The Handing Group Counseling Services
Psychotherapy & Coaching

RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Services Contract

Handing Counseling Group Services and its team are known for their professionalism, quality services, and caring and respectful attitude towards their clients. The practice was designed to provide quality services and develop ties to the community to ensure an excellent working relationship with its clients.

We extend this courtesy to you and delineate our policies and other information for promoting a smooth working relationship. Should you have any questions regarding any of the contents put forth below, please do not hesitate to ask you therapist/ coach for clarification.

What is expected of you:

• It is expected that you will arrive on time for your sessions, and that you will give a 24hour notice to your services provider in the event that you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. When your provider does not receive 24 hour notice, you will be charged 100% of the fee for a regular session.

• No-show fees are charged for appointments that are broken and these are equivalent to a regular session fee.

• Therapeutic and coaching session generally run 45 minutes in length and you will be charged a prorated fee for sessions having to run overtime and consultation on the phone or via email that involve therapeutic/ coaching issues other than obtaining and canceling appointments, unless otherwise specified. Sessions are scheduled on a weekly basis unless it is otherwise contracted or you are in “termination” process and are being “weaned off”.

• Services last as long as you (and referring party if applicable) and your provider agree they are necessary. We provide cost-effective, short-term, and results-oriented services while becoming your family and a resource to turn to every time you are in need.

• Payment is due at time of service or as otherwise arranged. When special circumstances arise that make payment difficult, please discuss them with your provider before they become a problem.

• If you are a couple, you are both responsible for the fees. Should you break up and have a balance with us, you will each be responsible for any remaining fees due.

• If you have a balance which is not paid within a month of the charge, you will be assessed a $50 Late Fee.

• We accept payments through pay-pal as arranged on the web site

• Honesty, openness, active participation and willingness to change are required for the services to be effective.

• Completion of Homework Assignments and other tasks as discussed and decided in session are an important part of treatment and you are required to comply with them for services to be effective. This also applies for additional referrals made as deemed necessary (i.e., individual therapy, substance abuse treatment, ect.)

Your Rights:

• You have the right to ask questions about any procedure or intervention used during service provision.

• You have the right to decide NOT to receive services from practice and may ask for a referral to another qualified professional whose services you might prefer.

• You have the right to end services at any time without any moral, legal, or financial obligations other than those already accrued or agreed upon.

• One of the most important rights involve confidentiality: Within certain limits, information revealed by you during service provision will be kept strictly confidential and will not be revealed to any other person or agency without written permission. At times, service provision will involve the participation of more than one family member and/or significant person and your provider does NOT guarantee confidentiality among participants engaged in the service provision.

• Confidentiality is limited under other certain circumstances. You should be aware that there are several situations in which your provider is required by law to reveal information obtained during provisions of services to other persons or agencies WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. Also, your provider is NOT required to inform you of his/her actions in this regard. These situations are as followed but not limited to:

a. If you threaten bodily harm or death to another person, your provider is required by law to inform the law enforcement agencies.
b. If you threaten bodily harm or death to yourself, your provider will inform law enforcement agencies and others (such as spouse, partner, emergency contact person, or an inpatient psychiatric institution) who could aid in prohibiting you from carrying out your threats.
c. If a court of law issues legitimate subpoena, your provider is required by law to provide the information described in the subpoena.
d. If you reveal information relative to child abuse and/or neglect, your provider is required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities.
e. If you are in treatment or being assessed by order of the court of law, the results of the treatment or evaluation ordered must be revealed to the court.

• Limitations of the service provisions contract:

a. Providers are not physicians and cannot prescribe medication or give recommendations about physical problems. Nevertheless, depending on the nature of the presenting concerns, providers might require clients to consult with a physician before proceeding with treatment.
b. Providers cannot guarantee that each person’s goals in therapy will be met completely.
c. Seeing to resolve issues between family members and other persons can lead to discomfort, as well as relationship changes that may not be originally intended.

Supervision and professional involvement:

The Handing Group Counseling Services is concerned with providing the best services possible. To ensure the quality of services, supervision of providers is done through verbal consultations of the sessions with their supervisors. The process may include sharing recording of sessions. All information is confidential and is only utilized in supervision, research projects or other professional endeavors (while maintaining anonymity as much as possible).

Emergency Policy:

In the event of an emergency, call 911 or proceed to an emergency room for immediate intervention. You may give the attendant your provider’s information and also advise your provider of the situation by the next business day.

 

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