2023 Practice Policies

Appointments

​Appointments are generally 53-55 minutes in length once per week. As goals are met, frequency of appointments usually are decreased until counseling is no longer necessary. The time scheduled for your appointment is for you and you alone. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least 48 hours ahead of the appointment. You will receive a text, email, or voicemail reminder 48 hours ahead, if you so choose in the intake paperwork. This is highly recommended, as it will remind you to cancel and avoid late cancel/no show fees. These are not able to be charged to your insurance and will be charged to the credit card you are required to keep on file.

No Show/Late Cancelations

Cancellations and re-scheduled session will be subject to a full charge if NOT RECEIVED AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE. This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time.
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT CLIENTS USING STRAIGHT MEDICAID, MCLAREN MEDICAID, MOLINA MEDICAD, BLUE CROSS COMPLETE OR MERIDIAN MEDICAID ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE CHARGED FOR LATE CANCEL/NO SHOW APPOINTMENTS. THEREFORE, EPIC COUNSELING PLLC USES THE THREE STRIKE RULE. UPON MISSING THREE APPOINTMENTS, IT WILL BE DETERMINED THAT THE CLIENT IS NOT DESIRING TO CONTINUE COUNSELING AND THE CASE WILL BE CLOSED!
 
If a client is 15 minutes late for an appointment, that appointment cannot be charged to insurance, therefore the no show/late cancel fee will be charged. If it is the last appointment of the day, the counselor may leave. However, if the counselor is still available the rest of the session can commence.
 
A $35.00 service charge will be charged for any checks returned for any reason for special handling.

Contacting Your Therapist

​Your counselor is often not immediately available when in session or not in the office. At these times, you may leave a message or text (810)-373-5133. If you leave a message, Epic Counseling PLLC will return your message during business hours. You are encouraged to ask your counselor for their direct phone number to reach them. If you feel you cannot wait for a return call or it feels like an emergency, please go to the local hospital, or call 911.

Telephone Accessibility

​If you need to contact me between sessions, please leave a message on my voice mail or via text. I am often not immediately available; however, I will attempt to return your call within 48 hours. Please note that Face- to-face sessions are highly preferable to phone sessions. However, in the event that you are out of town, sick or need additional support, phone sessions are available. If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911 or any local emergency room.

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.

Electronic Communication

​I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, I will do so. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the Internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail is considered telemedicine by the State of Michigan. Under the California Telemedicine Act of 1996, telemedicine is broadly defined as the use of information technology to deliver medical services and information from one location to another. If you and your therapist chose to use information technology for some or all of your treatment, you need to understand that:
 
1.         You retain the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time without affecting the right to future care or treatment or risking the loss or withdrawal of any program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled.
2.         All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable.
3.         Your access to all medical information transmitted during a telemedicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee.
4.         Dissemination of any of your identifiable images or information from the telemedicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without your consent.
5.         There are potential risks, consequences, and benefits of telemedicine. Potential benefits include, but are not limited to improved communication capabilities, providing convenient access to up-to-date information, consultations, support, reduced costs, improved quality, change in the conditions of practice, improved access to therapy, better continuity of care, and reduction of lost work time and travel costs.
 
Effective therapy is often facilitated when the therapist gathers within a session or a series of sessions, a multitude of observations, information, and experiences about the client. Therapists may make clinical assessments, diagnosis, and interventions based not only on direct verbal or auditory communications, written reports, and third person consultations, but also from direct visual and olfactory observations, information, and experiences. When using information technology in therapy services, potential risks include, but are not limited to the therapist's inability to make visual and olfactory observations of clinically or therapeutically potentially relevant issues such as: your physical condition including deformities, apparent height and weight, body type, attractiveness relative to social and cultural norms or standards, gait and motor coordination, posture, work speed, any noteworthy mannerism or gestures, physical or medical conditions including bruises or injuries, basic grooming and hygiene including appropriateness of dress, eye contact (including any changes in the previously listed issues), sex, chronological and apparent age, ethnicity, facial and body language, and congruence of language and facial or bodily expression. Potential consequences thus include the therapist not being aware of what he or she would consider important information, that you may not recognize as significant to present verbally the therapist.

Minors

​If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your therapy. I will discuss with you and your parents’ what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

Discharge

​When it is agreed that the client has met goals for treatment, the counselor and client will determine next steps. Usually, this involves a termination session after which the case is closed. IF it is an unplanned termination, in which the client does not continue making appointments, the case will be closed in 30 days. It is Epic Counseling PLLC counselors’ wish to allow clients to come back to counseling in the future (ie: life changes) as long as the schedule allows. We strongly fee that a client should not have to “start over” with telling their story to another therapist unless that is what they desire to do.
 
Should you fail to schedule an appointment for three consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued.

Insurance and Professional Fees

​If you have a health insurance policy, it will usually provide some coverage for your mental health treatment. Epic Counseling PLLC will submit claims on your behalf if you provide your insurance information and therefore giving Epic Counseling PLLC permission to do so. However, it is your responsibility for obtaining coverage information and determining what is expected of you for deductibles, co-pays, and knowing whether Epic Counseling PLLC is considered in-network as a provider. If you need help, we will help you determine and figure out all this information. It is usually required that Epic Counseling PLLC provides a diagnosis to the insurance company if they are to pay for any part of the services or if deductibles are to be applied.
 
In addition, there are times that insurance company require additional information that becomes a part of the insurance company’s files. By signing this agreement and providing your insurance information, you are giving Epic Counseling PLLC permission to provide that information to the insurance company. Also, some insurances require a prior authorization to pay for mental health services. If you did not obtain prior authorization and it was required, you may be responsible for paying the fees accrued for the services rendered.
 
Many insurance companies leave a percentage of the fees to be paid by the client, which is considered a co-pay. This amount is due at the time of service. The credit card or HAS card on file will be charged unless check or other card payment is provided at the session. Some insurances plans also have a deductible, or out of pocket amount to be paid at the time of services. This too, is to be paid at the time of services.
 
If Epic Counseling PLLC is not a participating provider for your insurance plan, we will supply you with a receipt of payment for services, which you can submit to your provider for reimbursement. Not all insurance companies will reimburse for out of network providers. However, they often have a list of in-network providers from which you can chose.

Cash and Professional Fees

Epic Counseling PLLC also offers services for clients who wish to pay entirely out of pocket, not using insurance. This is called a private pay rate. Epic Counseling PLLC offers a sliding scale, which can be discussed with your individual counselor. To receive sliding scale fees, you must present proof of income through recent pay stubs or tax forms. Outside of this agreement, fees are NON-NEGOTIABLE. Clients are responsible for paying at the time of the session unless prior arrangements have been made. If you refuse to pay your debt, Epic Counseling PLLC reserves the right to use an attorney or collection agency to secure payment. If you anticipate becoming involved in a court case, we recommend that we discuss this fully before you waive your right to confidentiality. If Client’s therapy with Provider is brought into a court and Provider is subpoenaed to appear, Client will be responsible to pay Provider the rate of $160 per hour for both travel and court time, along with paperwork preparation, time in the courtroom, discussion with your legal team.
*Fees can change at the counselors’ discretion with 60 days’ notice given.