POLICIES
Cancellation Policy
When you cancel or reschedule less than 48 hrs prior to your appointment, or do not show up for your appointment, you prevent someone else from being seen by us. You also place a financial burden on the practice. As a small practice, we can’t stay in business and provide care, if patients repetitively miss, reschedule at the last minute, or continuously cancel appointments. We hope that you understand why we have to put this policy in place.
We are happy to send you multiple reminders, to remind you of your upcoming appointment. If you must cancel or reschedule an appointment, we require at least 48-hour notice (weekends not included). If your appointment is on a Monday, the cancellation must be made by the same hour on the preceding Friday. We do offer video/online appointments.
If you cancel; with less than 48 hour’s notice you will still be charged a cancellation fee $125 for a new patient visit or $75 for a follow-up appointment if we cannot fill your spot with another patient. We keep a waiting list of patients looking for sooner spots and will try very hard to fill your spot, but this is not always possible. Our goal is to help and support you.
If you do not show up to your appointment, you will not get any refills until you see your provider.
In ONE calendar year – after the second less than 48-hour cancellation, less than 48-hour reschedule, or failure to show up to an appointment you may be discharged from the practice and asked to find another provider.
Within one calendar year – TWO (2) – less than 48 hour notice cancellations, less than 48 hour notice rescheduling of your appointment, or failure to show up to your appointment may be grounds for dismissal from the practice.
Disability Forms Policy
As a small practice with limited staff, we have put the following policy in place for the filling out of disability forms. This can include short, or long-term disability, SSI, attorney forms, and FMLA forms.
- We are happy to provide your medical records, but we will not make the determination if you qualify for long-term disability.
- We do not complete SSI forms.
- A client must have completed two visits for short-term or FMLA forms to be completed.
- Paperwork can take up to 14 days for completion. It may be completed earlier, but it is done on a first-come-first-served basis. Please understand it is difficult to rush this process due to the limited staff available to complete these forms.
- Clients must be compliant with ongoing treatment including medications and keeping appointments to have the office continue filling out disability forms.
- Clients must have seen the provider within the last 30 days to submit disability paperwork.
- Please include a separate note to the clinic that clearly states what you are asking for in regards to full leave or work from home, ability to leave desk for up to 20 minutes at a time due to a panic attack, etc. and explain the reasons why you feel this is necessary, it is important for us to have a clear understanding of what you feel is the best way to help you. Please understand, we may also need more information from you to complete any forms and may ask for you to schedule an appointment with us to ensure we are understanding your requests.
- Please understand submitting your form fee, guarantees we will complete your form. It does NOT guarantee that we will agree with your assessment of your needs and complete the paperwork.
- Mental health operates on an individual continuum, it is important to assess leave forms on a monthly basis. We will not write leave for longer than 4 weeks at a time. We will not charge you to complete the same form, if on follow-up we determine you need an additional two weeks leave, we will complete the paperwork for you extending the original leave, free of charge.
- Blank forms will not be accepted: At a minimum, the client’s name and date of birth should be filled out on the form prior to submission.
- Charge for form completion is $100 per form due with the form, this is a nonrefundable fee.
Controlled Substances Policy
The safety and care of our clients is our number one priority!
Controlled substances are prescribed sparingly in this practice in an effort to keep you safe. We are 100% compliant with all federal (DEA) and state laws regulating prescribing of controlled substances. We follow best practice guidelines when these medications are prescribed to ensure patient safety and provider compliance with all regulations and laws. Our prescribing of such medications is monitored, and providers are held accountable for prescribing practices. State laws require that additional measures be taken when prescribing controlled substances. We want our clients to know how seriously we take the prescribing of these types of medications. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and your help keeping you safe.
- It is the expectation of this practice that the controlled medication will be taken as prescribed and not self-adjusted. This means you will not increase or decrease your dose or stop taking it without talking to your prescribing provider. Self-adjusting prescribed psychiatric medications can be dangerous and can lead to seizures, or death. Mixing these controlled medications with other substancessuch as alcohol, narcotics (pain pills), muscle relaxers, or other controlled substances can also lead to death. Self-adjusting controlled substances will be considered non-compliance. This type of non-compliance will result in discharge from our practice, as it places a huge liability on our ability to safely manage your care.
- Monitoring of controlled substances is maintained through the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. As is required by the state, we obtain, review, and monitor Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. This includes monitoring for multiple controlled substances prescriptions, multiple providers, usage of multiple pharmacies, and any activity that could be suspicious for misuse. We work closely with pharmacies, as they will often call us if they suspect misuse.
- If you come to our practice already on controlled substances from another provider, that does not mean that we will automatically assume these same or even similar medications. Our providers reserve the right to complete their own assessment and make treatment recommendations based on their professional judgment. Our practice does not prescribe exceedingly high doses of controlled substances and we are not obliged to assume such from other providers. If it is felt that such a medication could benefit you, you will be tapered down to a dose that is considered safe or placed on another alternative medication that may not be a controlled substance.
- We carefully follow maximum dosing guidelines for controlled medications used to treat ADHD. We will not write for more than 60mg daily of Adderall or the equivalent.
- We believe that benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Klonipin, alprazolam, clonazepam, lorazepam, temazepam) are short term medications. If you are taking these and want help tapering off these medications we will help you! If you are taking these medications long term and want to continue, we will not be a great fit for you.
- We treat insomnia but do not write for Ambien or Lunesta, nor will we refill your prescriptions of those medications.
- We do not prescribe pain medications or muscle relaxants.
- If you are taking narcotic pain medications or are abusing drugs or alcohol our providers may not prescribe controlled substances to you. This is for your safety.
- Clients will be asked to obtain either a Urine or Blood drug screen prior to any controlled substance being prescribed. Random such testing is also obtained at different intervals throughout treatment. Completion of such screens is ultimately the personal and financial responsibility of the patient these medications are prescribed for. Such screens help to determine the presence or absence of controlled substances. Testing negative for prescribed controlled substances or positive for additional controlled or illicit substances not prescribed by our providers will be considered a breach of the controlled substance policy and grounds for immediate discontinuation of the drug prescribed and/or from the practice.
Controlled Substance Refill Policy
ALL prescription refill requests for controlled substances require an office visit with your provider. Also, any medication or dose changes require an office visit. Before leaving the office, be sure you have scheduled an appointment before your medications will run out. If you need to reschedule your appointment, it is your responsibility to make sure to make the rescheduled appointment occurs before your medications run out.
- Controlled medications will not be refilled early. It is your responsibility to take them only as prescribed. Please do not call the office asking for them to be refilled early. If you feel an adjustment should be made in your dosing, please call the office to schedule an appointment.
- Controlled medications will not be replaced. It is your responsibility to make sure that your medication is kept in a secure place to prevent loss or theft.
