This page contains important information about Summit Counseling and Consulting Services, LLC (SCCS) professional services and business policies. Please refer to my Informed Consent for Psychotherapy and Practice Policies for detailed information.

Appointments:

Scheduling of appointments are on a first come, first served basis. The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is the 50 minute hour. The exception to this would be the initial intake session which typically lasts for 60 minutes. If you feel the need for longer sessions, please let me know so this can be arranged prior to meeting and fee adjustment can be discussed. SCCS would require a credit card prior to any therapy/consulting services being provided. In the event you did not show for your initial appointment or canceled late (please see my cancellation policy below) your card would be charged a $120 fee. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or FSA/HSA cards would be acceptable for payment, and upon your request, I could provide you with a receipt of payment and the services provided. The receipt of payment and services provided may also be used as a statement for insurance (Superbill) if applicable to you (see below).

For you convenience, SCCS would provide email, voice, and/or text reminders of appointments if authorized by you. Options would include 48 hour email reminder and 24 hour voice or text reminder. These reminders would be offered as a courtesy to you to help you remember appointment dates/times. You would not want to solely rely on these reminders since the technology used may sometimes malfunction. In the case where you did not receive a reminder, it would still be your responsibility to remember and attend the appointment. You would be financially obligated to pay for any missed or late canceled appointment (see below).

Cancellations/Late/No Show Policy:

In the event you would be unable to keep your appointment, you would need to notify me at least 24 hours in advance by calling me or via the secure portal message system. If such advance notice was not received, you would be financially responsible for the session you missed. This would automatically be charged to the card you would have on file. This would be necessary because a time commitment would be made to you and would be held exclusively for you. Please note that insurance companies do not reimburse for missed sessions. If you were late for a session, you would lose some of that session time. If you were more than 25 minutes late to the appointment, then the appointment would need to be rescheduled due to a lack of time, and you would be charged full fee for the session.

Communication Response Time:

SCCS is physically located in Omaha, NE and abides by Central Standard Time. I will not always be available when you call, so please leave a message. I check my voicemail throughout the day when I am not meeting with clients and will call you back. I will attempt, within reason, to return phone calls as soon as possible, typically no later than that evening. I am typically available seven days a week. However, I am not required to return calls, emails, or texts on holidays, but I do try to accommodate this when possible.

Insurance

I am currently an in-network provider for BCBS. I do not currently accept any other health insurance coverage.

I am an out-of-network provider for all other insurances, so if you choose to use any insurance other than BCBS, I can provide you with a Superbill that you can use to file an out-of-network claim with your insurance. If you choose to file an out-of-network claim, you will then receive direct reimbursement based on whatever your out-of-network benefits are under your contract.

If you are considering using your insurance with me, please be aware that a mental health diagnosis will need to be assigned to you, if applicable. Your insurance company may ask for additional documentation to support your claim. If your insurance company contacts me directly requesting this information, I will refer them to you so you can make a personal decision regarding what to share.

If you are considering using your insurance for Online Counseling with me, please call their customer service phone number and inquire about what coverage they provide.

Some Questions to Ask:

• What mental health benefits does my insurance cover?
• Does my insurance cover Online Therapy?
• Does my insurance have out-of-network benefits?
• How much does my insurance reimburse for out-of-network providers?
• Is there a limit on how many therapy sessions I can have?
• Do I need to get a referral from my primary care doctor first?

If you have any questions about insurance coverage, I’m more than willing to discuss this with you during our free initial consultation so you can make an informed decision about your insurance benefits.