Practice Policies
APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Insurance companies require diagnosis and treatment planning which can dictate treatment. We provide a private pay scale in which you can attend as frequently as you would like while also limiting released information. We offer a sliding scale based off income for those who have lost their job, are students, or others in extreme financial hardship.
Each insurance plan is different; therefore, it is recommended that you contact your insurance company prior to attending your first appointment with any questions about reimbursement or calling our office directly. We accept flexible spending accounts and health saving accounts which can cover the cost of sessions and we also can provide receipts for those wishing to submit to their insurance company for reimbursement.
Our prices are $150 per session and payment is due the day of the scheduled appointment via auto-pay by saving a card on file with us. Alternatively, an invoice can be emailed to you for your convenience. If your payment is not received by your next scheduled appointment, that appointment will be automatically cancelled. Please note, late payments are subject to a $15 fee. Please let us know if you have any questions by calling us at 716-249-4096.
We ask you complete all intake forms prior to the first session. Therapy is a commitment to a better, healthier you!
The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 45 minutes, however you ultimately determine the length of time of your sessions, so please be on time. Requests to change the 45-minute session or bring additional support people should be discussed with the therapist prior to session. Payment is due at the time of session via check, cash or credit card. A $10.00 service charge will be charged for any checks returned for any reason for special handling.
Please remember to cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance. There is no fee to cancel or reschedule for any reason prior to 24 hours before your appointment. After that time frame, you will be responsible for the session cost. This means that the full fee for the session is due and necessary because a time commitment is made to you and this space is held exclusively for you. Please let your therapist know if there are any extenuating circumstances. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time, in order to keep wait time for other clients to a minimum.
GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE
You may have heard of a new law called the No Surprises Billing Act that has been passed that allows everyone receiving medical or mental health care and is not billing insurance for these services has the right to receive what’s called a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of the cost of services before they take place. At Core Mental Health Counseling, we have always been committed to being upfront and transparent with what you can expect to pay for therapy so that there are never any surprises when it comes to cost. And with this new law, you have the right to receive a GFE in writing. The GFE that we provide you would project a dollar amount of the cost of therapy over the next 12 months based on your anticipated frequency of attending therapy. You can request a GFE at any time; let us know either verbally or in writing if you would like to receive a GFE for future cost of services. By signing these practice policies, you are acknowledging that you will be seen at Core Mental Health Counseling as a private pay client, and that Core Mental Health Counseling will not be billing your insurance. By signing these practice policies, you recognize that the services you are paying for may be obtained to you at lower to no cost from a provider that participates in your insurance. Please let us know if we can help you with referrals in the community.
TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY
If you need to contact therapists between sessions, please leave a voice message or email. We are often not immediately available; however, will attempt to return your call/request within 24 hours. Please note in the event that you are out of town, sick or need additional support, tele-therapy sessions are available for convenience. If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911, call the crisis line (for adults 716-834-3131; for adolescents 716-882-4357) or go to a local emergency room.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION
Due to the importance of confidentiality and minimizing dual relationships, we 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
We cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, please use our secure client portal. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
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
Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. We may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if we determine that psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. We will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy is terminated for any reason or you request another therapist, we will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.
Should you fail to attend, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, we will make several outreach attempts prior to closing your case. You may return to therapy at a more convenient time in the future as discussed.
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Thank you for your understanding, we look forward to continuing to serve you,
With gratitude,
The CoreMHC Team