ginghamsburg.org: Handbook

It is our desire that your experience with us be helpful and encouraging. Listed below are some of the things you can expect from us:

CHRISTIAN CARE:

You will receive sensitive and non-preferential care offered in the name of Christ.
You will be treated with respect and dignity, representative of your worth in God’s eyes.
We will do our best to offer biblically sound perspective and compassionate attitudes in dealing with your needs.
Your presence at the Counseling Center and all conversations with your counselor will be kept confidential. Confidentiality limits/exceptions:
1. If you report or we observe indicators of child or senior abuse, we are legally mandated to report this abuse to Children’s Services.
2. If you exhibit suicidal or homicidal behavior, we will contact appropriate persons so that the safety of all involved, including yourself, can be protected.

COUNSELOR QUALIFICATIONS:

Our counselors are professionally trained to offer you competent care.
Our counselors have Masters Degrees and are licensed (or in process) by the Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Board.
Our counselors work within a supervisory system. All staff participates in weekly supervision sessions for training and licensure purposes. This is required by the training institutions and by the Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Board.

CLIENT RIGHTS:

You have the right to ask questions about therapy and to have those questions answered to your satisfaction.
You have the right to terminate counseling at any time; we ask that you discuss your decision to terminate with your counselor.
Should there be a need for consultation with persons outside the normal supervision process, you will be asked to sign a “Release of Information” form. This gives your counselor permission to talk with the person or persons designated on the form for the purpose and period of time indicated.
If at any time you feel you have been treated unfairly or inappropriately, you may address your grievances to John Jung, the Center Director. If having utilized this option you remain dissatisfied, you may request a meeting with David Mikel, Chairman of the New Creation Counseling Center, Inc. Board.
If your counselor feels the issues you bring to counseling are outside the realm of his/her specialty, you will be given an appropriate referral to another counselor or agency.

Christian counseling is a covenantal relationship and therefore involves mutual commitments. This means we have some requests of you as well:

APPOINTMENTS:

Sessions typically last 45-50 minutes. This is the standard “clinical” hour. Sessions that may require additional time will be billed accordingly.
We ask that you be faithful in attending your scheduled sessions with your counselor.
Because our counselors depend on counseling fees for their income, it is necessary that we bill for missed appointments. If you must miss a scheduled appointment, please notify us at least 24 hours in advance. If we do not receive 24 hour notice for a cancellation, except in situations that we mutually define as emergencies, we will bill you $25.
Please understand that the counselors usually have full schedules and find it difficult to return phone calls in between sessions. Counselors WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED for phone calls. Unless it is an emergency, it is better to hold questions until your next session or to schedule an appointment to see your counselor. The receptionist may be able to answer some questions and problems. ALL APPOINTMENT CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH THE RECEPTIONIST’S OFFICE.
We ask that you hold in confidence the identity of any other persons you may see at the Counseling Center. Their sense of confidentiality and anonymity is important.
We do not offer babysitting services during the time of your appointment. It is important that the waiting room and hallway remain quiet at all times.

TREATMENT PROCESS:

Please be honest in conversations with your counselor. Growth in wholeness occurs only in an environment of truth.
Be willing to work hard on the issues you are dealing with in your session. No healing can come without your active, prayerful participation, even though the process may be painful at times.
Please complete any homework assignments your counselor may give you.

As we mutually respect and practice these expectations, we believe Christ will work in your life to bring healing and wholeness. If for any reason we conclude that referral or termination is needed, we will do our best to explain our reasons and to help you plan for your immediate future.

TREATMENT OF CHILDREN:

New Creation Counseling Center, Inc. will see children and younger adolescents only in the context of the family. The custodial parent (s) or guardians will be involved in the process and asked to sign a Consent To Treat form and participate in the treatment plan. New Creation Counseling Center, Inc. believes that children are best served by involving their parents or guardians, and by providing a context for enhanced family functioning.
Treatment of older adolescents will also be conducted with the involvement of parents(s) or guardians, but the older adolescent may be more likely to be seen alone by the counselor, based on the treatment plan, family situation and counselor discretion.

WHEN WE NEED TO CANCEL YOUR APPOINTMENT:

If the Center closes due to bad weather, or if your counselor is sick or has an emergency and we need to cancel your appointment, your counselor or the receptionist will call to advise you as soon as possible.

ABOUT OUR FEES:

It is our commitment to offer quality Christian care to persons in all financial situations. The information that follows is intended to help you understand how we operate financially.

OUR SLIDING FEE SCHEDULE:

As a Christian ministry, it is our desire to make our services affordable for all. Therefore, we utilize a sliding fee schedule. This schedule sets self-pay fees based upon your family’s gross income. If you are a resident of Miami County and your income is below $30,000 for a family of 4 or less, you may be eligible for Title XX funds. Please alert the office staff.

Family Income                   Family Size        Family Size
                  (1 or 2)                     (3 or more)
0-$14,999                               $35                                  $35
$15,000 - $19,999                  $45                                  $40
$20,000 - $24,999                  $55                                  $50
$25,000 - $29,999                  $60                                  $55
$30,000 - $34,999                  $70                                  $60
$35,000 - $39,999                  $75                                  $65
$40,000 - $44,999                  $80                                  $70
$45,000 - $49,999                  $85                                  $75
$50,000 - $54,999                  $90                                  $80
$55,000 – and up                   $95                                  $95

COVENANT AGREEMENT FORM:

Our Covenant Agreement is a unique document, which forms a relationship between New Creation Counseling Center and the clients whom we serve. It establishes what both parties agree to as a fair payment, based upon the client’s financial state, and the recognition that the cost to provide services at NCCC is $95/hr.

This amount serves as the fee to be paid by the client after each session, regardless of other payment sources. Any changes to the client’s income or resources should be reported to the Center.

It is equally important to remember that Covenants are a matter of integrity for those who sign them. Please be aware that New Creation Counseling Center, Inc. relies on this Covenant Agreement to be paid as it enables the ministry to maintain financial viability since the Covenant Agreement accounts for over 50 % of the operating revenues of the Center. In order to remain good stewards of God’s resources, we ask that clients faithfully pay their Covenant amount after each session. Clients who are paying less than $95 are receiving a subsidy through Ginghamsburg Church, and to a lesser amount from Troy United Fund, Tipp City United Fund, and other private donations to NCCC.

INSURANCE PAYMENTS:

In order to honor our contracts with insurance companies, we are clarifying our policy regarding our fees and insurance collection. Many health insurance plans provide assistance for counseling services, but you may need to get pre-approval from your particular insurance carrier. We have supervision available from an L.P.C.C. and a Psychologist if this is necessary for your insurance carrier.

Clients covered by insurance are often required to pay a deductible before their insurance coverage can be accessed.   After the deductible is met, clients will pay their copay amount after each session. If your insurance company pays less than anticipated, you will be responsible for the balance. If there is an overpayment when insurance payments are received by the Center, the client will be reimbursed the amount of overpayment. If the client’s insurance fails to pay, the client is responsible for the balance.   Please see the office staff for payment options. Clients will be notified by their insurance company if insurance fails to pay for the services.

Clients who have insurance but choose not to make a claim are required to pay the full cost of the counseling ($95). Clients who are unable to do this can see a member of the billing department to discuss their situation to determine if they could qualify for the sliding fee scale.

PAYMENT PROCEDURES:

We ask that payment be made at each counseling session. Our Auditor prefers that all clients write checks for services rendered rather than cash. If you write a check, please make it payable to “New Creation Counseling Center.” We also accept Master Card, & Visa. Please pay at the receptionist window.

MISSED SESSIONS:

Because our counselors depend on counseling fees for their income, it is necessary that we bill for missed appointments. If you must miss a scheduled appointment, please notify us at least 24 hours in advance. If we do not receive 24-hour notice of cancellation, except in situations that we mutually define as emergencies, we will bill you $25.

BILLING STATEMENTS:

We will regularly mail you a statement reflecting the current status of your account with us. Unless otherwise agreed upon, all balances will be due within 10 days of your receipt of the statement. If at any point you have questions about your statement, please call us at 667-4678.

TAX DEDUCTIBILITY:

Some people assume that because we are a non-profit ministry, their fee payments are tax deductible. However, because your fees are paid in exchange for services rendered, they are not tax deductible. Donations made by clients over and above $95 per session, and donations made by non-clients, are indeed tax deductible.

TESTING POLICY:

New Creation Counseling Center will administer various written tests when such testing is deemed to be appropriate for good clinical care. Written tests may be administered by counselors within the scope of their training on the tests to be given.

MMPI may be administered by counselors, but scoring and interpretation must be done by the Center’s consulting psychologist. If this is not possible, the psychologist must have direct contact with the counselor to discuss the case, and also must have access to the client’s record. In ALL cases where an external report is required, the psychologist must be able to interview the client. Cost for the MMPI administration, scoring, interpretation and report is $225.00.

Other tests may be given at New Creation Counseling Center including, but not limited to: SASSI, Beck Depression Scale, MBTI Temperament tests, Taylor-Johnson Temperament Test, Children’s Depression Inventory, CAPS, COPS, Anger Inventory, and other tests as necessary. Tests which require more than self-scoring will incur a client charge as described below.

SASSI (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory) charges will be as follows: test administration and scoring is $50.00; court report or other outside report is an additional $25.00. Fees must be paid in full before a report is sent to the court or probation officer.

Child Depression Inventory is $50.00 plus $25.00 for an outside report.

MASC (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children) is $50.00 plus $25.00 for an outside report.

PIC (Personality Inventory for Children) is $75.00 plus $25.00 for an outside report.

ADHD Assessment which includes client and parent interviews, testing and interpretation, $125.00, plus $25.00 for an outside report.

ADS (Anger Disorders Scale) for adults is $75.00 plus $25.00 for an outside report (court, employer, school, etc.).

Notice to Clients –Testing Policy Addendum

When test reports are needed by an outside agency (school, court, or employer, for example) we require that fees for testing be paid in full prior to release of testing reports.

Our Policy on Court Appearances

At various times, counselors have been called upon, whether by subpoena, or simply client request, to appear in court. This is a service that is available to our clients, but it is also subject to billing, just like other counseling services, since it is a use of valuable professional time.

Since court appearances take time away from regularly scheduled hours, the following fee schedule is adopted to reimburse New Creation Counseling Center for court appearances.

New Creation Counseling Center will charge the client at the rate of $50 per hour with a minimum charge of $100. The fee of $100 is to be paid in advance of the appearance. If the court appearance is cancelled more than 24 hours in advance of the scheduled appearance, a full refund will be given to the client.   A partial refund of $50 will be given if the court appearance is cancelled on the same day as it was scheduled.   If the court appearance lasts longer than two hours, clients will be billed $50 for each additional hour.
In all cases, court appearance fees are not subject to Covenant Agreement discount.

Our Policy on Pastoral Counseling, Release of Records and Pastoral Privilege:

New Creation Counseling Center employs licensed counselors, social workers, psychologists, and ordained clergy. It is the Center’s policy, upon request accompanied by proper release of information, to release information requested. We trust and expect that such information will be used appropriately and hopefully, to the benefit of our clients. The Center will release summaries of diagnosis, prognosis, treatment plans, closing summaries, and/or summaries of treatment performed at this Center. Under no circumstances will the entire file, including counselor’s notes, be sent to a requesting source. Further, given the nature of counseling performed by ordained clergy acting in the pastoral counselor role, no records will be sent by pastoral counselors on their clients. The pastoral counselor cannot diagnose, nor does the pastoral counselor formulate a clinical treatment plan. The pastoral counselor enjoys privileged communication with his/her clients, and will therefore not testify in court, nor submit records to entities requesting such information.

Our Policy on Release of Clinical Records:

From time to time counselors are called upon to release client records for court cases, divorce, child custody, and other reasons. New Creation Counseling Center desires to be helpful to its clients, and does not want to be part of issues which can cause harm to clients. Clients must be able to assume a reasonable degree of confidentiality, which cannot be broken even after the fact of counseling, has been completed at New Creation Counseling Center.
New Creation Counseling Center will release information only upon the expressed written authorization of the client who has received services at New Creation Counseling Center. Clinical record includes the following categories: counseling session start and stop times, the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and summaries of the following – diagnosis, functional status, treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date. Personal observations by the clinician of the client, and other personal notes or observations of the counselor, are not considered to be part of the record, but are rather the personal notes of the counselor and are not subject to client access, nor access from other agencies, courts or institutions.
When courts or other agencies request client information from New Creation Counseling Center, the Center will comply by sending treatment summaries, only after client authorization which gives specific reasons for the release.
(Adopted at March 6, 2003 Board Meeting)

HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

New Creation is compliant with the HIPAA Act. This Act is intended to help the insured in several ways. For additional information about this act beyond what is stated here, please see the receptionist.

STANDARDS WERE INTENDED TO:

Simplify administration of health insurance claims and their associated costs by encouraging promulgation of national standards.
Give patients more control over and access to their medical information.
Protect individually identifiable health information (IIHI) from real or potential threats of disclosure through setting and enforcing standards.
Improve efficiency in health care delivery by standardizing electronic data interchange (EDI).

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

The Privacy Rule limits the ability of covered entities and their business associated to use or transmit “protected health information” (PHI) without the advance authorization of the individual/insured and the advance notification to the individual of the covered entity’s privacy practices.

grants covered entities a variety of exceptions from the advance authorization requirement.
requires that, even when permitted to disclose protected health information, covered entities make reasonable efforts to limited disclosure to the minimum necessary to accomplish the intended purpose of the use or disclosure.

There are a variety of exceptions to the “minimum necessary” standard.

allows individuals to inspect their protected health information.
allows individuals to request restrictions on the uses or disclosures of protected health information for which the covered entity may otherwise possess the right to use or disclose. The covered entity does not have to agree to the restriction. If the covered entity agrees, then it must document compliance with the restriction.

Protected health information (PHI) means individually identifiable health information that is:

Transmitted by electronic media
Transmitted or maintained in any other form or medium
Permitted uses and disclosures:
-To the individual
-For treatment, payment and health care operations

Use and disclosure after obtaining authorization:
(similar to current usage)

Disclosures required by law:
Victims of domestic violence
      Court orders
      Subpoenas, discovery request, etc. that are not accompanied by court order
To law enforcement officials for a law enforcement purpose
      Child abuse or neglect
      Reports for preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability
      Communicable disease reports
      To employers under certain restrictions

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