Our staff are committed to providing you with professional quality service to assist you in addressing your mental health needs, for this reason all calls are recorded. After you have completed filling the intake documents, a provider will obtain additional history from you and the primary reason for your visit. Recommendations will generally be made based on your needs within the first or second sessions. The frequency of your appointments will depend on your individual needs as determined by the provider.
TREATMENT PROCESS
You and your provider will work collaboratively to identify treatment goal & review treatment options. We strongly encourage you to be as open as you can about your problems so that the provider is better able to assist you.
SERVICES
The Autism Center offers services that include primarily Psychological Testing. The office is generally open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., however these hours can also vary by appointment times. The office is generally closed on major holidays. Office staff are available during this time to answer your questions. If you are attempting to reach us outside of these hours, please leave a message for someone to call you back. We will return your call as soon as possible during office hours. Please DO NOT leave a message if it is an emergency, instead go to the nearest emergency room immediately. In case of a non-medical emergency, if you need to speak with someone directly, please call the crises hotline at 800-273-8255.
RESPONSIBILITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
The Autism Center providers will treat you with respect & maintain your confidentiality. We will inform you about your condition, including diagnosis & treatment options, as well as the benefits and risks. This process may necessitate consultation with other co-treating providers that are involved in your health. We will require a written release to release any information about your treatment to another entity. This is also the case to receive any information from another entity about you. There are exceptions to this, which include situations that warrant suspicion of elder abuse, child abuse, or neglect as well as any serious threat of harm to self, others, or grave disability. In these situations, we are mandated by law to notify the appropriate agencies of our concerns.
MISSED/NO SHOW POLICY
As a courtesy, our office sends text message appointment reminders at least three days prior to your appointment. Please be aware that this is a courtesy service and that it is ultimately YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to keep track of your scheduled appointments. It is not acceptable to miss an appointment due to not receiving an appointment reminder. Additionally, it is very important that you provide our office with a current and working telephone number so that we may contact you. If any appointment is missed or cancelled less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment; it will be documented as a late cancellation or no show, and subject to fees. We ask that you make every effort to either attend your appointment as scheduled or notify us with as much notice as much (no less than 24 hours) so that you provide the opportunity for another patient who has been waiting for an appointment to be seen. If you are experiencing an emergency and are unable to attend your appointment, please contact us so that we can reschedule your appointment.
INSURANCE AND PAYMENT POLICY
It is your responsibility to provide the office with a valid copy of your insurance card and a form of identification at the time of your first visit. In the event that you change insurance providers, you must notify our office of the changed information as soon as possible and prior to your next scheduled visit. The information can be faxed or provided over the phone.
For a complete list of accepted insurances, please visit the insurance & fees tab or call our office to inquire with a member of our staff.
RELEASE OF RECORDS, FORM REQUESTS, OR DOCUMENTS TO BE FILLED/SIGNED BY A PROVIDER, & MENTAL CAPACITY/DISABILITY
Our office receives many requests from patients and other agencies to complete paperwork. These types of requests have greatly increased and liability matters need to be considered prior to completing these types of documents. Below provides an outline addressing this issue:
• We will respond to requests for release of records within thirty days of receiving the written request and two weeks for completion of forms. Due to the fact that mental health records can contain very sensitive information and are protected records, for any release of records, our office must have on file a signed consent to release/disclose confidential information. The two-week turnaround time period starts from the date signed on the consent to release/disclose confidential information. Once your request is completed, our office will notify you to pick-up your records.
• Forms pertaining to Mental Capacity or Disability will be completed for a $250.00 fee per form.
• The form needing completion will need to accompany a signed release of information.
• The signed release of information along with the required payment must be received at the time that the request is made.
• We are unable to accept any faxed forms and will require the original form that needs completion.
• We are not able to complete these types of forms during a regular office visit. Additionally an assessment/evaluation session needs to be scheduled once the payment and the release of information have been submitted. Completion of these types of forms during a face-to-face visit is not reimbursable by your insurance and as such your insurance will not be billed for this service. Therefore, you are responsible for the payment.
• In many situations the provider will need to establish a history of working with you to get the full picture of your needs, prior to determining if completion of such forms are in the patient's best interest. As such, patient's expecting these types of forms to be completed on their initial evaluation visit, may be denied.
COURT ORDERED EVALUATION OR APPEARANCE REQUESTS
Any requests pertaining to court related matters are not covered by most insurance companies and will require the patient to pay for fees as a “self-pay.”
DISCHARGE POLICY
At times, a provider of the Autism Center will make a decision to terminate the patient-provider relationship. Below are situations in which termination of services is appropriate and necessary:
1. Non-compliance with evaluation: If the patient and/or their legal guardian does not comply with the treatment plan.
2. Non-compliance with follow-up: If the patient and/or their legal guardian cancel or do not show for their scheduled follow-up appointments as recommended by the provider.
3. Any verbal abuse: If the patient and/or their legal guardian, or their family member, is rude or uses improper language with the office staff, or displays aggressive or violent behavior, or makes threats of physical harm, or uses anger to compromise the safety/ security/well-being of office staff and any other individuals around.
4. Non-compliance with office policy: If a patient violates any of the policy or guidelines.
5. Nonpayment: The patient owes and makes no effort to make payment arrangements.
6. Behavior that is disruptive: This includes a lack of supervision of minors (any child under the age of 18), engaging in loud and unruly behavior resulting in disruption, disturbing others or the clinic routine, or standing in the lobby or hallway areas in a manner that is infringing on the privacy of patients.
When the above situations occur, a staff member will verbally notify the patient and/or their legal guardian that their conduct may result in termination. If the situation continues the patient will be given a letter of discharge along with a referral list.
EXPECTED PATIENT BEHAVIOR
Patients that are consuming food or beverage inside the building, will need to clean up after themselves and will need to dispose of their trash. All children must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times, which includes when they are accessing the restroom facilities.