Policies & Procedures

 

  • THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

    I. MY PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION: I understand that health information about you and your health care is personal. I am committed to protecting health information about you. I create a record of the care and services you receive from me. I need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which I may use and disclose health information about you. I also describe your rights to the health information I keep about you, and describe certain obligations I have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. I am required by law to:

    Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.

    Give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.

    Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

    I can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information I have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in my office, and on my website.

    II. HOW I MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:The following categories describe different ways that I use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures I will explain what I mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways I am permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

    For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. I may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your person health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.

    Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another.

    Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, I may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. I may also disclose health information about your child in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.

    III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

    Psychotherapy Notes. I do keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is:

    a. For my use in treating you.

    b. For my use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.

    c. For my use in defending myself in legal proceedings instituted by you.

    d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my compliance with HIPAA.

    e. Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law.

    f. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes.

    g. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law.

    h. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.

    Marketing Purposes. As a psychotherapist, I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.

    Sale of PHI. As a psychotherapist, I will not sell your PHI in the regular course of my business.

    IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION. Subject to certain limitations in the law, I can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons:

    When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.

    For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.

    For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.

    For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.

    For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on my premises.

    To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.

    For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition.

    Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.

    For workers' compensation purposes. Although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, I may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers' compensation laws.

    Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. I may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with me. I may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that I offer.

    V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT.

    Disclosures to family, friends, or others. I may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.

    VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:

    The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask me not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. I am not required to agree to your request, and I may say “no” if I believe it would affect your health care.

    The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.

    The Right to Choose How I Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask me to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and I will agree to all reasonable requests.

    The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that I have about you. I will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and I may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so.

    The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures I Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which I have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided me with an Authorization. I will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list I will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. I will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, I will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each additional request.

    The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that I correct the existing information or add the missing information. I may say “no” to your request, but I will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.

    The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. And, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it.

    Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. By checking the box below, you are acknowledging that you have received a copy of HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.

  • My practice fees are as follows:

    Intake assessment: $150 per 90 minutes

    Ongoing therapy session: $125 per 50 minutes

    Phone conversations over 15 minutes: $30 per increment of 15 minutes (i.e. 45 minutes = $60)

    Any and all court involvement (i.e. letter writing, phone conversations, court appearances, etc.): $125 per hour, including travel time

    Form completing, letter writing, records release: $20

    APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

    My time is valuable and I understand that yours is too. Please remember to cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance. You will be responsible for paying $80 for all cancellations within 24 hours and no shows. This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you. I reserve the right to charge this fee to the credit card on file when applicable. If you arrive to session more than 15 minutes late without informing me, you will be charged for a missed appointment ($80) and asked to reschedule. Frequent cancellations or broken appointments call into question your commitment to treatment and may result in termination at my discretion. I provide text message or email appointment reminders as a courtesy but you are ultimately responsible for your own appointment time.

    A $10.00 service charge will be charged for any checks returned for any reason for special handling.

    TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY

    I am generally not immediately available for phone conversations. However, if you need to contact me between sessions, please leave a message on my voicemail. If a phone conversation is needed between sessions, we can arrange a specified time to speak briefly. Please do not contact me with urgent safety concerns as I cannot adequately address such concerns outside of sessions. Instead, please call 911, Netcare Access (614-276-2273), or go to your local emergency room for immediate care.

    SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION

    Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.

    ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

    While I ensure my compliance with HIPAA regulations, I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages or email. I use text messages and/or email for appointment reminders and am happy to communicate scheduling needs with you via these platforms. While I try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee an immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies. If you choose to communicate clinical information via electronic methods, you assume the risk involved. You always have the right to opt out of any and all electronic communication.

    MINORS

    If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your therapy. I will discuss with you and your parents what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

    TERMINATION

    My goal for every client is successful termination or graduation from therapy services. Length of treatment varies from client to client depending on symptom presentation and treatment modalities implemented. I may terminate treatment if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being appropriately used or if you are in default on payments. I will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. You are always welcome to terminate treatment whenever you choose, unless you are legally mandated to attend.

  • Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, health care providers and health care facilities are required to inform individuals who are not enrolled in a plan or coverage or a Federal health care program, or not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage both orally and in writing of their ability, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services, to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” of expected charges.

    You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost

    Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

    You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

    Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

    If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

    Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

    This Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for your health care needs for an item or service. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created. The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur.

    As a strength-based and client-centered practice, we empower our clients to determine their own course of mental health treatment (including but not limited to: frequency of treatment, choice of clinician, length of service). It is not possible to know in advance how many sessions a person may need. Ultimately, as the client, it is your decision when to stop therapy.