transportation or parking. Due to difficulties associated with legal matters, this office charges a higher hourly rate for work related to legal matters. Please refer testify and/or release records about you to the current fee schedulecourt. Refer A subpoena alone is not sufficient and I may refuse to our Litigation Related Services Policy for full details regarding involving this office appear in legal matters. CONTACTING YOUR COUNSELOR. Your counselor is often not immediately available by telephone. This may be because the counselor is seeing another patient or due to other work commitments. While your counselor will usually be in the office between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., your counselor will not answer the phone when court with other patients. When your counselor is unavailable only a secretary or voicemail will answer the telephone. Messages are monitored and your counselor will make every effort to return your call on the same day you make it, with the exception of weekends and holidays. If you are difficult to reach, please inform this office of some times when you will be available. If you are unable to reach your counselor and feel that the situation is an emergency, contact your family physician, psychiatrist, or the nearest emergency room and ask for the mental health person on call. If your counselor is unavailable for an extended time (for example, on a trip) you will be provided with the name of a colleague to contact, if necessary. LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY. The law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient and psychologist or counselor. In most situations, this office can only release information about your treatment to others if you sign a written authorization form that meets certain legal requirements imposed by HIPAA. PATIENT RIGHTS. HIPAA provides you with rights with regard to your Clinical Record and disclosures of Protected Health Information (PHI). These rights are outlined in detail in the Notice provided to you. Please review that information and ask any questions you have. This office will be happy to discuss any of these rights with yousubpoena.

Sessions. Normally We normally conduct an evaluation that will last from one to three sessions with 1-3 sessions. During this time, we can evaluate if the first session being longer. Together, it clinician is decided if your counselor is the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet a good fit for your treatment goals. ThereafterIf psychotherapy starts, if you begin counseling, we will usually you will schedule one 55fifty-minute session (one appointment hour – 55 minutes face to face and 10 minutes documentation) per week at a time agreed uponwe agree on, although some sessions may be longer or more frequent. Assessments may take more time. Once an appointment is scheduled scheduled, you will be expected to attend and pay for that session. it unless you provide 24 hours advance notice of cancellation cancellation, unless it is required. Our office understands agreed upon that occasionally you were unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control arise. We will work with you if that is the reason for cancellation. However, only 2 less than 24-hour cancellations will be excused in any 6-month periodcontrol. It is important to note that insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for cancelled sessions. Likewise, if the clinician is unable to keep an appointment with you within the 24-hour cancellation period, you will not be charged for that session, and an attempt will be made to reschedule for the earliest opening. PROFESSIONAL FEESFEES The psychotherapy fee for a fifty-minute session is $225. Fees vary depending on If you are working with an associate the services provided and fee will be different. It will be negotiated in the credentials of the counselor. A fee schedule is provided on the Professional Disclosure Statementfirst session. In addition to weekly appointmentssessions, this office charges you will be charged for other professional services you may need. Other services may These typically include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 5 15 minutes, consulting with other professionalsprofessionals with your permission, preparation of records or treatment summaries, and the time spent performing any other service services you may requestrequest of the practice. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require this office’s my participation, you will be expected to pay for all my professional time, including, but not limited to communication with any involved attorney; court testimony; including preparation and preparation; as well as any expenses or transportation costs, such as transportation or parkingeven if I am called to testify by another party. Because of the difficulty of legal involvement, I charge a separate fee per hour for preparation and attendance at any legal proceeding. TELEPHONE CONTACT Due to difficulties associated with legal mattersour work schedules, this office charges a higher hourly rate for work related to legal matters. Please refer to the current fee schedule. Refer to our Litigation Related Services Policy for full details regarding involving this office in legal matters. CONTACTING YOUR COUNSELOR. Your counselor is we are often not immediately available by telephone. This may be because the counselor is seeing another patient or due to other work commitments. While your counselor will usually be in the office between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., your counselor will We do not answer the phone telephone when we are with other patientsclients. When your counselor we are unavailable, the telephone is unavailable a secretary or voicemail will answer the telephoneanswered by voice mail that it monitored frequently. Messages are monitored and your counselor We will make every effort to return your call on the same day you make place it, with the exception of . This may not include weekends and or holidays. If you are difficult to reachhave an emergency that cannot reasonably wait until the end of the business day, please inform this office of some times when you will be available. If you are unable urged to reach your counselor and feel that the situation is an emergency, call 911 or contact your family physician, psychiatrist, or the nearest emergency room and ask for the mental health person psychiatrist on call. If your counselor is unavailable for an extended time (for example, on a trip) you will be provided with the name of a colleague to contact, if necessary. LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY. ON CONFIDENTIALITY The law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient client and psychologist or counselora psychologist. In most situations, this office we can only release information about your treatment to others if you sign a written authorization form that meets certain legal requirements imposed by HIPAA. These are situations that require that you provide written, advanced consent. Your signature on this Agreement provides consent for those activities as follows: It is occasionally helpful to consult other medical and mental health professionals about a case. During a consultation, every effort to avoid revealing the identity of the client. The other professionals are also legally bound to keep the information confidential. Unless you wish that we do so, we will not tell you about these consultations unless it feels important to our work together. We will make note of these consultations in your clinical record. At times it may be necessary to employ administrative staff to help with scheduling and quality assurance practices. We may need to share protected information, such as your name and telephone number, with these individuals for purely administrative purposes. Disclosures required by health insurers or to collect overdue fees are discussed elsewhere in the Agreement. If a client threatens to harm him/herself, we may be obligated to seek hospitalization for him/her or to contact family members or others who can provide protection. There are some situations where we are permitted or required to disclose information without either your consent or Authorization: If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information concerning our professional services, such information is protected by the psychologist-client privilege law. We cannot provide any information without your written authorization or a court order. If you are involved in, or contemplating litigation, you should consult with your attorney to determine whether a court would be likely to order me to disclose information. If a government agency is requesting the information for health oversight activities, we may be required to provide it for them. If a client files a complaint or lawsuit against the practice, we may disclose relevant information regarding that client in order to defend ourselves. If a client files a worker’s compensation claim, and one of us is providing treatment related to the claim, we must, upon appropriate request, furnish copies of all psychological reports and bills. There are some situations in which we are legally obligated to take action, and which we believe are necessary, to attempt to protect others from harm. we may have to reveal some information about a client’s treatment. In this practice, such situations are unusual. If we have reason to believe that a child has been abused, the law requires that we file a report with the appropriate governmental agency, usually the Department of Family and Children’s Services. Once such a report is filed, we may be required to provide additional information. If we have reasonable cause to believe that a disabled adult or elder person has had a physical injury or injuries inflicted upon such disabled adult or elder person, other than by accidental means, or has been neglected or exploited, we must report this to an agency designated by the Department of Human Resources. Once such a report is filed, I may be required to provide additional information. If we determine that a client presents a serious danger of violence to another, we may be required to take protective actions. These actions may include notifying the potential victim, and/or contacting the police, and/or seeking hospitalization for the client. If such a situation arises, we will make every effort to fully discuss it with you before taking any action and will limit our disclosure to what is necessary. While this written summary of exceptions to confidentiality should prove helpful in informing you about potential problems, it is important that we discuss any questions or concerns that you may have now or in the future. The laws governing confidentiality can be quite complex. In situations where specific advice is required, formal legal consultation may be necessary. PROFESSIONAL RECORDS You should be aware that, pursuant to HIPAA, we keep Protected Health Information (PHI) about you in two sets of professional records. One set constitutes your clinical record. It includes information about your reasons for seeking therapy, a description of the ways in which your problems impact your life, your diagnosis, the goals we have set for treatment, your progress towards those goals, your medical and social history, your treatment history, any past treatment records that we receive from other providers, reports of any professional consultations, your billing records, and any reports that have been sent to anyone, including reports to your insurance carrier. Exceptions to this are unusual circumstances that involve danger to yourself or others, or circumstances that make reference to another person (unless such other person is a healthcare provider), and we believe that access is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm to such other person, or if information is supplied to us confidentially by others. You or your legal representative may examine and/or receive a copy of your clinical record if you request it in writing. Because these are professional records, they can be misinterpreted and/or upsetting to untrained readers. For this reason, we recommend that you initially review them in our presence, or have them forwarded to another mental health professional so you can discuss the contents. The exceptions to this policy are contained in the attached Notice Form. If we refuse your request for access to your records, you have a right of review (except for information provided to me confidentially by others), which we will discuss with you upon request. In addition, we also keep a set of psychotherapy notes. These notes are for our own use and are designed to assist in providing you with the best treatment. While the contents of psychotherapy notes vary from client to client, they can include the contents of our conversations, an analysis of those conversations, and how they impact your therapy. They may also contain particularly sensitive information that you may reveal that is not required to be included in your clinical record, and information supplied confidentially by others. Your psychotherapy notes are kept separate from your clinical record. Your psychotherapy notes are not available to you, and cannot be sent to anyone else, including insurance companies, without your written, signed authorization. Insurance companies cannot require your authorization as a condition of coverage, and they cannot penalize you in any way for your refusal to provide them. PATIENT RIGHTS. RIGHTS HIPAA provides you with several new or expanded rights with regard to your Clinical Record clinical record and disclosures of Protected Health Information (PHI)protected health information. These rights include requesting that we amend your record; requesting restrictions on what information from your clinical record is disclosed to others; requesting an accounting of most disclosures of protected health information (PHI) that you have neither consented to nor authorized; determining the location to which protected information disclosures are outlined sent; having any complaints you make about our policies and procedures recorded in detail in your records; and the right to a paper copy of this Agreement, the attached Notice provided to youForm, and our privacy policies and procedures. Please review that information and ask any questions you have. This office will be We are am happy to discuss any of these rights with you. MINORS AND PARENTS Clients under 18 years of age, who are not emancipated, and their parents should be aware that the law allows parents to examine their child’s treatment records unless we believe that doing so would endanger the child or we agree otherwise. Because privacy in psychotherapy is often crucial to successful progress, particularly with teenagers, it is sometimes our policy to request an agreement from parents that they consent to give up their access to their child’s records. If they agree, during treatment we will provide them with only general information about the progress of the child’s treatment, and his/her attendance at scheduled sessions. We will also provide parents with a summary of their child’s treatment when it is complete. Any other communication will require the child’s authorization, unless we feel that the child is in danger or is a danger to someone else. In those cases, we will notify the parent of the concern. Before giving parents any information, we will discuss the matter with the child, if possible, and do our best to handle any objections he or she may have. BILLING AND PAYMENTS You will be expected to pay for all sessions at the end of each month. Payment schedules for other professional services will be agreed to when they are requested. If your account has not been paid for more than 60 days, and arrangements for payment have not been agreed upon, we have the option of using legal means to secure payment. This may involve hiring a collection agency or going through small claims court which will require me to disclose otherwise confidential information. In most collection situations, the only information we release regarding a client’s treatment is his or her name, the nature of the services provided, and the amount due. If such legal action becomes necessary, its costs will be included in the claim. INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT If you have a health insurance policy, it will usually provide some coverage for mental health treatment. Claims can be provided electronically by the practice. You will need to provide all of your insurance You, not your insurance company is responsible for full payment to the provider. It is very important that you find out exactly what mental health services your insurance policy covers. You should also be aware that your contact with your health insurance company requires that we provide it with information relevant to the services we provide to you. A clinical diagnosis will be required for reimbursement. Sometimes we are required to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of your entire clinical record. In such situations, we will make every effort to release only the minimum information about you that is necessary for the purpose requested. This information will become part of the insurance company’s files and will probably be stored in a computer. Though all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, we have no control over what they do with it once it is their hands. In some cases, they may share the information with a national medical information databank. We will provide you with a copy of any report we submit, if you request it in writing. By signing this Agreement, you agree that we can provide requested information to your carrier.