This page contains information about:
- Our professional services.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), a federal law that provides privacy protection and patient rights about the use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information (PHI).
Psychological Services
For therapy to work successfully it requires a personal committment which involves openness, thoughtfulness, and honesty and is a commitment of time and resources.
Sessions and Fees
Therapy sessions typically last about 50 minutes, and often we will meet once each week. Once scheduled, a 24 hour notice of cancellation is required, or you will be charged the full fee for the session. Your insurance company will not pay for this charge, so you are responsible for payment.
Availability and Telephone Contact
During working hours, we are usually available to answer the phone. Our answering system will take messages 24 hours a day. We will return calls as soon as possible, but usually the same day, except on weekends or if we are away from the office. If you have an emergency and cannot reach us, please contact your family physician or go to the nearest emergency room.
Confidentiality
We are required to provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices. You give Consent for routine use of confidential information; beyond that, we can only release information with written permission from you. We will always inform you and always get an authorization before we use or disclose information to any outside agency requesting information about you.
Records
You may examine your records except in unusual circumstances when we believe that disclosure would physically, emotionally, or psychologically harm you. Because the record can be misunderstood, we recommend that you review them with us, or have them forwarded to another mental health professional to review with you.
Payment
You are expected to pay for services at the time of each visit. Other arrangements need to be set up in advance.
Insurance
We will file insurance claims for you if you choose to use insurance as part or all of your payment. You must understand that you are responsible for the full payment. We will help with the insurance, but ultimately the responsibility of payment rests with you. We strongly suggest you be an informed consumer and contact your insurance company to find out what part they will take in paying for our services. Mental health coverage can be different than the medical coverage that your insurance policy provides. Some plans severely limit psychological services. You may decide that you will want more treatment than your plan will cover.
Important Information about Mental Health Counseling
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Phone 402-991-0611 | Fax 402-991-6228 | Email: Charles@Spence.omhcoxmail.com
Spence Counseling Center | 12035 Q Street | Omaha | NE | 68137
