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Policies & Fees

Notices & Forms
Appointment Policies

The following information regarding my office policies and procedures should help to answer questions about appointments, emergencies, fees, insurance reimbursement, and privacy and confidentiality issues. Please review these policies carefully and if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to discuss them with me.

 

 

Please expect to pay for each session at the time it is held. Missed appointments are not billable to insurance and you will be responsible for paying for these. I accept cash, check, and major credit cards as well as most Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). I do ask all clients to leave a confidential credit card on file. A charge for the full session is expected when appointments are missed or cancelled with less than 24 business hours notice ( i.e. for a Monday cancellation, I must be notified by Friday). Missed sessions or late cancellation fees will be waived for emergencies and illness only.

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In the event of illness, we can conduct your session via phone.  Please do not come to the office with a virus, cough, rash, or any other potentially contagious illness.  Additionally, if anyone whom you live with has any of these symptoms, I ask that we meet by phone or tele therapy. Thank you for respecting this clinical boundary.

 

 

Telephone Calls, E-mail Guidelines and Emergency Procedures

Due to my work schedule, I am often not immediately available by telephone. I do not answer the phone when I am with a client. When I am unavailable, please leave a message on my answering machine. I frequently monitor my messages and will make every effort to return your call promptly, with the exception of evenings, weekends and holidays, when I will return the call as soon as possible until 9:00 PM. (Note: I charge my hourly rate for phone calls in 15 minute increments.) If you are unable to reach me and feel that you can’t wait for me to return your call, contact your family physician or the nearest emergency room and ask for the psychiatrist on call. If you need immediate emergency attention, call 988. If I will be unavailable for an extended period of time, I will provide you with the name of a colleague to contact if necessary.

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I use e-mail to schedule appointments.  Every attempt will be made to return your e-mail within 24 hours during a regular work week.  Do not use e-mail for urgent or emergent situations.  Please bring your questions in to your therapy session or appointment.  If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 988 immediately.

Professional Fees

Intake Session

Our first session is an “intake” where I gather information about your current situation and how I may be of help to you. With children, I meet with one or both parents (without the child present) at the initial intake to gather a solid social, developmental and family history. Please complete the appropriate intake questionnaire and get this to me at least 48 hours prior to your first appointment. Again, please do not bring your child to this session unless we have previously discussed this. Our first session may last anywhere from 60-90 minutes depending on your needs. The fee for this intake is billed at a rate of $145 per 60 min.  Please let me know in advance for scheduling purposes if you anticipate that we'll need more than 90 minutes.

 

Regular Sessions

Sessions for adults are 50-60 minutes and are $145. Longer sessions are available upon request at a rate of $215 for 90 minutes.

 

Sessions for children and teens are typically 45 minutes and are $145

 

There is a pro-rated (hourly rate) charge for report writing and other clinical services that may be requested (see below).

 

Off-Site Observations

Observations in schools or meetings with a child’s teachers and other health care practitioners are $145 per 50 minutes. There is a pro-rated charge for travel time to/from the off-site location.

 

Sliding Scale/Reduced Fee Policy

I truly believe that healthcare should be a right and not a privilege.  For that reason, if you are experiencing financial hardship, please speak to me individually, as I do have some sliding scale slots available at given times in my practice.

 

Fees for Services Other than Psychotherapy

Given the trust and confidentiality of our relationship, I do not get involved in any legal proceedings on your behalf. My participation could have a harmful effect on the therapeutic relationship we have.  If you do become involved in legal proceedings that may require my involvement, you will be expected to pay me for my professional time (including preparation, transportation and communication with attorneys) even if I am called on to testify by another party.  Due to the complexities of legal involvement, I charge $400 per hour for preparation and attendance at any legal proceeding.

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Examples of other clinical services might include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 5 minutes, reading health records, testing and school reports, preparation of records or treatment summaries. Consultations with other health care professionals or teachers on your behalf are also billed at this rate.

Insurance Reimbursement
Privacy and Confidentiality

In order for us to set realistic treatment goals and priorities, it is important to evaluate what resources you have available to pay for your treatment. If you have a health insurance policy, it will usually provide some coverage for mental health treatment. I can help you fill out forms and provide you with whatever assistance I can in helping you receive the benefits to which you are entitled; however, 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 policy covers. You will need to file my billing receipt with your insurance company using your out-of-network benefits.

 

 

Your privacy is extremely important to me and I consider it a privilege to work with you. In therapy you will likely discuss some very sensitive and private information. As a licensed clinical social worker, I adhere to HIPAA privacy practices and a code of ethics which both include strong policies for maintaining client privacy and confidentiality.
 
Although I am committed to protecting your privacy, there are a few areas in which there are exceptions to this policy. Any situation related to abuse and being a danger to yourself or others are areas in which I am legally bound to intervene. This is true for any health care provider.

 

Uses and Disclosures with Neither Consent Nor Authorization

As required by law, I may use or disclose your health information without your consent or authorization in the following circumstances:

  • Child, adult and elder abuse 

  • Suspected sexual abuse of a child 

  • Health oversight activities (i.e., licensing board investigations) 

  • Judicial or administrative proceedings (i.e., court ordered treatment and/or evaluations) 

  • Serious threat to health or safety 

 

E-mail Confidentiality

In regard to e-mail and texting, please know that while these are easy and effective ways to communicate, they are not secure ways of relaying confidential information. Both of these can be misdirected to the wrong recipient and intercepted at times. If you choose to communicate with me via e-mail or text, please know that there are possible risks associated with it. If you prefer to communicate with me confidentially, please call me at (919) 967-1036.

Consent

In accordance with the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board’s Ethical Guidelines, I shall obtain consent (agreement to participate in social work intervention) from all clients or their legally authorized representative, except when laws require intervention to ensure the client's and community's safety and protection. At our initial appointment you will be asked to sign a “Receipt and Acknowledgment/Consent” of my Notice of Business Practices that affirms your consent to participate in services and your agreement to abide by the business practices outlined therein.

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