Statement of custody, application for service and service agreement

Statement of Custody and Services Agreement PDF

I understand that:

1. Services may include individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, psychiatric evaluation, outpatient medical services, school-based medical services, comprehensive crisis assessment and/or psychiatric medication management
2. For behavioral health and psychiatric services, Child and Family Agency of Southeastern CT, Inc. (CFA) does not dispense medication.
3. CFA staff are mandated reporters. In the event of suspicion of abuse or neglect, staff will seek supervisory input and may need to file a report with child protective services or seek emergency response for the safety of my child or others.
4. The Agency’s administration offices are operational Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Clinical services hours vary by program as stated on www.childandfamilyagency.org. In case of urgent/emergent concerns after office hours, the Agency provides 24/7 on call support to current clients. The crisis clinician can be reached by calling 860-823-0893. For life-threatening emergencies, families should call 911 immediately.
5. If emergency medical treatment is necessary for any client under the age of 18, Agency staff will seek Parent(s)/Guardian(s) assistance and/or call 911.
6. For individuals under 18, a responsible adult may be required to be available during the duration of the appointment.
7. Parents/Guardians with clients under the age of 12 must be available for the duration of the appointment. It has been explained to me that a person receiving services who is under 18 becomes uncomfortable during a session they may stop the session at anytime and access their parent/guardian. All parents/guardians may be asked to remain a part of session with when deemed clinically necessary by the provider.
8. For in-home services, a parent, legal guardian, or a resident over the age of 18 years of age must be present.
9. For the Urgent Crisis Center, a parent or legal guardian must accompany all minors under the age of 18 years of age.

CLIENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Person(s) receiving services from Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc., (CFA) or its affiliates, are entitled to certain rights and responsibilities.

• No information about you or your treatment will be shared with anyone outside of the Agency without your permission. To provide the best coordinated care, CFA staff may share information between Agency programs. If more than one adult name is in a case record, all adults would need to give permission for that information to be shared.
• The Agency’s focus is on the client’s mental health and well-being; therefore, we do not get involved in custody disputes or provide written recommendations relating to custody.
• If the Agency receives a Subpoena from the court, the Agency must follow state law. Staff do not appear in court unless subpoenaed to do so. If subpoenaed, the Agency may charge a minimum of $1500.00 (for the first three hours) per staff member for each court appearance.
• CFA strives to create and refine more effective ways to help children and families across services. For this reason, we carefully evaluate the effectiveness of our programs and use de-identified information for internal agency reporting and statistical purposes, and for satisfying the data submission requirements of our funding sources. Beyond such requirements, any use of identifying Protected Health Information for external research purposes will only occur with your written authorization or through approval from an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board established in accord with Federal law.

Client Rights

• You have the right to equal treatment without regard to race, color, spiritual beliefs, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or national origin.
• You have the right to services that take into consideration your culture and your spoken language.
• You have the right to be actively involved in treatment planning, and ongoing decisions, including type of service.
• You have the right to review the case chart within the limits of confidentiality. This is done in the presence of the provider and/or supervisor. Clients also have the right to insert statements into the case record. CFA is responsible for deciding whether the review or release of information would be potentially harmful to a minor child.
• You have the right to request a change in staff assignment following the Agency’s grievance procedure.
• You have the right to refuse services at any time. The client should discuss ending services with their assigned staff member.
• You have the right to seek another opinion from an individual or organization outside of CFA regarding diagnosis, medications, or treatment planning.
• You have the right to be informed of and to refuse any audio/audiovisual taping.
• You have the right to be informed of any possible risks and benefits associated with the treatment or service plan. You have the right to a full discussion of treatment alternatives.
• You have the right to know the professional education and qualifications of the staff member(s) providing services.

Client Responsibilities

Safe and Respectful Treatment Environment

You are responsible for helping the Agency maintain a safe and respectful treatment environment. Adults and children are expected to act safely and appropriately towards all staff, family members, and other clients. This includes, but is not limited to:

• While receiving services, rude or obscene language, evidence of intoxication or substance use, and/or verbal/physical threats will not be tolerated and may result in termination of services.
• Threats or actions against oneself or others are not protected by confidentiality and may be reported to the appropriate authority.
• Weapons are prohibited on our premises. If receiving services at home, weapons need to be disclosed, locked and secured.
• You are responsible for providing the supervision of any children in your care.

Financial Responsibilities

You are responsible for providing all the financial information necessary for the Agency to provide services, including insurance coverage.

• You are responsible for payment at the time of service, when indicated. If you transition from one Agency program to another, payment for a previous outstanding balance is expected. Withdrawing from a program with an outstanding balance may also jeopardize future involvement with Agency programs.
• You are responsible for informing your provider about other services you are currently receiving that could be a duplication of services.
• You are responsible to promptly provide any changes in information that relates to treatment, billing and contact (e.g., name, address, telephone number, insurance, employment, family composition.).

Notice of Privacy Practices

PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY. IT DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED, DISCLOSED, AND ACCESSED BY YOU.

Click here to review the Agency’s Privacy Practices

Release of information and assignment of benefits

Financial responsibility agreement for counseling services

CFA is a sliding fee scale Agency. Our full fee per therapy session varies by service. Because CFA recognizes it would be a financial hardship for many clients to pay the full fee at each session, we have designed an alternative payment system, provided the client agrees to the following:

• I agree to submit accurate financial information as requested, i.e. third party coverage, Husky, Medicare, and household’s gross weekly income minus taxes. I agree to provide the Agency with other documentation of income as may be necessary.
• I agree to provide CFA with a Husky or commercial insurance card upon the first visit.
• I agree to provide CFA with a signed major medical insurance form authorizing payment directly to the Agency no later than my second visit and understand that I am responsible for any payment not met.
• For most programs,
  • I understand that if my child is privately insured under a plan with a high deductible, I will be charged a $50.00 fee per session until the deductible has been met at which time a co-pay will be assessed based on my insurance plan. Should you need a fee adjustment, please discuss this with your child’s clinician.
  • School-based health center services do not charge out-of-pocket fees, including co-pays or deductibles.
  • Adult Outpatient Treatment Program is unable to adjust fees– the full cost agreed to at intake must be paid for each session.
• I agree to pay my client fee at each visit, and if I miss one payment, I will remit payment at my next therapy session along with that session’s fee. If two payments are missed in a row, I understand I may be asked to reschedule any future appointment until payment is received. If I pay by check, I understand that I may be required to pay a $20.00 bank service charge if my check is returned for insufficient funds. Should that occur, I may be required to pay for future services in cash. I understand if my account is two or more payments in arrears, service may be suspended until such time as my account is paid in full. If you are in a financial crisis payment options are available. Below is the contact information for the billing department.
• I agree to notify CFA promptly of any change in my financial or insurance status which may/may not affect my fee.
• I understand that CFA has the right to request an update of my financial income information and to request validation of hardship before client fee is reduced.

I agree to pay my patient responsibility after my insurance makes payment on services. I understand this amount is subject to change based on deductible, copayment and/or coinsurance. I understand I can contact the billing department and my clinician for questions and payment options. The billing department can be reached at (860)443-2896. If insurance coverage and Husky does not apply, a sliding scale fee will be determined by the billing department based on total household income and the number of household members.

Consent and notice regarding electronic signatures

Electronic Signature Agreement

I give consent for myself and any minor child in my custody to CFA to collect an electronic signature on documents including but not limited to treatment such as assessments, treatment plans, and treatment plan updates. By signing below, I agree that my electronic signature is the equivalent of my manual signature. I further agree that the use of a keyboard and mouse to select an item and to collect the electronic signature constitutes my signature, acceptance and agreement as if actually signed by myself in writing. I further agree that each use of my e-signature in signing documentation constitutes my agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Electronic Signature Agreement as it exists on the date of my e-signature.

Revocation of Electronic Signature

I understand that I have the right to withdraw my consent to electronically sign documents. Withdrawing consent can be completed by speaking with my CFA staff in person or by phone.

Consent to telehealth

Telehealth allows CFA clinicians/practitioners to diagnose/evaluate, consult, treat, educate, and manage my care using interactive audio, video or data communication. I hereby consent to participating in psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management via telephone or the internet (hereinafter referred to as Telehealth) with my CFA providers:

I understand I have the following rights under this agreement:

1. I have a right to confidentiality with Telehealth under the same laws that protect the confidentiality of my medical information for in-person psychotherapy and evaluation/medication management appointments. Any information disclosed by me during the course of my treatment, therefore, is generally confidential.
2. There are, by law, exceptions to confidentiality, including mandatory reporting of child, elder, and dependent adult abuse and any threats of violence I may make towards a reasonably identifiable person. I also understand that if I am in such mental or emotional condition to be a danger to myself or others, my therapist has the right to break confidentiality to prevent the threatened danger. Further, I understand that sharing of any personally identifiable images or information from the Telehealth interaction to any other entities shall not occur without my written consent. I agree not to record and/or distribute my telehealth therapy sessions.
3. I further understand that there are risks unique and specific to Telehealth, including but not limited to, the possibility that our telehealth appointments could be disrupted or distorted by technical failures or could be interrupted.
4. You or your CFA provider(s) may determine that a higher level of care than Telehealth is required to meet your unique treatment needs, at which time a referral will be made to the appropriate provider.
5. Refusal to participate in telehealth if no other type of service is available due to office closure, will result in referral to a higher level of care.

I have read and understand the information provided above. I have the right to discuss any of this information with my clinician and to have any questions I may have regarding my treatment answered to my satisfaction.

I understand that I can withdraw my consent to Telehealth communications at any time verbally and in writing.