Clarity is crucial

Policies

Clear communication is crucial for mutual understanding, expectations, and trust. I’ve outlined my policies below so you can review them carefully and consider them before starting treatment with me. By doing so, we can spend our time together focusing on how to move forward on your mental health journey. I’ll briefly review these with you at the start of the initial evaluation and am available for questions and clarification at any time.

Billing

Description

I provide routine, outpatient psychiatric services for adults aged 18 years or older. My current business hours are 8AM-5PM Pacific Time Monday-Friday excluding holidays, scheduled absences, and unforeseen circumstances preventing business as usual. I will ensure there is appropriate clinical coverage as necessary for the continuity of care.

I do not provide any in person psychiatric services. I do not conduct worker’s compensation, disability, professional competency, employer, or forensic evaluations.

Telehealth

I provide remote services exclusively over secure, HIPAA-compliant, video technology via Charm. To use telehealth services, clients must be located in California at the time of the appointment and have access to a private space, high-speed internet connection, and appropriate equipment including webcam and microphone. Intake forms will be sent to you via the patient portal after our fifteen-minute phone call. You must be able to complete, sign, and return these forms to me in order to book your first appointment. Rarely, a clients’ clinical situation cannot be appropriately evaluated and treated via telehealth. In this case, I would direct you to in person options, or if necessary, a more specialized or higher level of care.

I accept credit card payments for my services (Visa, Amex, MasterCard, and Discover). A valid credit card is required to remain on file to secure appointments and services. Payment is due at the time of service. I am out of network with all health and insurance plans. You are responsible for understanding any potential out of network benefits and are ultimately responsible for all fees for services rendered, medication costs, and any labs/testing ordered. I can provide a superbill at your request. I am partnered with Reimbursify to help make it easier for you to submit claims with your health or insurance plan and take advantage of any out of network benefits you may have.

As a patient, you have the right to receive a 'Good Faith Estimate' from your healthcare provider. This estimate outlines the expected costs of your medical care, including non-emergency services like tests, prescriptions, and hospital fees. Make sure to request this estimate at least one business day before your appointment. If your final bill exceeds the estimate by $400 or more, you can dispute it. Keep a record of your estimate for reference. For more information, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Late Arrivals, Cancellations, & No-shows

Punctuality is important in my practice. If I am late to an appointment, I will work with you to ensure you receive the full allotted time you expected. If you arrive late, our appointment will still end at the scheduled time.

Cancellations & No-Shows

  • • I understand that things happen outside of our control. I ask that you provide me reasonable notice and communicate these changes as outlined below.

  • • If you need to cancel an appointment, you must provide 48 hours written notice (by cancelling using the patient portal, sending a secure message or an email) prior to any scheduled appointment.

    • Missing an appointment, arriving more than 10 minutes late to an appointment, and failing to provide written cancellation notice 48 hours in advance to any scheduled appointments are all considered no-shows.

  • • For no-shows, there is no charge for the first occurrence. Subsequent no-shows will be charged a no-show fee, equal to the full fee for the scheduled appointment. This fee is not reimbursed by health plans or insurance.

  • • Repeated late arrivals, no-shows, and cancellations may be cause for termination of care due to lack of consistent treatment engagement.

Refill Requests

Refill requests are typically handled during regularly scheduled appointments. Refill requests outside of those requests are available through the patient portal.

If you missed your last medication management appointment and have yet to reschedule, I may delay refilling your medication until you attend your next appointment. Additionally, I don’t typically refill medications for clients that haven't been seen in three months.

Controlled Substances

I treat a wide range of mental health issues and take a balanced and cautious approach to medications as a whole, particularly with regards to controlled substances. I do not currently prescribe controlled substances given the lack of a physical location to conduct in person examinations, and as I often find the risks of such medications outweigh the benefits.

Communication & Confidentiality

The preferred method of communication between my patients and I between appointments is to use the secure, encrypted patient portal. Communicating through the patient portal protects your information to the greatest extent possible. I will make an announcement on the patient portal and/or send out a text message regarding any scheduled absences, unforeseen circumstances that prevent business as usual, or changes to my services, policies or practices.

Confidentiality is of the highest importance, particularly in mental health. I prioritize patient privacy and adhere to all HIPAA regulations. Our electronic health records are securely stored on an encrypted cloud-based server. I exclusively store HIPAA-protected personal health information within that electronic health record. I will never release or discuss your mental health information with any person without your express written consent in the form of a release of information. By law, physicians are mandated to report to the appropriate authorities any known or suspected elder abuse/neglect or child abuse/neglect. Physicians also have a duty to warn and protect any person who is specifically threatened by a patient, which may include disclosing information to appropriate authorities and parties.

Documentation & Records

Appointment notes, records, and test results will be available to patients in the patient portal. I aim for concise, accurate documentation that meets medical, legal, and billing standards, and serves as a reminder of our treatment plan. If you have concerns about documentation, we can address them during one of our appointments. There are medical processing fees associated with providing or sending a hard copy of your medical records.

Emergencies, Urgent Issues & After Hours

My practice is designed to provide routine, outpatient mental health services. If you are having a medical emergency, you should go to the nearest emergency department or dial 911. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call your local county mental health crisis line, dial 988, or go to the nearest emergency department.

For all other issues, I can be reached through the patient portal with any questions, concerns, or feedback. If your message cannot be adequately addressed via the patient portal, I will request you make an appointment or wait to discuss until your next scheduled appointment.

On occasion, I am out of contact during events such as conferences, vacation and unexpected illness. In these cases, I will arrange appropriate coverage in my absence to maintain your continuity of care.

Termination, Discharge, & Transfer

If we determine that our therapeutic relationship isn't suitable to continue working together, I'll provide medication refills as appropriate and provide information on alternative sources of medical care. I'll ensure a seamless transfer of care by collaborating with your next provider as much as you are comfortable with.

If you miss an appointment and don't reschedule within 30 days, I'll consider our doctor-patient relationship ended. Additionally, if you have not attended an appointment for 180 days, I’ll consider our doctor-patient relationship ended. I will send a letter confirming the end of our doctor-patient relationship.

I provide a culturally sensitive, trauma informed environment to help my clients heal safely and comfortably. Any violence, threats of violence, or harassment in any form including but not limited to racism and sexism towards me, my clients or others in my practice will not be tolerated and will result in immediate discharge from my practice.