In order to make your first session as efficient and productive as possible, please read the following policies, type your name below, and check the box that you have read and understand the policies.

Confidentiality:

All information disclosed in the course of counseling is fully confidential unless you have signed a Consent to Release Information form. Exceptions to this policy include the following cases:
1. The client is perceived to be a danger to himself or to others.
2. The client is under the age of 18 and reports he/she has been a victim of physical or sexual abuse.
3. The client reports he/she has been involved in a criminal act which the counselor is required by law to report to the authorities.

Counseling Sessions:

Counseling sessions are 50 minutes in length beginning at your scheduled time and ending 50 minutes later. Since another session is usually scheduled following yours, please arrive a few minutes before the time of your appointment so we may begin on time. The full session fee will be charged regardless of the time you arrive. If the session goes longer than scheduled, an additional fee will be charged for the overtime.

Missed Appointments and Cancellations:

When you schedule an appointment, that block of time is reserved for you. If you must change or cancel an appointment, 24 hours notice is required. Monday appointments need to be cancelled by 6:00 Saturday evening. Without such notice, a $25 fee will be charged for the 1st missed appointment or late cancellation. The full session fee will be charged for missed appointments and late cancellations thereafter.

Fees and Payment:

The fee for a fifty-minute session with Dr. Ann Shorb is $85.00, with Cindi Wilmot or Heather Anne Kehr it is $80. Weekends (Friday 6:00 PM through Monday 9:00 AM) and holidays the fee is $125 per session. Payment is expected at the time service is rendered unless other arrangements have been made in advance. There will be a finance charge of 2% added monthly to any unpaid balance over thirty days.

The fee for court testimony, or any meeting outside this office that your counselor attends on your behalf, is billed according to the hourly rate for counseling, from the time she leaves the office until she returns, plus mileage.

The fee for writing letters, reports and psychological evaluations is $35 an hour. This must be paid before the document will be released.

Fees for personality inventories, marriage profiles, and psychological tests vary according to the test.

Insurance:

CCES does not bill insurance carriers directly. Filing the claim is the responsibility of the client. CCES will provide the receipt and information which is generally needed; however, we cannot guarantee coverage by your insurance company.

Telephone Calls:

If there is an urgent need to talk with your counselor between your scheduled appointments, you may call the office at the number listed above at any time. If there is no one to take your call, please leave a message on the answering machine and your call will be returned as soon as possible. Calls exceeding 15 minutes are considered a phone consultation and the fee for such calls is pro-rated according to the regular session rate.

In a crisis, if you are unable to contact your therapist, please call Crisis Intervention: Hanover 632-4900; Adams County 334-9111; York 845-2718 or 1-800-673-2496, or your local hospital.