Hope and Resilience Therapy
Shaina Pleva, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Practice Policies
TREATMENT Participation in therapy is completely voluntary, and a client may terminate treatment at any time. Goals of treatment will be agreed upon by client and therapist. A client may negotiate changes in these goals at any time. There are possible advantages and disadvantages of participating in therapy and a positive outcome is not guaranteed. During the process of therapy, you could face and work through difficult emotions, fears, or experiences. Therapy might also have unanticipated relationship consequences (i.e., some persons undergoing therapy may find their growth through the therapeutic process results in a relationship break-up). Therapy may also occur in an outdoor or other non-office-based setting as appropriate with a client’s consent. In the unlikely event that damage or personal harm occurs in this setting (such as falling and hurting oneself while walking in a local park, for example), your therapist will not be held liable.
If client and therapist see each other accidentally outside of the therapy office, therapist will not acknowledge client first. Client’s right to privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance to the therapist, and do not wish to jeopardize the client's privacy. However, if client acknowledges therapist first, therapist will be more than happy to speak briefly with client but feel it appropriate not to engage in any lengthy discussions in public or outside of the therapy office.
APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS/NO-SHOWS The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 50 minutes. It is up to the client, however, to determine the length of time of sessions. Requests to change the 50-minute session needs to be discussed with the therapist for time to be scheduled in at least 24-hours in advance.
Please remember to cancel or reschedule 24-hours in advance. There may be a $50 fee for appointments that are no showed or canceled within less than 24 hours prior notice, except in case of emergency. Clients who do not show up for their appointment without a call to cancel will be considered as a no-show. The cancellation and no-show fees are the sole responsibility of the client and must be paid in full before the client’s next appointment. It is understood that special, unavoidable circumstances may cause a client to cancel within 24 hours of their appointment time.
TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY AND AFTER-HOURS AVAILABILITY If a client needs to contact therapist between sessions for non-emergencies, please leave a message on the voice mail. The therapist is often not immediately available; however, therapist will attempt to return messages within 24 hours on business days. For a mental health emergency (i.e. extreme behavior situations, risk of suicide or bodily harm to you or another person) call First Call (Howard Center’s 24/7 Crisis Line) at (802) 488-7777 or go to your local emergency room. Always call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION Therapist cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If client prefers to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, therapist will do so. While therapist may try to return messages in a timely manner, therapist cannot guarantee immediate response and request that client do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
SOCIAL MEDIA Due to the importance of client’s confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, the therapist does not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). The therapist believes that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise client’s confidentiality and respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. If the client has questions about this, please bring them up in session to discuss.
CONFIDENTIALITY A client’s psychotherapy services and records are confidential, however, limits to this confidentiality do exist and include: minors or other persons with legal guardians, the therapist’s reasonable belief that there exists a risk for imminent danger/risk of harm to self (i.e. suicide risk), risk of harm to another person or property, suspicion of abuse or neglect toward a child or vulnerable adult, and/or court order. Additionally, the authorized insurer may request such information as diagnosis, treatment plan, and general course of treatment. However, it is important to note that some insurers may request a release of more detailed or sensitive information. Please discuss any concerns had about such disclosures with the therapist. Occasionally therapist may need to consult with other professionals in their areas of expertise in order to provide the best treatment for the client. Information about the client may be shared in this context without using names or other identifying information.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLIENTS Clients agree to contact their insurance carrier to review available coverage and to be fully responsible for all charges that are not covered by their insurance. Such charges would include deductibles, copayments, as well as fees for telephone consultation, report preparation, community meetings/consultations, late cancellations or missed sessions, and/or sessions contracted for beyond those certified by their managed care system. A client’s managed care company or insurance company may require a review of clinical information or other information to verify benefits and assist in claims in order to pay for services. Client is financially responsible for any unpaid balance. A full 24-hour notice is required for cancellation of appointments, and a fee of $50 will be charged directly to client for no-showed appointments and late canceled appointments. This fee must be paid by client, insurance will not cover it. This fee will be waived in case of illness, natural disaster, or weather that is unsafe to travel in. Clients with primary or secondary Medicaid insurance cannot be charged this fee.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS The client understands that the therapist will make every effort to avoid attending court (with regards to custody disputes, etc.), as speaking out in court has great potential to damage the therapeutic relationship.
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. The therapist may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with the client and a termination process if the therapist determines that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if the client is in default on payment. The therapist 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 the client requests another therapist, the therapist will provide the client with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat client. The client may also choose someone on their own or from another referral source.
Should the client fail to schedule an appointment for three consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, the therapist must consider the professional relationship discontinued.