Office Policies
For Patients
Office Policies
OFFICE POLICIES
The following office policies and the payment provisions described below are strictly followed. By consenting to treatment, patients accept these policies and agree to abide by them.
OFFICE HOURS
MBCA office hours are from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday appointments may be available depending on the therapist and upon request.
EMERGENCY & AFTER HOURS CONTACT
- In the case of a life threatening emergency, dial 911 prior to attempting to call anyone else.
- In the case of a non-life threatening emergency (defined as the need to make contact due to a serious emotional situation or crisis) please contact your therapist’s direct number. They will brief you on how to contact them at your initial appointment.
- Urgent calls will normally be returned within 24 hours between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM Monday through Friday.
Additional numbers provided for safety:
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
- Nevada Crisis Hotline: Dial 211
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: Dial (800) 656-4673
PHONE MESSAGES
- Phone messages are retrieved regularly during normal business hours. Please indicate the patient’s name, reason for your call, best time to reach you as well as your direct number and a staff member will return the call as soon as possible.
- Messages received after 5:00 p.m. Fridays will be retrieved Monday morning after 8:00 a.m.
EMAIL CONTACT
- For non-emergency correspondence that cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting, please use the contact us form.
- Emails are checked daily, excluding weekends.
GOOD FIT POLICY
At Mind and Body Counseling Associates (MBCA), we believe therapy is not a “one size fits all” process. If you don’t feel you are connecting well with your current therapist, please let us know. We strive to provide a diverse selection of therapists so you may find the right fit for you.
PAYMENTS & INSURANCE BILLING
- Payment is due at the time services are provided.
- If your appointment is not covered by insurance, full payment or your insurance co-pay can be made via cash, check, debit or credit card. Master Card, Visa, or American Express are accepted.
- A $50 service fee will be added for any returned checks.
- If insurance is covering your treatment, the office must be made aware and also have a copy of the front and back of your insurance card on file. Your insurance will be billed after each session.
- Most insurance companies require a co-payment, which is the sole responsibility of the client (or legal guardian) and is collected at the time of treatment. However, it is the responsibility of the client (or legal guardian) for all payments in the event that the insurance company fails to pay or pays less than the agreed upon amount.
CANCELATION POLICY
- Once an appointment is scheduled, you are expected to keep that appointment.
- Sessions must be canceled at least 24 business hours prior to any scheduled appointment not counting weekends or holidays.
- Cancellations must be made during business hours 8:00 am – 4:45 pm (M-F) not including weekends or holidays.
- Phones/messages are not monitored after hours, on weekends, or holidays. Please plan accordingly and either cancel within this window or be prepared to pay the described fee.
- We understand that Late cancellations or “no-shows” can occur due to a variety of life circumstances but you must understand that you will be charged the $100 fee to the credit card on file. There are no exceptions because the therapist’s time is as valuable as your time and your session time was set aside specifically for you.
- This fee will only be waived if we are able to fill the appointment on short notice. Note: due to the short notice we are generally unable to fill the appointment time.
- Insurance companies cannot be billed for late cancellation or “no-shows”, therefore you alone are responsible for this fee.
- Note: excessive cancellations/no shows are disruptive to the therapeutic process as well as the therapist’s schedule and may result in ending treatment.
It is our intention to respect the time of our providers and office staff, while maintaining the integrity of the therapeutic process.
CREDIT CARD POLICY
- All fees are the patient’s responsibility to pay at the time of service.
- Services will not be rendered until fees have been paid. Telehealth or after business hours sessions will be automatically charged within 48 hours of the completed appointment.
- Insurance companies will be billed and paid directly to Mind and Body Counseling Associates. Patients will be responsible for all outstanding monies not covered by the insurance company. For “Out of Network” insurance companies, paperwork can be provided (upon request) for you to submit a claim.
- Checks are accepted however, there will be a $50.00 charge for any returned check.
- If your account goes into Collections, there will be a 40% fee added to your balance.
LATE ARRIVAL POLICY
- Any patient arriving 15 minutes past the scheduled session time for Therapy will be required to reschedule and pay the $100 late cancellation fee.
- Any patient arriving 10 minutes past the scheduled session time for Medication Management will be required to reschedule and pay the $100 late cancellation fee.
EFFECTIVE THERAPY POLICY
MBCA THERAPISTS WILL NOT PROVIDE TREATMENT TO ANYONE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS or ALCOHOL.
Providing treatment would be unethical due to the therapeutic process being ineffective when the recipient is in an altered state.
- Any patient who arrives for their scheduled appointment under the influence of any drug or alcohol, including marijuana, will be required to reschedule the appointment and pay the $100 Late Cancellation fee.
- If your therapist deems you are not safe to drive, you will be asked to call a friend or schedule an uber or taxi
- Any minor patient who arrives for their scheduled appointment under the influence of any drug or alcohol, including marijuana, your therapist will call your emergency contact or a family member to come pick you up. Your appointment will be rescheduled and you will be required to pay the $100 Late Cancellation fee.
TREATMENT OF MINORS
- To ensure minor patient’s safety an adult must stay in the waiting room during the child’s therapy session if they are under 16 years of age.
- BOTH PARENTS or LEGAL GUARDIANS MUST PROVIDE CONSENT for treatment and be listed for related communication to maintain parental rights for all parties.
MINOR COMMUNICATION AGREEMENT
- Parents/Guardians contact information of who will be authorized to communicate with office staff regarding your child’s account are required.
- Only one person can be listed to receive text and one to receive email notifications and reminders.
- Parents living in separate households with joint custody are encouraged to provide text for one parent and email for the other to ensure both receive all communication.
- It is the responsibility of both parents to determine which method of notification is to be utilized by whom.
- MBCA staff will not be involved or engage in custodial communication disputes.