Appointments and Cancellations
Appointments are scheduled in advance, at a cadence we agree on, based on your goals, treatment needs, and our mutual availability. Payments for each appointment will be made through my billing platform, by debit or credit card or ACH transfer.
You may cancel appointments in advance without charge, as long as I receive notice 24 hours in advance. For appointment no-shows or last-minute cancellations, you may be charged a fee. Please reach out to me directly for my latest policy on the cancellation cutoff period and fees.
Insurance/Payment
You are responsible for checking your insurance coverage, deductibles, payment rates, copayments, and so forth.
You—not your insurance company or any other person or company—are responsible for paying the fees accrued.
It is your responsibility to provide complete and accurate information: full legal name, address, telephone number, date of birth, insured subscriber information, email address, if applicable, photo identification and updated insurance card. Please be aware of when your FSA/HSA or payment card expires and please contact Headway as soon as possible to update this information. Failure to provide updated information could impede your services.
Availability and After-Hours Emergencies
Providers check for voicemail messages during normal business hours. Messages left outside of normal hours of operation will be picked up the next business day. If you are experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts, are in crisis, or need immediate help, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Contacting Me
I am often not immediately available by telephone. I do not answer my phone when I am with clients or otherwise unavailable. At these times, you may leave a message on my confidential voicemail and I will return your call once I’ve reviewed your chart, but it may take a day or two for non-urgent matters. I will make every attempt to inform you in advance of planned absences, and provide you with the name and phone number of the mental health professional covering my practice. If I need to cancel an appointment at the last-minute, I will reach out as soon as possible and reschedule, or have a member of my staff connect with you.
Telehealth
Angela uses Doxy.me, a HIPAA compliant platform, for telehealth. Doxy.me is much like Facetime, it does not require special hardware or downloaded applications/programs. It requires an electronic device with an enabled microphone/camera (smart phone, tablet, computer) and a working internet connection. We may also utilize audio-only (phone call) in the event that video services are not feasible or available but this should be on an as needed basis, not the sole means of connection.
● The link to your clinician’s room remains active so you can use it at the time of your next appointment. Your clinician is not available via Doxy.me at any other time outside your scheduled appointment time and will not respond if you attempt to join their virtual room at another time or after your session.
● If possible, choose a place for your session that is quiet, confidential and free of distractions.
● Check your internet connection, your battery life of your device before your session time. Call the office immediately if you have connection issues at the time of the appointment.
● Do not operate a moving vehicle while on a telehealth session. This is dangerous and your session will be canceled by your therapist if you are driving a car.
● Do not consume intoxicating substances while in a telehealth session.
● Dress as if you were in our office for an appointment.
● Notify your clinician if anyone else is in the room with you doing your session.
● If asked, please provide your location. This is to assure we can alert authorities in the event of an emergency, though otherwise your location is confidential. Failure to provide a location could result in your appointment being canceled due to our desire to protect your safety in an unforeseen event. The clinician is only licensed to provide services to clients located in the state of Maryland and thus asking for location is a means of confirming this necessary legal requirement.
Clinicians may use clinical judgment to determine if a client is not eligible for telehealth based on the individual's symptoms or circumstances.
Discharge Process
There are several reasons why we may eventually end our professional relationship. You may decide you would prefer to work with a different provider. I may reach the conclusion you would be better served working with someone else. Regardless of the case, I will first discuss with you the reasons for discharging, and if you request, provide you with a list of other qualified providers. I will also extend the discharge process length if necessary based on your treatment needs, including continuing to provide emergency support for a time-limited period after you have been notified of the end of our treatment relationship.
Failure to pay, attend, or communicate can result in discharge. You may have the best results in therapy if you attend regularly. If circumstances impact attendance, we can work together. If you miss two sessions in 60 days or two in a row without notice, I will contact you. I will try to reach out and give referrals to a new provider to ensure you have continued access to care. If I do not have contact for over 30 days, I will make one more attempt before discharge.
Confidentiality - Limitations
In general, the information that you share in sessions is kept confidential. This means that no one has access to your identifying information and what you share in sessions. There are, however, a few exceptions to this as outlined in the State of Maryland Laws for Psychologists, Professional Counselors, and Social Workers:
If you are at risk of harming yourself. If you seriously threaten to harm yourself or act in a way that demonstrates that you are likely to harm yourself, your clinician may contact a hospital and arrange for you to have a psychiatric evaluation. If your clinician believes that this is necessary it will be discussed with you first, unless your clinician believes that there is a very good reason not to. Your clinician may inquire about your access to lethal means such as firearms as a means to assess your safety if you indicate you are in danger of hurting yourself or others.
If you are at risk of harming another person. If you seriously threaten to harm another person or act in a way that demonstrates that you are likely to harm someone, your clinician is required to try to protect that person. The police and/or that person may be contacted to inform them of the risk. This may also involve contacting a hospital to arrange for you to have a psychiatric evaluation. Your clinician may inquire about your access to lethal means such as firearms as a means to assess your safety if you indicate you are in danger of hurting yourself or others.
In an emergency situation. In an emergency where your life or health is in danger, you are unable to give consent, another professional may be given some information to protect your life. Every effort will be made to get your permission first, and further discussion of the incident will occur with you as soon as possible afterwards.
Suspected Abuse. If it is believed or suspected that you are or somebody else is abusing a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person, your clinician must file a report with a state agency. “Abuse” means to neglect, physically hurt, or sexually molest another person.
In any of these situations, only the information that is needed to protect you or the other person will be given.
Your clinician requires attendance of at least four sessions prior to the completion of written reports/paperwork related to disability, accommodation requests, employment related documentation, etc. Your clinician may decline to complete paperwork based on their determination of the appropriateness of the forms but this decision must be explained to the client. If you ever become involved in a divorce, custody dispute or other court proceeding we want you to understand and agree that your clinician will not provide evaluations or expert testimony in court. You should hire a different mental health professional for any evaluations or testimony you may need. This position is based on the reason that your clinician’s statements may be seen as biased and in your favor. Consistent with recommendations by the American Psychology Association (APA), your clinician will not provide copies of progress notes to be used in court or via record request as these notes could be used out of context and thus be used to harm the client. You may request a summary letter or copy of your initial assessment or treatment plan.