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MHI-DP Policies
TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY
We firmly believe that integrated care is the cornerstone to quality health care. This means that mental health providers, patients/families, and other health professionals should work together in order to provide the best possible care. That being said, we will always discuss this coordination with you in developing your treatment plan, and you will always be in charge of deciding who is to be involved.
SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT
To schedule your initial appointment, please email admin@mhi-oc.com or call (949) 354-0630. We strive to respond to all calls and emails as quickly as possible. After your appointment is scheduled, we will email you the new patient paperwork via Adobe Sign. Please complete these forms to confirm your appointment by filling them out and signing them electronically. If you have any issues with the forms, don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll help find an alternative solution. They are also available on our website under the Forms tab.
THE INITIAL APPOINTMENT
Please arrive on time for your initial appointment and take a seat in our lobby. Your provider will then greet you in the lobby at your appointment time. Although the initial session (i.e., 90 minutes for psychiatrists & 50 minutes for psychologists/therapists) is generally sufficient to complete the evaluation, it is sometimes necessary for an evaluation to take part over several weeks. This is determined on an individual basis and discussed during this initial session. It is important that we complete the evaluation prior to beginning treatment. This helps to ensure safe practices and allows for collection of supplemental information (i.e., contacting previous mental health providers or collateral sources, obtaining labs, etc.) when necessary. If you have past medical or mental health records, including copies of previous laboratory results or other test results, please bring them to the first visit. It is also important to have contact information for your previous mental health providers and other physicians so that we can obtain collateral information, if needed.
MEDICATION POLICY
When medications are used, prescriptions are generally written to last until the next scheduled appointment. Thus, over-the-phone refills are rarely necessary. This policy is important in order to minimize medications errors and to maximize patient safety. If an appointment must be rescheduled or canceled, we will make every effort to reschedule it in a timely manner and also provide enough medications to last until that next appointment.
INSURANCE
All of our providers are private mental health clinicians and do not participate in any insurance networks. Thus, all fees are collected at the time of service as an out-of-pocket expense to the patient. Reimbursement from insurance companies can be pursued by the patient directly with his/her respective insurance provider. If needed, our providers can provide you with a receipt (often referred to as a Super Bill) that you can submit directly to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.
CANCELLATION & NO-SHOW POLICIES
Payments are due at the time of each visit. This is important because a time slot is reserved for each appointment. Cancellations should always be made at least 48 business hours (or 2 business days) prior to an appointment time. Business hours are considered weekdays and exclude holidays. Cancellations made less than 48 business hours ahead of time and no shows are charged the full session fee.
MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
Treatment records are kept in accordance with legal and professional standards. Mind Health Institute, Orange County currently uses a medical record system called Practice Fusion. We will always keep your records private. However, as with all electronic systems, there are factors that are sometimes outside of our control. We will always strive to ensure your information is kept confidential and compliant with HIPPA regulations. As such, we reserve the right to change electronic health record systems, if necessary, based on these principals.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is a cornerstone of appropriate mental health care, and is also protected by the law. Thus, we generally can only release information about our work with written permission. Several exceptions do exist. For example, insurance companies generally require some basic information if you choose to seek reimbursement. Electronic Health Records are also third parties that are subject to similar confidentiality standards. Additionally, there are several instances in which mental health professionals are required by law to report or take action: (a) Making provisions for your safety if there is a threat of imminent harm to yourself, (b) Taking protective actions (including notifying potential victims or police) if there is a threat of serious bodily harm to others, (c) Reporting potential child, elder, or dependent abuse, (d) Legal testimony if subpoenaed/ordered by a court, and (e) Assisting in accessing services if a patient is unable to meet their basic needs (including food, clothing, and/or shelter) due to a mental illness. Please note that these exceptions are rare and it is our goal to always maintain strict confidentiality.
ELECTRONIC MAIL POLICY
Email is not a confidential means of communication. As such, clinical information should not be sent via this form of communication. This includes any information pertaining to diagnosis, medications, therapy, etc. As a convenience to you, our providers and staff are willing to send basic information and also schedule appointments via email. However, as stated, we are careful about engaging in any clinical discourse via email. This information should be addressed during scheduled appointments, and over the phone if urgent. By providing us your email address on the patient information form, you are agreeing that email is an acceptable form of communication for you despite its limitations with respect to confidentiality.
PROFESSIONAL FEES FOR TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (TMS)
Individual TMS Sessions = $375 per session
Package of 5 Sessions = $1,750 total ($350 per session)
Package of 12 Sessions = $3,900 total ($325 per session)
Package of 36 Sessions = $10,800 total ($300 per session)
*Please note that our TMS machine is currently located at the Laguna Beach site so all sessions will be provided there.
PROFESSIONAL FEES FOR PSYCHIATRISTS & NURSE PRACTITIONERS
Initial 90-minute consultation = $550‑1100
50-minute follow-up sessions (therapy sessions +/- medication management) = $375‑600
25-minute follow-up sessions (generally medication management only) = $200‑325
PROFESSIONAL FEES FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS & THERAPISTS
50-minute sessions with psychologist (PhD or PsyD) = $275
50 minute sessions with master’s level therapist (LMFT, LPCC, or LCSW) = $225
50-minute sessions with associate psychologist = $225
50-minute sessions with associate therapist (AMFT or APCC) = $150
PROFESSIONAL FEES FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING SERVICES
Full Psychological Testing = $5,500
Targeted Psychological Testing = $275 per hour
Conner's CPT3 = $125 per testing session
Conner's CATA = $125 per testing session
Conner's K-CPT2 = $125 per testing session
Conner's CPT3 + CATA = $200 per testing session