How To Announce Your New Private Practice in Mental Health

Aug
22
2011
by Tamara Suttle

Ask Tamara . . .

Are you thinking about leaving your currentImage of Red Question Mark place of employment to venture into private practice on your own?  If so, you may share Barbara Salkewicz‘ concern.  Barbara is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Brick, New Jersey who wrote me earlier this month.  She says . . .

Hi Tamara,

Hope this note finds you enjoying a great summer! Once again thank you for all the generous advice and information you give to all of us. I have been doing preliminary planning to start my own practice for some time now awaiting the alignment of the planets so to speak.

Well, recently I was offered an office to rent in a local psychiatrists office for a very nominal fee. This fee includes not just the office space but her staff for appointments and billing etc. My question is what is the most appropriate way of letting my current clients know that I am starting my own practice.

I am currently on vacation and would like to get things moving as I am sure a good portion of my clients will follow me and I would naturally like to have this base to start with. I have been experimenting with various letters but would value your input tremendously.

Thanks so much for your help!”

How wise of you to leverage the relationships that you currently have with your clients!  It’s the honorable and right thing to do.  According to the American Counseling Association, your employer does not have the relationship with your clients; you do!

Barring any non-compete clause that you may have signed with your employer, you have every right to take your clients with you.  One of the best ways to do this is to send out a celebratory announcement to each one of them with the details of your transition.  What that may look like is this:

Barbara X is please to announce the opening of her new private practice . . .

Location:  4452 South Edgewood Terrace, Fort Worth, TX 76039

Telephone:  817-446-6869

Hours:  Monday – Thursday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

New Clients & Referrals Welcome!

And, even better . . . follow up your big announcement by hosting an fabulous open house – inviting your friends, colleagues, and potential referral sources – to meet the psychiatrist you will be sharing an office with and to show off your great new location, too!  (On Thursday, I’ll be talking with you about how to host a flawless open house.)

If you’ve already taken the leap to move into private practice, I hope you’ll take a moment to share your experiences and how you handled letting your clients know that they were welcome to follow you to your new office.


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Disaster Planning For Your Private Practice

Jul
18
2011
by Tamara Suttle

Whether you are just starting your private practice or you are a seasoned professional, you and your office are not immune from fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes and other natural disasters.  That’s why I’ve invited Julie Uhernik, RN, LPC to guest post today.

______________________________

A Guest Post by Julie Uhernik, RN, LPC

(If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.)

Natural Disasters

This year has seen an unprecedented number of natural disasters which have affected thousands of lives either through direct experience of disaster or through collective knowledge of and concern for the many affected. The response of counselors to assist disaster survivors has been tremendous. Many counselors have partnered with the Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations to bring mental health assistance to survivors, their families and fellow responders.Image of Pop Nature

Professional organizations such as the American Counseling Association (ACA) have made Disaster and Trauma Response a primary area of focus, assisting counselors to obtain knowledge and information on best practices in this rapidly emerging field.  However, one important consideration that has not received quite that same amount of attention is a professional’s response to a disaster that directly impacts the counselor and their clients.  To put it simply . . .

  • What will you do if your office is destroyed by a tornado or hurricane?
  • Have you made provisions  for your practice or agency in Counselor Professional Preparedness Planning?
  • Does your agency or practice have a plan in place should the unthinkable occur?
  • What do you need to do to protect your clients, your family and your greatest counseling asset…yourself?!

Standards of Care

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention** recommends that we all  “Get a Kit, Make a Plan and Be Informed”.  The newly revised ACA Code of Ethics Standard C.2.h. (Counselor Incapacitation or Termination of Practice) requires a transfer plan to be in place to assure that clients have access to both counseling and their records during the period of time in which you are unable to provide counseling services. This standard would presumably include therapists whose offices / agencies were destroyed in a disaster.

It is recommended that your Professional Preparedness Plan include:

There are many important things to ponder before a disaster occurs.  As a counselor, are you ready?

**See PDF file Adapting Standards of Care under Extreme Emergencies

_______________________________

Julie Uhernik, RN, LPC offices in Parker, Colorado.  She specializes in disaster mental health and trauma and provides consulting services related to emergency planning and response. If you would like to contact Julie, you may reach her at http://www.JulieUhernik.com.


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Do You Need To Be HIPAA Compliant?

Mar
30
2011
by Tamara Suttle

After all this time, many mental health professionals continue to be confused about whether or not HIPAA applies to them.  Here’s a quick little article to help you discern once and for all if you fall into the category of needing to be HIPAA-compliant.


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Confidentiality And Documentation In Clinical Consultation

Feb
28
2011
by Tamara Suttle

I received an email from J. Kipp Lanning, LIMHP of AdultSpan Counseling in Nebraska asking about peer consultation groups.  He says:Image of Network

A professional group of which I am a member is working on setting up a peer consultation group (APPT: Association of Private Practice Therapists).  Do you have suggestions on how to make this most effective/beneficial regarding paperwork that demonstrates consultation with peers?  Of particular concern to the group is a confidentiality agreement for the group and paperwork for the file demonstrating consultation with peers.

Thanks, Kipp

PS – love your blog!”

Thanks, Kipp, for being part of our online community here at Private Practice from the Inside Out and dropping in to chat!

Confidentiality

I am not an attorney and not qualified to give legal advice.   However, here is some of the information that I have been given related to this issue.  According to mental health attorney, Denis K. Lane,

The generally accepted standard, established by ethical codes and practices nationwide, is that clinical supervision is a confidential process, the same as the counseling done by a supervisee with a client.  Some states have exceptions to this rule, established by their state licensing board rules, but in general the supervision process is as confidential as mental health treatment itself . . . .  Because consultations are a form of supervision according to the Licensing Boards’ Supervision Rule, they, too are confidential.”  (The Legal Guide for Practicing Psychotherapy in Colorado, 2010 Edition, pp. 190-191)

I understand the mandated exceptions to confidentiality to be the same ones that pertain to counseling – those related to the potential for self-harm or the harm of others, court orders requiring disclosure, etc. Because Denis Lane is an attorney practicing in the state of Colorado, I would encourage you to take a moment to check with a mental health attorney in your own state to insure that you, your colleagues, and your clients are fully protected.

Permission from Your Client

You will also want to remember that in order to discuss any client, you must first have that client’s written permission to do so.  Former attorney and now counselor-in-training, Michelle Stevens of Introspection Counseling, offers this language to include in your consent to treatment and disclosure statement:

There may be times when I, as your psychotherapist, may need to consult with my supervisor or with a colleague or another professional, such as an attorney, concerning issues raised by you in therapy. Confidentiality is not waived during these consultations. By signing this disclosure statement, you give me permission, as your psychotherapist, to consult with other professionals as needed to provide professional services to you. This permission may be revoked at any time.”

Obviously, if you are not working under supervision, you do not need to include any reference to a supervisor in your statement

[Michelle is quick to note that the language above "is not intended as legal advice. I am not a practicing attorney and have never been licensed in or practiced in Colorado. When in doubt you should always consult an attorney with the expertise appropriate to your issue."]

Clinical Documentation

The only other paperwork that comes to mind is the documentation that you need to include in your clinical note.  I wrote about that here in The 5 W’s of Clinical Consultation.

Kipp, I hope you’ll drop back in and let us know how your new consultation group fares!  We can all  learn from your challenges and your successes!  I look forward to hearing from you!

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First Things First: Office Policies For Your Consideration

Feb
14
2011
by Tamara Suttle

I mentioned in a previous post that one Image of Business Man Depressed by Paperworof the things you can do when you don’t yet have all the clients that you want is to get your office policies in order.  What I meant to say is . . . whatever you do . . . don’t think of waiting until your first client walks in the door to begin thinking about your office policies and procedures. Do it now!

Here’s a few things to consider concerning your own policies. . . .

  • Inclement Weather
    • How will clients learn about office closures and appointment cancellations during bad weather?
  • Client – Therapist Relationship
    • What, if any, gifts will you accept from clients?
    • How will you handle running into clients at social events or in public?
    • What, if any, and where is client-initiated contact permitted between sessions?
    • What do you want to say about dual relationships?
  • Plans for Your Own Incapacity or Death
  • Record Management

Remember, your regulating bodies, state and national laws, and your professional organizations’ codes of ethics will impact all of your office policies.  Once you get them hammered out, you need to decide how you want to present this information to your clients.  (I choose to include them as part of my disclosure statement.You may choose to present it this way or as an entirely different document.)

I’m thinking that this is a good list to get you started. Are there other things that you think should be included here?  If so, leave me a comment to let me know!

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