Information for Clients concerning Office Policies and procedures
Appointments: Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you. Unless you give a 24-hour notice to cancel your appointment, your case will be closed after two no shows with a letter of intent from this agency. Your case will also be considered for closure after three cancellations, two no shows or a combination of each within a six-month period. A $50.00 charge will be applied for all no-show appointments. Please be on time; we stay as close to the appointed time as possible. No alcohol or drugs are allowed before or during sessions; no beverages of food intake, no smoking or chewing gum is allowed in the agency or on agency grounds with the exception of water during session time. Please dress comfortably for your sessions.
Legal Appearances: no court appearance will be conducted by a representative of HHCC (Helping Hands Counseling Center) without a legal subpoena. A deposit may be required and will be determined by HHCC representative.
Interpreter services at client’s expense
Insurance: we participate with most major insurance plans and accept their contracted rate as payment. We do require payment of co-pays, coinsurance and deductible amounts as indicated at the time of service. Please review your policy booklet prior to your first session. If we do not participate with your insurance plan, our billed rate is our charge. You are responsible for any part of that amount your insurance does not pay.
Payment: In order to keep fees as low as possible, payment is due at the time of the appointment. We accept personal checks or cash. There will be a $55.00 charge for all returned checks. There will also be a $50.00 charge for all missed appointments without a 24-hour notice.
Telephone Calls and Emergencies: My assistant or voice mail accepts telephone messages when the therapist is in session or otherwise occupied or unavailable. In general, telephone counseling is ineffective. Telephone calls for counseling are to be kept at a minimum. If you need more than 5 minutes to resolve an issue, you need to come in for an appointment. A charge of $1.00 per minute will be assessed for each call lasting more than 5 minutes. This charge is not reimbursable by insurance.
Helping Hands Counseling Center is an outpatient counseling agency. Please leave routine messages on the voice mail if office staff is not available, someone will return your call as soon as possible. Standard office hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00am – 6:00pm. In case of an emergency please dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Tax Information: Transportation costs and payments may be deductible as medical expenses. You need not specify the type or length of treatment. You only need to list counseling, the agency name and the amount. Your check or our written receipt will suffice for tax purposes.
What to expect from our Relationship
As professionals, we will use our best knowledge and skills to help you. This includes following the rules of Social Work and Professional Licensing Boards. Limits are put on the relationship between the therapist and a client and will abide by these limits.
First- We are licensed and trained to practice clinical social work or counseling- not law, medicine or any other profession. We are not able to give you good advice from other professional viewpoints.
Second- State laws and rules of Social Work and Professional Licensing Boards require me to keep what you tell me confidential. You can trust me not to tell anyone else what you tell me, except in certain limited situations. We try not to reveal who our clients are. This is part of our effort to maintain your privacy. If we meet in the street or socially, I may not say “hello” or talk with you. My behavior will not be a personal reaction to you, but a way to maintain the confidentiality of our relationship.
Third- In your best interest and following the rules of Social Work and Licensing Boards, I can only be your therapist. I cannot have any other role in your life. I cannot, now or ever, be a close friend or socialize with any of my clients. I cannot be a therapist to someone who is a close friend. I can never have a sexual or romantic relationship with my client during or after the course of therapy. I cannot have a business relationship with any of my clients, other than the therapeutic relationship.
“Good-Bye Session”- Once growth occurs, it is natural to move on; it is also natural to say “good-bye”. When you are ready to stop therapy, please let me know one week before your last appointment, so that we may review the course of our sessions together, discuss the goals you have accomplished and set goals for the future. It is also important to remember that you may wish to take a brief “vacation” from therapy for a while to return later on. Please inform the office if this is your intent.
For more information regarding our agency, contact our office at (803)773-2088