new patient

New Clients: Welcome!
 

Thank you for choosing to enter treatment. This is an opportunity to acquaint yourself with information relevant to treatment, confidentiality and office policies. Your therapist will answer any questions you have regarding your treatment.
 

We require all of the registration forms to be completed by the patient or guardian prior to your first appointment. We will email the electronic forms to you after you schedule your initial appointment.  

 

Appointments:
 

Appointments are usually scheduled for 45 minutes. The business office hours are Monday thru Friday
9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. We offer appointments Monday thru Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00p.m. You will need to check with your specific provider to find out their hours. Please check in at the window when you arrive for your appointment, if it is after business office hours, please have a seat and your provider will be with you.
 

Parents and/or guardians must attend the first appointment regarding their minor child, alone.
 

Patients are generally seen weekly or more/less frequently as acuity dictates and you and your therapist agree.
 

You may discontinue treatment at any time, but please discuss any decisions with your therapist. In the event of an emergency, your therapist may be reached by pager at 440-460-0140. If you are unable to reach your therapist and it is an emergency, call your primary care physician or 911.
 

When calling our office your call will be answered by our “phone mail” system. Please listen to the menu options and make your selection.  All of our therapists/psychiatrists have confidential “phone mail” for times when they are with patients or out of the office. Please leave your name, phone number and a time that you will be available at that number.  Please do not leave billing questions on your therapist/psychiatrist's phone mail, the business office handles all billing issues. If you need to schedule or cancel an appointment, please call the business office or leave a message on your therapist’s phone mail.
 

Aims and Goals:
 

The major goal is to help you identify and cope more effectively with problems in daily living and to deal with inner conflicts which may disrupt your ability to function effectively. This purpose is accomplished by:
 

1. Increasing personal awareness.
 2. Increasing personal responsibility and acceptance to make changes necessary to attain your goals.
 3. Identifying personal treatment goals.
 4. Promoting wholeness through psychiatric treatment and/or psychological and spiritual healing and growth
 

You are responsible for providing necessary information to facilitate effective treatment. You are expected to play an active role in your treatment, including working with your therapist to outline your treatment goals and assess your progress. You may be asked to complete questionnaires or to do homework assignments. Your progress in therapy often depends much more on what you do between sessions than on what happens in the session.
 

Confidentiality:
 

Issues discussed in therapy are important and are generally legally protected as both confidential and "privileged." However, there are limits to the privilege of confidentiality. These situations include:
1. suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly person or a disabled person.
2. when your psychiatrist or therapist believes you are in danger of harming yourself or another person you are unable to care for yourself.
3. if you report that you intend to physically injure someone the law requires your therapist to inform that person as well as the legal authorities.
4. if your psychiatrist or therapist is ordered by a court to release information as part of a legal involvement in company litigation, etc.
5. when your insurance company is involved, e.g. in filing a claim, insurance audits, case review or appeals, etc., 6. In natural disasters whereby protected records may become exposed.
7. When otherwise required by law. You may be asked to sign a Release of Information so that you therapist may speak with other mental health professionals or to family members.
 

Record Keeping:
 

A clinical chart is maintained describing your condition and your treatment and progress in treatment, dates of and fees for sessions, and notes describing each therapy session. Your records will not be released without your written consent, unless in those situations as outlined in the Confidentiality section above. Medical records are locked and kept on site
 

You are responsible for providing necessary information to facilitate effective treatment. You are expected to play an active role in your treatment, including working with your therapist to outline your treatment goals and assess your progress. You may be asked to complete questionnaires or to do homework assignments. Your progress in therapy often depends much more on what you do between sessions than on what happens in the session