I mentioned in a previous post that one 
of 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. . . .
- Appointments
- How are they made?
- How long do they last?
- How should they be canceled?
- Do you want to stipulate anything related to no shows and patterns of last minute cancellations?
- Fees
- What do you charge?
- What do you accept as payment – cash, check, credit / debit cards?
- Will you accept bartering?
- Do you offer sliding scales, reduced fees, or other accommodations due to financial difficulties?
- Do you bill clients and what does that entail?
- Insurance / Managed Care
- Do you file directly with insurance?
- How do you handle co-payments?
- Which, if any, managed care panels are you on?
- 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
- Who will notify your clients?
- Who will have access to their records?
- Availability for Court Appearances [added 06-12-14]
- Under what circumstances will you go to court?
- What are you prepared to testify to?
- Are you able / willing to testify as an expert?
- Will your fees differ from your
- Record Management
- Who has access to client records?
- How are they protected?
- How long do you keep records?
- How are they destroyed?
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!
Tamara,
Fantastic post! I always like to advise people to think of making a disaster recovery manual in those unexpected events!
Thanks for this wonderful information!
Kristina
Kristina! That’s an EXCELLENT suggestion and a glaring omission from my post! Thanks so much for dropping in here and taking time to share your suggestion!
This is a great list. I plan on referring to it often as I prepare to open my private practice.
Hi, Monica! Thanks for dropping in here! I’m glad you like the list and hope you’ll drop back in often to chat and tell us about your practice! We can all learn more about how to build strong and vibrant private practices!
Blessings to you on your journey!
Tamara, I am working on an advanced directive of sorts so that a colleague is responsible for my client and intern records in the event of my death. Do you have any suggestions on a template or where to start with such a project?
Hi, Kim! I really do need to write a blog post on this. No, right now, I do not have a template or list of things to include. Let me see if I can work on this and then let you know when it goes live.
Welcome, Keely! I’m honored to have you following me on Twitter and hanging out here, too! Thanks for the retweet!