Office Policies
Therapy session norms
A consultation or therapy session is forty-five minutes. Please arrive five minutes before your scheduled session and wait in the waiting room while your child is in session. If siblings are with you, please help them to play quietly, and remain in the waiting room area. Children cannot wait alone while I meet with parents; I will schedule separate parent-only meetings to address issues that you may wish to privately discuss with me. Rather than talking to me before or after sessions (when your child is present), you are welcome to leave a brief (couple of minutes) voice mail message with important information before I meet with your child. When I work individually with children or adolescents, I will schedule periodic parent-child sessions so that parents are involved in the therapeutic process. You can also request and schedule a parent-only meeting at any time.
Assessments
We will collaborate to understand the questions you seek to answer through assessment. An assessment includes a pre-assessment parent meeting, assessment of the child, a feedback session with parents, and a final written report. Additional follow-up meetings such as a feedback meeting with the child/adolescent are billed as a therapy session and may require a separate referral or self-pay.
Please understand that while I endeavor to provide assessment reports containing clear and useful recommendations to the benefit of the child or adolescent, the findings will be based upon my clinical judgment and the result of evaluations. Specific recommendations cannot be presumed without a supported clinical finding.
Health Insurance Payments
Most Blue Cross insurance plans can be billed directly by me; clients will be billed monthly for co-payments. Should the plan fail to cover the cost of sessions, responsibility for payment defaults to the client. Late cancelations (see below) cannot be billed to insurance. Insurance plans can vary in their co-payments and requirements for a physician referral. Please be certain to check with your insurer prior to our first appointment (and following any changes made to your insurance coverage) to ensure that you understand their coverage policies and your related responsibilities.
Fees and Payment
The fee for therapy and consultations is $150 per 45 minute session. As a courtesy to clients, co-payments are billed monthly; prompt payment of invoices is kindly requested. Fees for educational and personality assessments begin at $2,500. Neuropsychological evaluation fees begin at $3,000. One half of the assessment fee is due at the time the assessment commences, and the remainder is due concurrent with the final feedback session.
A $10.00 service charge will be charged for any checks returned for any reason for special handling.
Payment for all fees not covered by insurance is the responsibility of the client; please make out checks payable to Ilana Blatt-Eisengart, Ph.D. If you would like to use a credit card for payment, you may give me your credit card information to keep on file and will receive monthly statements for copays and other fees.
Cancellation Policy
In an effort to allow for some level of flexibility in emergency situations, I ask that you inform me as soon as possible regarding the need to cancel appointments. A late fee will be assessed for any cancelation within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment. Late fees will be billed regardless of the reason for cancellation, and are billed at graduated levels: There is no charge for the first late cancellation, $35 for the second, $70 for the third, $115 for the fourth, and $150 for the fifth and all subsequent late cancellations.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather that makes travel dangerous, I will follow the lead of the Reading School District. If schools are closed in Reading, my practice will automatically be closed. Otherwise, appointments will proceed as scheduled unless I contact you directly.
Regarding Confidentiality and Privacy
It is your legal right that your information, acquired or revealed while receiving the professional services of a licensed psychologist, be kept confidential. Such information may only be revealed 1) with your express, written consent, which may be limited or revoked by you at any time 2) when there exists the need to disclose to protect the rights and safety of the client or of others, such as the emotional and physical safety of a minor, or a reasonably identifiable intended victim of a client 3) to seek financial reimbursement (such as from insurance providers, in accordance with HIPPAA). You should also be aware that your contract with your health insurance company requires that I provide it with information relevant to the services that I provide to you. I am required to provide a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes I am required to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of your entire clinical record. By signing this Agreement, you agree that I can provide requested information to your carrier. 4) when a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena or legally requires me to disclose information.
If we see each other accidentally outside of the therapy office, I will not acknowledge you first. Your right to privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance to me, and I do not wish to jeopardize your privacy. However, if you acknowledge me first, I will be more than happy to speak briefly with you, but feel it appropriate not to engage in any lengthy discussions in public or outside of the therapy office.
Regarding Privacy when Working with Children and Adolescents in Therapy
Massachusetts law specifies that when a child under the age of 18 is provided psychological services, the parent holds the right to confidentiality. This means that parents have the right to access records and to be informed of treatment progress. In other words, parents have a right to information regarding the treatment of their children; children and teenagers cannot legally be guaranteed that their therapy will be kept private from their parents. That being said, I strongly encourage parents to afford their children privacy regarding their therapy; I ask parents not to question their children about the therapeutic process. Parents can learn about their child’s work in therapy during our joint parent-child meetings. I recognize that working in this way requires a relationship of trust, and I will work closely with you to ensure that you are comfortable with the parameters of privacy that we establish together. Children and adolescents are informed by me of the limits of privacy, that their parents have the legal right to their information, and that concern for well-being may, in specific times, require me to disclose information.
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. I may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. I 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 you request another therapist, I will be happy to provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.
Should you fail to schedule an appointment for two consecutive months, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued.
Record Keeping
In accordance with the practice recommendations of the American Psychological Association, I keep brief records of each session. These records are held in a secure location.
Professional Consultation
In accordance with the practice recommendations of the American Psychological Association, I engage in consultation. During consultation, I may discuss information related to your treatment only with other licensed psychologists, who are also bound by your legal right to confidentiality. I will generally seek to receive consultation without disclosing identifying information, as possible.
HIPAA (Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
This law insures the confidentiality of all electronic transmissions of information about you. Whenever I transmit information about you electronically (such as sending a fax to your insurance provider) it will be done with specific safeguards to insure confidentiality. Your signature indicates that you were offered a copy of my HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and that you consent to this information sharing.
Emergency Plan
In the event of a psychological emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. Please also call and inform me (via voicemail if I am not in my office) of your situation, so that I may schedule an emergency session as soon as is possible. While I am not able to provide emergency on-call services, I check my voicemail often. I may be able to provide brief phone sessions in the event of an emergency, but these sessions cannot be billed to insurance.
Therapy session norms
A consultation or therapy session is forty-five minutes. Please arrive five minutes before your scheduled session and wait in the waiting room while your child is in session. If siblings are with you, please help them to play quietly, and remain in the waiting room area. Children cannot wait alone while I meet with parents; I will schedule separate parent-only meetings to address issues that you may wish to privately discuss with me. Rather than talking to me before or after sessions (when your child is present), you are welcome to leave a brief (couple of minutes) voice mail message with important information before I meet with your child. When I work individually with children or adolescents, I will schedule periodic parent-child sessions so that parents are involved in the therapeutic process. You can also request and schedule a parent-only meeting at any time.
Assessments
We will collaborate to understand the questions you seek to answer through assessment. An assessment includes a pre-assessment parent meeting, assessment of the child, a feedback session with parents, and a final written report. Additional follow-up meetings such as a feedback meeting with the child/adolescent are billed as a therapy session and may require a separate referral or self-pay.
Please understand that while I endeavor to provide assessment reports containing clear and useful recommendations to the benefit of the child or adolescent, the findings will be based upon my clinical judgment and the result of evaluations. Specific recommendations cannot be presumed without a supported clinical finding.
Health Insurance Payments
Most Blue Cross insurance plans can be billed directly by me; clients will be billed monthly for co-payments. Should the plan fail to cover the cost of sessions, responsibility for payment defaults to the client. Late cancelations (see below) cannot be billed to insurance. Insurance plans can vary in their co-payments and requirements for a physician referral. Please be certain to check with your insurer prior to our first appointment (and following any changes made to your insurance coverage) to ensure that you understand their coverage policies and your related responsibilities.
Fees and Payment
The fee for therapy and consultations is $150 per 45 minute session. As a courtesy to clients, co-payments are billed monthly; prompt payment of invoices is kindly requested. Fees for educational and personality assessments begin at $2,500. Neuropsychological evaluation fees begin at $3,000. One half of the assessment fee is due at the time the assessment commences, and the remainder is due concurrent with the final feedback session.
A $10.00 service charge will be charged for any checks returned for any reason for special handling.
Payment for all fees not covered by insurance is the responsibility of the client; please make out checks payable to Ilana Blatt-Eisengart, Ph.D. If you would like to use a credit card for payment, you may give me your credit card information to keep on file and will receive monthly statements for copays and other fees.
Cancellation Policy
In an effort to allow for some level of flexibility in emergency situations, I ask that you inform me as soon as possible regarding the need to cancel appointments. A late fee will be assessed for any cancelation within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment. Late fees will be billed regardless of the reason for cancellation, and are billed at graduated levels: There is no charge for the first late cancellation, $35 for the second, $70 for the third, $115 for the fourth, and $150 for the fifth and all subsequent late cancellations.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather that makes travel dangerous, I will follow the lead of the Reading School District. If schools are closed in Reading, my practice will automatically be closed. Otherwise, appointments will proceed as scheduled unless I contact you directly.
Regarding Confidentiality and Privacy
It is your legal right that your information, acquired or revealed while receiving the professional services of a licensed psychologist, be kept confidential. Such information may only be revealed 1) with your express, written consent, which may be limited or revoked by you at any time 2) when there exists the need to disclose to protect the rights and safety of the client or of others, such as the emotional and physical safety of a minor, or a reasonably identifiable intended victim of a client 3) to seek financial reimbursement (such as from insurance providers, in accordance with HIPPAA). You should also be aware that your contract with your health insurance company requires that I provide it with information relevant to the services that I provide to you. I am required to provide a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes I am required to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of your entire clinical record. By signing this Agreement, you agree that I can provide requested information to your carrier. 4) when a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena or legally requires me to disclose information.
If we see each other accidentally outside of the therapy office, I will not acknowledge you first. Your right to privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance to me, and I do not wish to jeopardize your privacy. However, if you acknowledge me first, I will be more than happy to speak briefly with you, but feel it appropriate not to engage in any lengthy discussions in public or outside of the therapy office.
Regarding Privacy when Working with Children and Adolescents in Therapy
Massachusetts law specifies that when a child under the age of 18 is provided psychological services, the parent holds the right to confidentiality. This means that parents have the right to access records and to be informed of treatment progress. In other words, parents have a right to information regarding the treatment of their children; children and teenagers cannot legally be guaranteed that their therapy will be kept private from their parents. That being said, I strongly encourage parents to afford their children privacy regarding their therapy; I ask parents not to question their children about the therapeutic process. Parents can learn about their child’s work in therapy during our joint parent-child meetings. I recognize that working in this way requires a relationship of trust, and I will work closely with you to ensure that you are comfortable with the parameters of privacy that we establish together. Children and adolescents are informed by me of the limits of privacy, that their parents have the legal right to their information, and that concern for well-being may, in specific times, require me to disclose information.
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. I may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. I 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 you request another therapist, I will be happy to provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.
Should you fail to schedule an appointment for two consecutive months, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued.
Record Keeping
In accordance with the practice recommendations of the American Psychological Association, I keep brief records of each session. These records are held in a secure location.
Professional Consultation
In accordance with the practice recommendations of the American Psychological Association, I engage in consultation. During consultation, I may discuss information related to your treatment only with other licensed psychologists, who are also bound by your legal right to confidentiality. I will generally seek to receive consultation without disclosing identifying information, as possible.
HIPAA (Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
This law insures the confidentiality of all electronic transmissions of information about you. Whenever I transmit information about you electronically (such as sending a fax to your insurance provider) it will be done with specific safeguards to insure confidentiality. Your signature indicates that you were offered a copy of my HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and that you consent to this information sharing.
Emergency Plan
In the event of a psychological emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. Please also call and inform me (via voicemail if I am not in my office) of your situation, so that I may schedule an emergency session as soon as is possible. While I am not able to provide emergency on-call services, I check my voicemail often. I may be able to provide brief phone sessions in the event of an emergency, but these sessions cannot be billed to insurance.
Policies Related to Use of Technology
Social Media and Telecommunication
Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it. Please feel free to follow my professional twitter account @dr.ilanabe for links to news items, parenting websites, psychology news, etc, that I feel may be of interest to the families with whom I work.
Communication by Email, Text Message, and Other Non-Secure Means
It may become useful during the course of treatment to communicate by email. Be informed that these methods, in their typical form, are not confidential means of communication. If you use these methods to communicate me, there is a reasonable chance that a third party may be able to intercept and eavesdrop on those messages. The kinds of parties that may intercept these messages include, but are not limited to:
· People in your home or other environments who can access your phone, computer, or other devices that you use to read and write messages
· Your employer, if you use your work email to communicate with Dr. Blatt-Eisengart
· Third parties on the Internet such as server administrators and others who monitor Internet traffic
If there are people in your life that you don’t want accessing these communications, please talk with me about ways to keep your communications safe and confidential.
Social Media and Telecommunication
Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it. Please feel free to follow my professional twitter account @dr.ilanabe for links to news items, parenting websites, psychology news, etc, that I feel may be of interest to the families with whom I work.
Communication by Email, Text Message, and Other Non-Secure Means
It may become useful during the course of treatment to communicate by email. Be informed that these methods, in their typical form, are not confidential means of communication. If you use these methods to communicate me, there is a reasonable chance that a third party may be able to intercept and eavesdrop on those messages. The kinds of parties that may intercept these messages include, but are not limited to:
· People in your home or other environments who can access your phone, computer, or other devices that you use to read and write messages
· Your employer, if you use your work email to communicate with Dr. Blatt-Eisengart
· Third parties on the Internet such as server administrators and others who monitor Internet traffic
If there are people in your life that you don’t want accessing these communications, please talk with me about ways to keep your communications safe and confidential.