Cindy Ashkins, PhD, LCSW, LMT Clinical Social Worker

121 Metairie Lawn • Suite A • Metairie, LA 70002

5046066011•fax5048348802•


SOCIAL WORKER-CLIENT SERVICES AGREEMENT LOUISIANA

Name:

PLEASE PRINT

My signature below indicates that I have been given a copy of the Social Worker Client Services Agreement.

Iagreethat I have readtheinformationinthisdocumentandwill abidebyitstermsduring ourprofessionalrelationship.

I understand Dr. Ashkins uses electronic communication during the routine course of treatment to include, but not limited to: fax, text, and e-mail. I also understand beginning 10/1/15, Dr. Ashkins will also be required to utilize electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic billing. I understand that every effort is made to protect my privacy and confidentiality during all of these activities and all HIPAA policies strictly apply.

I agree that I am seeking consultation from Dr. Ashkins with the intention of self-improvement and/or improving my current relationship. I therefore agree that I will not request or require Dr. Ashkins to testify in court in any form or fashion regarding my personal situation.

SIGNATURE DATE

If the above named person is either under sixteen (16) years of age or has a legally appointedguardian,thisagreementmustalsobesignedbyhis/herparentorguardian.

SIGNATURE DATE

1

Cindy Ashkins, Ph.D, LCSW, LMT

Clinical Social Work

121 Metairie Lawn • Suite A • Metairie, LA 70002

504-606-6011 • Fax: 504-834-8802 •

SOCIALWORKERSERVICESAGREEMENT LOUISIANA

Welcometomypractice.This document containsimportant information about my professional services and business policies. Please note that page #4 outlines exceptions to confidentiality that requires your initials. This document also contains summary information about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that provides new privacy protections and client rights with regard to the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) used for the purpose of treatment, payment, and health care operations. HIPAA requires that I provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices for use and disclosurefor treatment, payment and health care procedures. The law requires that I obtain your signature acknowledging that I have provided you with this information prior to treatment. Although these documents are long and sometimes complex, it is very important that you read them carefully. We can discuss any questions you have about the procedures at any time. When yousignthisdocument,itwillalsorepresentanagreementbetweenus.You mayrevoke this Agreement in writing at any time. That revocation will be binding on me unless I have taken actionon it; if there are obligations imposed on me by your health insurer in order to process or substantiate claims made under your policy; or if you have notsatisfiedanyfinancialobligationsyouhaveincurred.

CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES

Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychotherapist and client, and your particular situation. There are many different methods I may use to deal with the issues that you hope to address. Psychotherapy may not be like a typical medical doctor visit. It calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you are encouraged toworkonthingswetalkaboutbothduringoursessionsandathome.

Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience a number of feelings, both pleasant and challenging. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have many benefits. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. There are, of course, no guarantees of what you will experience.

Our first few sessions will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and will be able to co-create a treatment plan for you to follow. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions of whether you feel comfortableworkingwithme.Therapyinvolvesalargecommitmentoftime,money,and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to provide you with three (3) names of other mental health professionals.

PROFESSIONAL FEES

Myhourlyfeeis$115.00 forindividualsand$125.00forcouples. The initial intakesessionisan additional $20.00. I also charge this amount for other professional services you may need,though I will break down the hourly cost if I work for periods of less than one hour. Other services include report writing, telephone conversations occurring frequently and/or lasting longer than 10 minutes, consulting with other professionals with your permission, preparation of records ortreatmentsummaries,andthetimespentperforminganyotherserviceyoumayrequest of me. As indicated above, you have agreed to not involve me, or any clinical treatment, in any legal proceedings.Ifyou should become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for all of my professional time, including preparation and transportation costs, even if I am called to testify by another party. Because of the difficultyoflegalinvolvement,Icharge$500.00perhourwith a minimum of 3 hours paid one week in advance, with 72 hours required for cancellation.

CONTACT OUTSIDE OF SESSION

Duetomyworkschedule,Iamoftennotimmediatelyavailablebytelephone.WhileIam usually in my office between 8 AM and 6 PM, I will not answer the phone when I am with a client. When I am unavailable, my telephone is answered by a voice mail or you may text me or email me. I willmakeeveryefforttoreturnyour call/email on the same day you make it, with the exception of weekends and holidays. If you are difficult to reach, please inform me of times when you will be available. If you are unable to reach me and feel that you can't wait for me to return your call, contact your family physician or the nearest emergency room and ask for the psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist on call. If I will be unavailable for an extended time, Iwillprovideyouwiththenameofacolleaguetocontact,ifnecessary.

LIMITS ON CONFIDENTIALITY

The law protects the privacy of all communications between a client and a psychotherapist. In most situations, I can only release information about your treatment to others if you are in agreement and you wish to sign a written Authorization form that meets certain legal requirements imposed by HIPAA. Some situations where this may be helpful include:

I may occasionally find it helpful to consult other health and mental health professionals about a case. During a consultation, I make every effort to avoid revealing the identity of my client. The other professionals are also legally bound to keep the information confidential.

You should be aware that I practice with other mental health professionals and that I employ administrative staff. In most cases, I need to share protected information with these individuals for both clinical and administrative purposes, such as scheduling, billing and quality assurance. All of the mental health professionals are bound by the same rules of confidentiality. All staff members have been given training about protecting your privacy and have agreed not to release any information outside of the practice without the permission of a professional staffmember.

I also have contracts with several businesses that provide services to my office (copy service, janitorial service, answering service). As required by HIPAA, I have a formal business associate contract with these businesses, in which they promise to maintain the confidentiality of this data except as specifically allowed· in the contract or otherwise required by law.

There are also some situations in which I am legally obligated to take actions, which I believe are necessary in the attempt to protect others from harm and I may have to reveal some information about a client's treatment. These situations are unusual in my practice (please initial each statement):

  • If I have reason to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare is endangered as a result of abuse or neglect or that abuse or neglect was a contributing factor in a child's death, the law requires that I file a report with the appropriate government agency, usually the Louisiana Department of Social Services. Once such a report is filed, I may be required to provide additional information. ______
  • If I have cause to believe that an adult's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be further adversely affected by abuse, neglect, or exploitation, the law requires that I report to the appropriate government agency, usually an adult protective agency. Once such a report is filed, I may be required to provide additionalinformation. ______
  • If a client communicates a significant threat of physical violence to an identifiable victim, I may be required to take protective actions. These actions may include notifying the potential victim, contacting the police, or seeking hospitalization for theclient. ______
  • If aclientcommunicatessuicidalthoughtswithaspecificplanof action or threatens to harm himself/herself, I may be obligated to seek hospitalization for him/her, or to contact family members or others who can help provideprotection. ______

There are also some situations where I am permitted or required to disclose information without either your consent or Authorization:

  • If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information concerning your diagnosis and treatment, such information is protected by the social worker-client privilege law. I cannot provide any information without your written authorization, or a court order. If you are involved in or contemplating litigation, you should consult with your attorney regarding our agreements regarding confidentiality.
  • If a government agency is requesting the information for health oversight activities, I may be required to provide it for them.
  • If any client files a complaint or lawsuit against me, I may disclose relevant informationregarding thatclientinordertodefendmyself.
  • If any client files a worker's compensation claim, I must, upon appropriate request, disclose information related to the client's injury, including a copy of the client's record, to the client's employer, a licensed and approved vocational rehabilitation counselor assigned to the client's claim, or the worker's compensationinsurer.

If such a situation arises, I will make every effort to fully discuss it with you before taking any action, and I will limit my disclosure to what is necessary.

While this written summary of exceptions to confidentiality should prove helpful in informing you about potential conflicts, please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns that you may have now or in the future. The laws governing confidentiality can be quite complex. In situations where specific advice is required formal legal advice may be needed.

PROFESSIONALRECORDS

YoushouldbeawarethatpursuanttoHIPAA, I keep protectedHealthInformationabout you in two sets of professional records. One set constitutes your Clinical Record. It includesinformationaboutyourreasons forseekingtherapy,adescriptionofthewaysin whichyourproblemimpactsonyourlife,yourdiagnosis,thegoalsthatwesetfor treatment, your progress towards those goals, your medical and social history, your treatment history, any past treatment records that I receive from other providers, reports of any professional consultations, your billing records, and anyreports that have been sent to anyone, including reports to your insurance carrier. Except in the unusual circumstance that disclosure is reasonably likely to endanger you or others, you may examineand/orreceiveacopyofyourClinicalRecord,ifyourequestitinwriting.These are professional records; they can be misinterpreted and/or upsetting to untrained readers. For this reason, I recommendthat you initially review them in my presence, or have them forwarded to another mental health professional so you can discuss the contents.Inmostcircumstances,Iamallowedtochargeacopyingfeeof$1perpagefor thefirst25pages,50centsforpages26through500,and25centsperpageforanypages thereafter (and for certain other expenses such as postage and special handling).

Additionally, I also keep a set of Psychotherapy Notes. These notes are for my own use and are designed to assist me in providing you with the best treatment. While the contents of Psychotherapy Notes vary from client to client, they can include the contents of our conversations, my analysis of those conversations, and how they impact your therapy. They also contain particularly sensitive information that you may reveal to me that is not required to be included in your Clinical Record. These Psychotherapy Notes are kept separate from your Clinical Record. While insurance companies can request and receive a copy of your Clinical Record, they cannot receive a copy of your Psychotherapy Notes without your Authorization. Insurance companies cannot require your authorization as a condition of coverage nor penalize you in any way for your refusal.

CLIENT RIGHTS

HIPAA providesyouwithseveralrightswithregardtoyourClinicalRecords anddisclosuresofprotectedhealthinformation.TheserightsincluderequestingthatIrestrict what information from your Clinical Records is disclosed to others; requesting an accounting of most disclosures of protected health information;determiningthelocationtowhichprotectedinformation disclosuresaresent;havinganycomplaintsyoumakeaboutmypoliciesandproceduresrecorded inyourrecords;andtherighttoapapercopyofthisAgreement should you so choose.

MINORS & PARENTS

Clients under 18 years of age who are not emancipated and their parents should be aware that the law may allow parents to examine their treatment records. Privacy in psychotherapy is often crucial to successful progress and, particularly with teenagers; it is sometimes my policy to request an agreement from parents that they consent to give up their access to their child's records. If they agree, during treatment, I will provide them only with general information about the progress of the child's treatment, and his/her attendance at scheduled sessions. I will also provide parents with a summary of their child's treatment when it is complete. Any other communication will require the child's Authorization, unless I feel that the child is in danger or is a danger to someone else, in which case, I will notify the parents of my concern. Before giving parents any information, I will discuss the matter with the child, if possible, and do my best to handle any objections he/she may have.

BILLING AND PAYMENTS

You will be expected to pay for each session at the time it is held. In rare cases I will accept insurance coverage that requires another arrangement. I also accept credit cards and post-dated checks. I will also file an insurance form at your request. Payment schedules for other professional services will be agreed to when they are requested. In circumstances of unusual financial hardship, I may be willing to negotiate a payment installment plan.

If your account has not been paid for more than 60 days and arrangements for payment have not been agreed upon, I have the option of using legal means to secure the payment. This may involve hiring a collection agency or going through small claims court which will require me to disclose otherwise confidential information. In most collection situations, the only information I release regarding a client's treatment is his/her name, the nature of services provided, the dates of service and the amount due. If such legal action is necessary, its costs will be included in theclaim.

INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT

In order for us to set realistic treatment goals and priorities, it is important to evaluate what resources you have available to pay for your treatment. If you have a health insurance policy, it will usually provide some

coverage for mental health treatment. I will fill out forms and provide you with whatever assistance I can in helping you receive the benefits to which you are entitled; however, you (not your insurance company) are responsible for full payment of my fees. It is very important that you find out exactly what mental health services your insurance policy covers. You are also responsible for our deductible, which renewsannually, usually in January.

You should also be aware that your contract with your health insurance company requires that I provide it with information relevant to the services that I provide to you. I am required to provide a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes I am required to provideadditional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of your entire Clinical Record. In such situations, I will make every effort to release only the minimum information about you that is necessary for the purpose requested. This information will become part of the insurance company files and will probably be stored in a computer. Though all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, I have no measure of control over their practices. In some cases, they may sharethe information with a national medical information data bank. I will provide you with a copy of any report I submit, if you request it. By signing this Agreement, you agree that I can provide requested information to your carrier.

Welcome to my practice.