Southeast Family Counseling

HELPFUL TIPS

• Remember to bring your insurance card

• Call your insurance company to determine if you need an authorization before your first visit and to determine your co-pay and/or deductible.

• Print and fill out Client forms  and bring them to your first appointment

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is a Child and Family Investigator (CFI)?

A CFI is appointed by the court to investigate specific issues related to parenting time and decision-making.  CFIs are appointed in divorce cases and parental responsibility cases.  A CFI’s main objective is to determine what is in the best interests of the children.  They meet with the parents and children, and make contact with collaterals such as teachers, grandparents, teachers, therapists, step-parents and any other individual who directly affects the children’s lives.  At the end of the investigation, a report is sent to the Court with recommendations as to parenting time and decision-making and other issues that the court requested be investigated.

• What is a Parenting Coordinator/Decision-maker (PC/DM)?

A PC/DM is appointed by the court, but must be agreed upon by both parents.  PC/DMs are generally appointed after the conclusion of a parental responsibilities case.  Their main jobs are to assist parents with parenting issues, teach parenting skills, teach parents how to make a joint decision in the best interests of their children, and make decisions if the parents are unable to come to a decision with the help of the PC/DM.  A PC also acts as a parenting coach and attempts to mediate problems between parents who no longer are together.

• What is Supervised Visitation?

Supervised visitation takes place between a parent and his/her child(ren) when ordered by the Court.  The Court will order supervised visitation for a variety of reasons, such as when the child(ren) haven’t spent time with the parent in a long time, the parent is recovering from a substance abuse problem, there was abuse and/or neglect between the parent and their children, and other issues that might put the child(ren) at risk.  Supervised visitation usually takes place the same day and time each week.  The visits can occur in our office or at an offsite location.  The objective is to provide a situation where the parent and child(ren) can strengthen their bond and provide an environment where the child(ren) will feel safe and secure.

• Do you take my insurance?

The following is a list of insurance companies we contract with:

• Aetna and Aetna EAP

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Carebridge

• Cigna and Cigna EAP

• Compsych

• Corp Health

• Cofinity

• Humana

• Life Solutions

• Magellan and Magellan EAP

• Mines and Associates

• CNIC

• PHCS/Multi Plan

• Profile EAP

• United Behavioral Health and United Healthcare Value Options

*Please note that CFI investigations, supervised visitation and PC/DM work are not covered by insurance companies and are an out of pocket expense for the parents.  The amount and percentage of each parents’ costs are determined before the appointment of the CFI or PC/DM.  Some parents may qualify for state-pay in CFI cases.

• Do I need an Authorization?

Some insurance companies require an authorization, especially Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).  Please call your insurance company before your first visit for an authorization and bring it with you at that time.

• How much is my co-pay?

Every insurance plan is different. Please determine the amount of your co-pay with your provider before your first appointment.  Call your Member services number on the back of your insurance card and ask about your benefits. Please note that co-pays are due at the time of service. 

• How do I pay?

We accept checks, cash or money orders.

• When and how do I pay in CFI and PC/DM cases?

Payment is required prior to the commencement of the investigation in CFI cases and prior to the initial meeting in PC/DM cases.  I do accept state pay cases for CFI investigations if approved prior to appointment.

• How soon can I receive an appointment?          

You can generally be seen within 24 to 72 hours, depending on the need for an urgent appointment.

• Do you have evening or weekend appointments?

Yes, we have evening hours and appointments every other Saturday. For Supervised Visitation we can be available most Saturdays. Please discuss this with your therapist during your initial phone contact.

• How long does a session last?

Most therapy sessions last 50 to 60 minutes, and after 3:00 pm we have 45 minute sessions to accommodate our late afternoon and evening appointments.  The length of Supervised Visitation depends upon the Court Order.  Sessions for CFI investigations vary, and you should consult with the CFI for details.

 

 

CONFIDENTIALITY:

We cannot legally discuss you or your problems with others without your written permission. In certain situations, we have a duty to report to the authorities: where there is suspected abuse or neglect, if you are in danger, or if you put someone else’s life in danger.  During therapy it can be useful to discuss your progress with a physician or a child’s teacher.  If we believe such information sharing would be useful, we will request that you sign a written release of information form.  As therapists we are covered by HIPPA regulations.

 

In CFI cases there is limited confidentiality, as anything shared with a CFI by any party can end up in the final report to the Court, or I may be requested to testify in court about the information I obtained during the investigation.  The report itself is confidential and is sealed; I can only share the report with the parties and their attorneys and of course the Court.

 

We will not create tapes of any of our work without written consent from you.  Further, we request that you obtain our permission to record any sessions or telephone calls with us.  Without written consent, neither photographing, nor taping (video or audio) is allowed.   

 

TELEPHONE CALLS AND MESSAGES:

Staff is available from 8:00 am through 7:30 pm Monday through Friday and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm every other Saturday, to answer questions and take calls.  At other times, you will be connected to our voice mail messaging system. If your call is an emergency, please follow the instructions. We return calls promptly each day.  Appointment changes and requests for information taken by our voice mail will be responded to during office hours.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

It is your responsibility to keep track of your scheduled appointment times, as we generally do not make reminder calls. We require 24 hour notification of cancellation or appointment changes in order to make time slots available to others. Should you have a late cancellation or a missed appointment, a charge will be incurred. A missed appointment {failure to keep an appointment} will result in a full session charge. A late cancellation will result in a charge of one-half the session fee.

 

EMERGENCIES:

Our staff will not be available for calls after hours during the week. If a true emergency occurs that requires urgent assistance, please follow the instructions given on our after-hours voice mail message. You may call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. On weekends incidental calls may be returned in the mornings, and an emergency number is available to speak to a clinician; otherwise, follow the above emergency instructions.