Practice Policies

THE THERAPY PROCESS

Therapy is a collaborative process where you and your Provider will work together on equal footing to achieve goals that you define.  This means that you will follow a defined process supported by scientific evidence, where you and your Provider have specific rights and responsibilities.  Therapy generally shows positive outcomes for individuals who follow the process.  Better outcomes are often associated with a good relationship between a client and their Provider.  To foster the best possible relationship, it is important you understand as much about the process before deciding to commit. 

Therapy begins with the intake process. First, you will review your Provider's policies and procedures, talk about fees, identify emergency contacts, and decide if you want health insurance to pay your fees depending on your plan's benefits. Second, you will discuss what to expect during therapy, including the type of therapy, the length of treatment, and the risks and benefits. If your Provider is practicing under the supervision of another professional, your Provider will tell you about their supervision and the name of the supervising professional. Third, you will form a treatment plan, including the type of therapy, how often you will attend therapy, your short- and long-term goals, and the steps you will take to achieve them. Over time, you and your Provider may edit your treatment plan to be sure it describes your goals and steps you need to take. After intake, you will attend regular therapy sessions at your Provider's office or through video, called telehealth. Participation in therapy is voluntary - you can stop at any time. At some point, you will achieve your goals. At this time, you will review your progress, identify supports that will help you maintain your progress, and discuss how to return to therapy if you need it in the future. 

COUNSELING DELIVERY OPTIONS

In Office Sessions

Talk therapy taking place in my office which is located at 1949 Goldsmith Ln. STE 103 Louisville, KY 40218. Only available in Louisville, KY.

Walk and Talk Therapy Sessions

A unique approach that combines the benefits of traditional talk therapy with mild walking exercise around a park or other specified area. Only available in Louisville, KY. 

Online Counseling Sessions 

Mental health counseling services for clients from the comfort of your own home. We will use a HIPAA compliant video/audio platform called TherapyNotes to conduct sessions. Clients must be in the state of Kentucky during the time of appointment. 

CONFIDENTIALITY

Your Provider will not disclose your personal information without your permission unless required by law. If your Provider must disclose your personal information without your permission, your Provider will only disclose the minimum necessary to satisfy the obligation. However, there are a few exceptions.

•  Your Provider may speak to other healthcare providers involved in your care.

•  Your Provider may speak to emergency personnel.

• If you report that another healthcare provider is engaging in inappropriate behavior, your Provider may be required to report this information to the appropriate licensing board. Your Provider will discuss making this report with you first, and will only share the minimum information needed while making a report. If your Provider must share your personal information without getting your permission first, they will only share the minimum information needed.  There are a few times that your Provider may not keep your personal information confidential.

• If your Provider believes there is a specific, credible threat of harm to someone else, they may be required by law or may make their own decision about whether to warn the other person and notify law enforcement. The term specific, credible threat is defined by state law. Your Provider can explain more if you have questions.

• If your Provider has reason to believe a minor or elderly individual is a victim of abuse or neglect, they are required by law to contact the appropriate authorities.

• If your Provider believes that you are at imminent risk of harming yourself, they may contact law enforcement or other crisis services. However, before contacting emergency or crisis services, your Provider will work with you to discuss other options to keep you safe.

RECORD KEEPING

Your Provider is required to keep records about your treatment.  These records help ensure the quality and continuity of your care, as well as provide evidence that the services you receive meet the appropriate standards of care.  Your records are maintained in an electronic health record provided by TherapyNotes. TherapyNotes has several safety features to protect your personal information, including advanced encryption techniques to make your personal information difficult to decode, firewalls to prevent unauthorized access, and a team of professionals monitoring the system for suspicious activity. TherapyNotes keeps records of all log-ins and actions within the system.

COMMUNICATION

Texting/Email

Texting and email are not secure methods of communication and should not be used to communicate personal information. You may choose to receive appointment reminders via text message or email.  You should carefully consider who may have access to your text messages or emails before choosing to communicate via either method.

Secure Communication

Secure communications are the best way to communicate personal information, though no method is entirely without risk.  Your Provider will discuss options available to you. If you decide to be contacted via non-secure methods, your Provider will document this in your record.

Social Media/Review Websites

• If you try to communicate with your Provider via these methods, they will not respond.  This includes any form of friend or contact request, @mention, direct message, wall post, and so on.  This is to protect your confidentiality and ensure appropriate boundaries in therapy.

• Your provider may publish content on various social media websites or blogs.  There is no expectation that you will follow, comment on, or otherwise engage with any content.  If you do choose to follow your Provider on any platform, they will not follow you back.

• If you see your Provider on any form of review website, it is not a solicitation for a review.  Many such sites scrape business listings and may automatically include your Provider. If you choose to leave a review of your Provider on any website, they will not respond.  While you are always free to express yourself in the manner you choose, please be aware of the potential impact on your confidentiality prior to leaving a review.  It is often impossible to remove reviews later, and some sites aggregate reviews from several platforms leading to your review appearing other places without your knowledge.

FEES AND PAYMENT FOR SERVICES

You are responsible for paying for your session at the beginning of each session. I accept cash, check, or card. My fees are $150 for 90-minute initial intake, and $100 per 60-minute session and a free 15-minute phone consultation prior to the intake session. Fees are subject to change but will never change without your consent. 

In addition to counseling appointments, I charge $100 an hour for other professional services at a prorated amount (will break down the cost by minute). Other services include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 15 minutes, consulting with other professionals on your release form, preparation of records or treatment summaries, and the time spent performing any other service you may request of me.

If you become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for all of my professional time, including preparation and transportation costs. Due to the lengthy time requirements and difficulty of legal affairs, I charge $300 per hour for preparation and attendance at any legal proceeding. 

CANCELLATIONS/NO SHOWS

There may be times when you are needing to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Please make every effort to provide at least 24 hours notice prior to any scheduled appointment so that your provide may make that time available to someone else. There is a fee for any scheduled appointments cancelled within 24 hours of scheduled time and that fee is 50% of the scheduled session. If the session is not cancelled prior to the scheduled appointment time and you do not show then you will be charged for the full amount of the scheduled session.

INSURANCE BENEFITS

Currently, Stephen Klump Counseling, LLC is in-network with Anthem and Humana Commercial Plans. For additional insurance carriers, you may request and be provided with a superbill in order to seek out of network benefits from your insurance company. 

• Before starting therapy, you should confirm with your insurance company if:

  • Your benefits cover the type of therapy you will receive;

  • Your benefits cover in-person and telehealth sessions;

  • You may be responsible for any portion of the payment; and

  • Your Provider is in-network or out-of-network

• Sharing Information with Insurance Companies

  • If you choose to use insurance benefits to pay for services, you will be required to share personal information with your insurance company. Insurance companies keep personal information confidential unless they must share to act on your behalf, comply with federal or state law, or complete administrative work.

• Covered and Non-Covered Services

  • When your Provider is in-network, they have a contract with your insurance company. Your insurance plan may cover all or part of the cost of therapy. You are responsible for any part of this cost not covered by insurance, such as deductibles, copays, or coinsurance.  You may also be responsible for any services not covered by your insurance.

  • When your Provider is out-of-network, they do not have a contract with your insurance company. You can still choose to see your Provider; however, all fees will be due at the time of your session to your Provider. Your Provider will tell you if they can help you file for reimbursement from your insurance company. If your insurance company decides that they will not reimburse you, you are still responsible for the full amount.

PAYMENT METHODS

The practice requires that you keep a valid credit or debit card on file.  This card will be charged for the amount due at the time of service and for any fees you may accrue unless other arrangements have been made with the practice ahead of time.  It is your responsibility to keep this information up to date, including providing new information if the card information changes or the account has insufficient funds to cover these charges.

COMPLAINTS

If you feel your Provider has engaged in improper or unethical behavior, you can talk to them, or you may contact the licensing board that issued your Provider's license, your insurance company (if applicable), or the US Department of Health and Human Services.

TECHNOLOGY STATEMENT

Stephen Klump Counseling, LLC uses TherapyNotes, Google Voice and Sessions as a means of psychotherapy. TherapyNotes, Google Voice and Sessions are all HIPAA compliant platform for telecommunication.