Our Policies

Cancellation Policy

We believe that your success begins with consistency of treatment which is why we're committed to supporting you on a regular basis. Likewise, we hope you will commit to consistently attending all scheduled appointment times, or to cancel appointments if needed with at least 24 hours’ notice.

How to Cancel an Appointment

Available appointments are in high demand, and your cancellation will give someone else the possibility to access timely care. If you need to cancel your appointment, we ask that you give us 48 hours’ notice by responding to the appointment reminder, or by contacting your provider directly. If you need to cancel a Monday appointment over the weekend, contact your provider directly or email us at hello@medenshealth.com.

Late Arrivals

If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your appointment, your session may be canceled. Note that if you arrive late to your appointment, the session will still end at the scheduled time to allow your provider to transition to their next appointment.

Service Fees for Cancellations

Please note that the following fees apply for cancellations and no shows to appointments:

• If you contact us to cancel a scheduled appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice, you will be charged a $150 service fee.

• If you fail to show up for a scheduled appointment and do not contact us prior to that appointment to cancel, you will be charged a $150 service fee. Three consecutive no-shows may result in automatic removal from the regular schedule.

These charges cannot be billed to your insurance, and we will charge the cancellation fee to the credit card on file for your account. Your provider will provide you the option to reschedule your appointment as schedules allow.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our cancellation policy, please contact our Compliance Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: complianceofficer@medenshealth.com

Effective Date

This revised Cancellation Policy is effective April 1, 2023.

Cookie Policy

We use cookies to recognize you when you visit our website. In some cases, we may use cookies to collect personal information, or that becomes personal information if we combine it with other information. This policy explains what these technologies are and why we use them, and your rights to control our use of them.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners in order to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.

Cookies set by us are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by parties other than us are called "third-party cookies." Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website (e.g., advertising, interactive content, and analytics). The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognize your computer both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.

Why does Medens Health use cookies?

We use first- and third-party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons in order for our website to operate, and we refer to these as "essential" or "strictly necessary" cookies. Other cookies also enable us to track and target the interests of our patients to enhance their experience.

How can I control cookies?

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie rights by setting your preferences in the Cookie Consent Manager. The Cookie Consent Manager allows you to select which categories of cookies you accept or reject. Essential cookies cannot be rejected as they are strictly necessary to provide you with services.

The Cookie Consent Manager can be found on our website. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our website though your access to some functionality and areas of our website may be restricted. You may also set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies.

The specific types of first- and third-party cookies served through our website and the purposes they perform are described below:

How can I control cookies on my browser?

As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser to browser, you should visit your browser's help menu for more information. The following is information about how to manage cookies on the most popular browsers:

Chrome
Internet Explorer
Firefox
Safari
Edge
Opera

In addition, most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit:

Digital Advertising Alliance
Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada
European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance

Does Medens Health serve targeted advertising?

Third parties may serve cookies on your computer or mobile device to serve advertising through our Website. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services that you may be interested in. They may also employ technology that is used to measure the effectiveness of advertisements. They can accomplish this by using cookies or web beacons to collect information about your visits to this and other sites in order to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services of potential interest to you. The information collected through this process does not enable us or them to identify your name, contact details, or other details that directly identify you unless you choose to provide these.

Where can I get more information?

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please contact our Compliance Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: complianceofficer@medenshealth.com

Effective Date

This revised Cookie Policy is effective April 1, 2023.

Electronic Communication Policy

The use of email, text, and social media has become so second nature to many of us that we often turn to it naturally anytime we wish to get in touch with someone, whether that contact is personal or professional. However, due to the sensitive nature of our work and the laws of our governing boards, Medens Health must take great care in the use of electronic communication with our clients. This is to protect both you and your provider.

We have prepared the following policy regarding our use of electronic methods of communication during your treatment. This policy is in place to ensure security and confidentiality for you and to make sure that we follow all ethical and legal standards. Please read it to understand how we conduct ourselves on the Internet as mental health professionals and how you can expect your provider to respond to various interactions that may occur between you on the Internet.

Email

When emailing clients, we only discuss administrative details, such as making or rescheduling appointments, billing, and other similar matters. Your privacy is very important to us, and no email is completely secure or confidential. Therefore, please do not email anyone at Medens Health content related to your treatment. Instead, feel free to call us to discuss anything that cannot wait until your next scheduled appointment.

If you choose to communicate with us by email, be aware that all emails are stored in the logs of both of our Internet service providers. While it is unlikely that someone will be looking at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the Internet service provider. Additionally, any emails we receive from you and any responses that we send to you become a part of your legal record with Medens Health.

Text Messaging

Text messaging, including iMessage, is a very insecure and impersonal mode of communication. In order to protect both you and Medens Health, our providers do not text message or respond to text messages unless you have provided consent to receive secure communications. If you have opted in to receive appointment reminders via text message, be aware these messages are automatically generated, and responses are not monitored.

Social Media

Personal use of social media:
The providers at Medens Health may have personal profiles on one or more social networks Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SnapChat, TikTok, X (formally Twitter), etc. Mental health professionals are prohibited from having what is called a “dual relationship” with their patients. This means that they cannot be your provider and also be your friend on social media. Because of this, our providers will not respond to or accept any connection requests to their personal social media accounts. You are welcome to like, follow, or view the business page of Medens Health or of our providers on any social media network, but we have no expectation that you will do this.

If one of our providers discovers that they have accidentally established an online relationship with you, they will have no choice but to cancel that relationship. They do this because it can compromise your confidentiality, creating significant security risks for you. It may also blur the boundaries of your professional relationship with that provider, which can lessen their ability to help you. Please do not try to contact them in this way. They will not respond and will be forced to terminate any online contact, no matter how accidental. If you have questions about this, please call the office or bring them up when you meet with your provider.

The providers at Medens Health may participate in various social networks in professional capacities. If you have an online presence, there is a possibility that you may encounter them on these networks by accident. If that occurs, please discuss it with your provider during your time together. We believe that any communication with clients online has a high potential to compromise the professional relationship, and that relationship is very important to us.

Professional use of social media:
Medens Health and its providers may maintain a business page or profile for their professional practices on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or other social media networks. This is to allow us to share my blog posts, information about our practice, and any updates with other users of these networks.

You are welcome to view and/or follow our business page(s) on these social networks, read or share articles posted there, and react to or comment on their posts. We have no expectation that you will do so.

If you do choose to view our business page(s) on social media, please be aware that:

• The posts are not a replacement for therapy.
• The information contained in the posts is general information for educational purposes only.
• The information on the feeds is not, nor is it intended to be, therapy or psychological advice.
• Nothing we post should be considered professional advice.
• We are not able to answer questions regarding your specific situation.
• If you are a current or former patient, your comments or likes may jeopardize your confidentiality.
• The information provided does not constitute the formation of a provider patient relationship.
• Please consult your physician or mental health provider regarding advice or support for your health and wellbeing.
• If you are in crisis, please call your local 24-hour hotline or 911.

Maintaining patient confidentiality on social media:
Mental Health professionals cannot publicly identify you as a client and the fact that you are a client is confidential. This confidentiality is protected by the laws of our governing boards. If you choose to comment on a post on one of our business pages in such a way that makes it apparent that you are a client, we cannot respond and we may delete the comment to protect all parties. If this happens, your provider will discuss it with you in your next session. Examples of appropriate vs. inappropriate comments include:

Inappropriate: “I had a great time with you in my session today!” (We cannot reply to this, as any reply we made would confirm that you are a client. We may delete this comment.)

Appropriate: “Thanks for sharing this article!” (This does not identify you as a client. We will most likely reply with something impersonal such as “I’m glad you liked it!”)

It is important for you to consider the implications for your own privacy when viewing, connecting to, or interacting with our business pages on social media networks. If you react to, share/retweet, or comment on one of our posts, other users will be able to see that you did this. Additionally, on some social networks, others can view your profile and see which pages you have liked and/or are following. If they do this, they may make the assumption that you are a client with Medens Health. We assume no responsibility if anyone uses your connection to our social media page(s) to determine that you are a client with us.

Our primary concern is your privacy. If you share this concern, there are more private ways to follow us on social networks (such as using an RSS feed or a locked Twitter list), which would eliminate your having a public link to our content. You are welcome to use your own discretion in choosing whether to follow us.

Note that Medens Health and its providers will not follow you back. We only follow other health professionals on social media and we do not follow current or former clients. This is because we believe that casual viewing of clients’ online content outside of the therapy hour can create confusion in regard to whether it’s being done as a part of your treatment or to satisfy our personal curiosity. In addition, viewing your online activities without your consent and without explicit arrangement towards a specific purpose could have a negative influence on your working relationship with your provider. If there are things from your online life that you wish to share with your provider, please bring them in to your sessions where you can explore them together.

Information shared by us on social media:
Mental health professionals cannot share details about you and your treatment, even if we omit your name. You will never see a social media post from Medens Health or any of its providers about our work together. Even if you are making astounding progress and your provider thoroughly enjoys working with you, they cannot post about it on social media, even in general terms. If you believe that Medens Health or one of its providers is alluding to you in anything we post on social media, it is likely to be coincidental. If you feel this isn’t the case, please call the office or bring it up with your provider the next time you meet.

Interactions with us on our social media business pages:
Because social media is a very public space, Medens Health and its providers maintain a professional tone in social media channels. It is very different from how we will communicate with you in the office or during sessions. Please do not be offended if you perceive us as cold, distant, or unresponsive on social media. We cannot reply to your comments in any way that would allow others to guess that you are a client.

Communication via direct/private messages on social media:
Private or direct messages on social media platforms are not HIPAA compliant means of communication. Social media accounts are hacked all the time and any information you share with me over these messaging services may become public. We cannot communicate with you that way. If you need to tell us something outside of your sessions, you should call the office.

Professional advice over social media:
Aside from posting and sharing general advice for everyone, mental health professionals cannot give specific advice to individuals over social media, whether they are our clients or not. If you or someone else comments on one of our posts or sends us a private message over social media seeking advice for a specific situation, we will advise you to contact the office.

Websites

We have a website that you are free to access. Each of our providers may also have their own professional websites. We use these websites for professional reasons to provide information to others about ourselves and our practices. You are welcome to review the information that we have on our websites and, if you have questions about it, you should call the office or discuss it with your provider during your therapy sessions.

Use of Search Engines

It is not a regular part of our providers’ practice to search for clients on Google, Facebook, or other search engines. We feel that this is a violation of your privacy. If there is anything your provider wants to know about you, they will ask you and let you decide if you wish to tell them.

We understand that you might choose to gather information about our providers in this way. If you encounter any information about a provider through web searches (or other means) that you find concerning, please discuss this with our office or your provider so that we can deal with it and its potential impact on your treatment.

Extremely rare exceptions may be made during times of crisis. If we have a reason to suspect that you are in danger and you have not been in touch with us via our usual means (coming to appointments, speaking on the phone, or communication through email), we may resort to using a search engine to ensure your safety. We might do this to find you, find someone close to you, or to check on your recent status updates. These are unusual situations and if we ever resort to such means, we will fully document them and discuss them with you when we next meet.

Business Review Sites

You may find Medens Health or the practices of our providers on sites such as Google Maps, Yelp, Healthgrades, or other places that list businesses. Some of these sites allow clients to review their health care providers. Many of these sites automatically add listings regardless of whether the business has added itself to the site.

If you should find our listing or the listing of any of our providers on any of these sites, please know that these listings are NOT a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from you as a client. The American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code prohibits mental health professionals from soliciting testimonials from clients.

Of course, you have a right to express yourself on any site you wish. But due to confidentiality, we cannot respond to any review on any of these sites whether it is positive or negative. We urge you to take your own privacy as seriously as we take our commitment of confidentiality to you. You should also be aware that if you are using these sites indirectly to communicate your feelings about our work to us, there is a good possibility that we may never see it.

If you are working with one of our providers, we hope that you will bring your feelings about and reactions to the work directly into the therapy process. This can be an important part of therapy, even if you decide that the provider is not a good fit for you. We want you to be with the provider who is best for you, and we will allow you to change to another provider in Medens Health or refer you to someone outside of Medens Health with no hard feelings.

If you do choose to write something on a business review site, we hope you will keep in mind that you may be sharing personally revealing information in a public forum. We urge you to create a pseudonym that is not linked to your regular email address or social networks for your own privacy and protection. Also, please be aware that rating your work with your provider on any of these websites while you are in treatment with that person has a significant potential to damage your ability to work together.

If you encounter reviews of Medens Health or any professional with whom you are working that concern you, please share them with us or with your provider so we can discuss it and its potential impact on your therapy.

Location-Based Services

If you use location-based services (LBS) on your mobile phone, you may wish to be aware of the privacy issues related to using these services. We do not place Medens Health as a check-in location on various sites. However, if you have GPS tracking enabled on your device, it is possible that others may guess that you are a therapy client due to regular check-ins at our office on a weekly basis. Please be aware of this risk if you are intentionally “checking in,” from our office or if you have a passive LBS app enabled on your phone that automatically checks in to locations without action from you.

Contact Us

We are dedicated to addressing any concerns promptly and taking appropriate measure to ensure equal access and a positive experience for all individuals seeking our services. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to report any issues related to non-discrimination or accessibility, please contact our Compliance Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: complianceofficer@medenshealth.com

File a Complaint

Lastly, if you feel we have done something harmful or unethical and you do not feel comfortable discussing it with our staff or your provider, you can always contact the Board of Psychology, which oversees licensing, and they will review the services we have provided. Their contact information is below.

If you are in California:

State of California Board of Psychology
1625 North Market Boulevard, Suite N-215
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: 866-503-3221
Email: bopmail@dca.ca.gov

If you are in Nevada:

State of Nevada Board of Psychology
4600 Kietzke Lane, Bldg B-116
Reno, NV 89502
Phone: 775-688-1268
Email: nbop@govmail.state.nv.us

Effective Date

This revised Electronic Communications Policy is effective January 1, 2023.

Non-Discrimination and Accessibility Policy

At Medens Health, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible mental health care services to all individuals. We adhere to the principles of non-discrimination and strive to create an environment that is welcoming, respectful, and free from any form of bias or prejudice.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Medens Health prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity in every aspect of our practice.

Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring that our services are accessible to individuals of all abilities. Medens Health strives to provide reasonable accommodations and support to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. If you require any specific accommodations or have concerns about accessibility, please let us know and we will make every effort to assist you.

Compliance

Medens Health complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing non-discrimination and accessibility, including but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

Language Assistance

We understand the importance of effective communication and language access for individuals with limited English proficiency. Medens Health provides language assistance services, including interpretation and translation services, to ensure effective communication during your interactions with our providers and staff. Please inform us if you require language assistance, and we will make appropriate arrangements.

Albanian: KUJDES: Nëse flitni shqip, për ju ka në dispozicion shërbime të asistencës gjuhësore, pa pagesë. Emailoni në hello@medenshealth.com.

Arabic: الانتباه: إذا كنت تتحدث العربية، فإن خدمات المساعدة اللغوية متاحة لك مجانًا. يُرجى إرسال بريد إلكتروني إلى hello@medenshealth.com.

Cambodian: ប្រយ័ត្ន៖ បើសិនជាអ្នកនិយាយភាសាខ្មែរ, បសូមទំនាក់ទំនង hello@medenshealth.com

Chinese: 注意:如果您使用繁體中文,您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請發送電子郵件至hello@medenshealth.com.

Farsi: خبردار :اگر بھ زبان فارسی گفتگو می کنيد، تسھيالت زبانی بصورت رايگان برای شما. .ایمیل بفرستيد hello@medenshealth.com.

French Creole: ATANSYON: Si w pale Kreyòl Ayisyen, gen sèvis èd pou lang ki disponib gratis pou ou. Voye yon imèl nan hello@medenshealth.com.

French: ATTENTION : Si vous parlez français, des services d’aide linguistique vous sont proposés gratuitement. Envoyez un courrier électronique à hello@medenshealth.com.

Gujarati: સુચના: જો તમે ગુજરાતી બોલતા હો, તો તમારા માટે નિ:શુલ્ક ભાષા સહાય સેવાઓ ઉપલબ્ધ છે. સંપર્ક કરો hello@medenshealth.com.

Hindi: ध्यान दें: यदि आप हिंदी बोलते हैं, तो आपके द्वारा मुफ्त में भाषा सहायता सेवाएं उपलब्ध हैं। hello@medenshealth.com पर ईमेल करें।

Hmong: LUS CEEV: Yog tias koj hais lus Hmoob, cov kev pab txhais lus yog koj yog li cas. Hu rau hello@medenshealth.comm.

Italian: ATTENZIONE: In caso la lingua parlata sia l’italiano, sono disponibili servizi di assistenza linguistica gratuiti. Inviare un'email a hello@medenshealth.com.

Japanese: 注意事項:日本語を話される場合、無料の言語支援をご利用いただけます。hello@medenshealth.com まで、メールにてご連絡ください。

Korean: 주의: 한국어를 사용하시는 경우, 언어 지원 서비스를 무료로 이용하실 수 있습니다. hello@medenshealth.com 로 이메일을 보내주세요.

Lao: ໂປດຊາບ: ຖ້າວ່າທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາລາວ, ການບໍລິການຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອດ້ານພາສາ, ໂດຍບໍ່ເສັຽຄ່າ, ແມ່ນມີພ້ອມໃຫ້ທ່ານ. ໂທຣ hello@medenshealth.com.

Nepali: यदि तपाईंस्पेनी बोल्नुहुन्छ भने, तपाईंसँग तपाईंको लागि दर्मफलक भाषा सहायता छ। ईमेल hello@medenshealth.com मा सम्पर्क

Polish: UWAGA: Jeżeli mówisz po polsku, możesz skorzystać z bezpłatnej pomocy językowej. Wyślij e-mail na adres hello@medenshealth.com.

Portuguese: ATENÇÃO: Se fala português, encontram-se disponíveis serviços linguísticos, grátis. Envie um email para hello@medenshealth.com.

Punjabi: ਧਿਆਨ ਧਰੋ: ਜੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹੋ, ਤਾਂ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਮੁਫਤ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹਨ। ਸਮਰਥਨ ਦੇਵੋ hello@medenshealth.com.

Russian: ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы говорите на русском языке, то вам доступны бесплатные услуги перевода. Отправьте электронное письмо на адрес hello@medenshealth.com.

Serbo-Croatian: OBAVJEŠTENJE: Ako govorite srpsko-hrvatski, usluge jezičke pomoći dostupne su vam besplatno. Email hello@medenshealth.com.

Spanish: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Envíe un correo electrónico a hello@medenshealth.com.

Tagalog: PAUNAWA: Kung nagsasalita ka ng Tagalog, maaari kang gumamit ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika nang walang bayad. I-email ang hello@medenshealth.com.

Thai: เรียน: ถ้าคุณพูดภาษาไทยคุณสามารถใช้บริการช่วยเหลือทางภาษาได้ฟรีอีเมลที่ hello@medenshealth.com.

Ukrainian: УВАГА! Якщо ви розмовляєте українською мовою, ви можете звернутися до безкоштовної служби мовної підтримки. Напишіть на hello@medenshealth.com.

Urdu: خبردار: اگر آپ اردو بولتے ہیں، تو آپ کو زبان کی مدد کی خدمات مفت میں دستیاب ہیں۔ کال کریں: Urdu hello@medenshealth.com.

Vietnamese: CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gửi email đến hello@medenshealth.com.

Yiddish: אויפמערקזאם: אויב איר רעדט אידיש, זענען פאר אייך שפראך הילף סערוויסעס פריי. רופט אונטער hello@medenshealth.com.

Contact Us

We are dedicated to addressing any concerns promptly and taking appropriate measure to ensure equal access and a positive experience for all individuals seeking our services. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to report any issues related to non-discrimination or accessibility, please contact our Compliance Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: complianceofficer@medenshealth.com

File a Complaint

If you believe that Medens Health has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation, you may file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, which is available here or by mail or phone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
Phone: 800-368-1019

Complaint forms are available here. Such complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination.

Effective Date

This Non-Discrimination and Accessibility Policy is effective as of July 1, 2020.

Practice Policies

Our Practice Policies are designed to facilitate and optimize your treatment. Please ask us any questions you might have so that you can be fully informed and prepared as you begin your treatment.

Psychological Services

Psychotherapy varies depending on the needs and personality of the client, the therapist, and the unique problems the client is experiencing. There are many different techniques that may be helpful in dealing with the problems that you hope to address.

Psychotherapy calls for an active effort on your part both during and in between sessions. Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks since therapy often involves discussing difficult aspects of your life. As a result, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have many benefits. Therapy often leads to better relationships, resolutions to specific problems, and reductions in feelings of distress. However, there are no guarantees of what you will experience.

Initial Visit

Your first session, and possibly your second session as well, will involve an evaluation of your needs, at which time your therapist will discuss his/her treatment recommendations. During this time you will have an opportunity to decide if your therapist is the best person to provide the services you need to meet your treatment goals. If psychotherapy is initiated, your therapist will usually schedule one 60-minute session per week. If you decide to discontinue your work with your therapist, he/she can help you secure an appropriate consultation with another qualified mental health professional at Medens Health.

Confidentiality

In general, the law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient and a therapist, and your therapist can only release information with your permission. However, there are a few exceptions in which your therapist is legally obligated to act to protect others from harm, even if it requires that your therapist reveal information about your treatment.

These exceptions include:

1) If you reveal information related to the abuse or neglect of a child, dependent adult, or elderly person, then the appropriate authorities may be contacted.

2) If you threaten bodily harm or death to yourself, your therapist may notify the appropriate authorities and other appropriate individuals (e.g., family member, inpatient hospital staff).

3) If you threaten bodily harm or death to others, your therapist may notify the appropriate authorities and/or the intended victim.

4) If there is clear and imminent danger to you or the public, or there is probable cause to believe that a potential victim is likely to be in danger, your therapist may notify the appropriate authorities and/or the intended victim(s).

5) If a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena, your therapist is legally required to release the information stated on the subpoena.

6) If you are in therapy or being treated by order of a court of law, or if information is obtained for the purpose of rendering an expert's report to an attorney, your therapist is legally required to release the information requested.

Your provider may occasionally find it helpful to consult with other healthcare professionals about a case. During a consultation, information about you may be shared in this context without using your name. The consultant is also legally bound to keep the information confidential.

Additionally, if you happen to encounter your therapist in public, your therapist will not acknowledge you first. Your right and privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance, and your provider will not jeopardize your privacy. However, if you acknowledge your provider first, he/she will be more than happy to speak briefly with you but will not provide therapy or engage in any lengthy discussions in public or outside of the office.

Professional Records

The laws and standards of the mental health profession require that Medens Health maintain treatment records. Your records are stored on an offsite server that is HIPPA compliant. You are entitled to request a copy of your records unless your therapist believes that seeing them would be emotionally damaging, in which case your therapist will review them with you or send them to another mental health professional of your choice to allow you to review and discuss the contents.

Fees and Insurance

Your fee for psychotherapy will be agreed upon prior to your first session. Medens Health is presently in network with many commercial insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid/Medi-Cal. If you would like to use your insurance to cover a portion of your sessions, please provide us with a copy of your insurance card and photo ID so that we may verify benefits prior to your first session.

You should be aware that all insurance companies require us to provide a clinical diagnosis. In some cases, we are required to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of the entire record (in rare cases) and said information will be on file with the insurance company. Although all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, Medens Health has no control over what they do with the information once it has been released. Your therapist will inform you if any information beyond a diagnosis code is required. If you decide to utilize your insurance, a disclosure authorization is required.

The fee for administering psychological assessments depends on the desired report and the tests that are required. Other services may include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 15 minutes, attendance at meetings with other professionals you have authorized, preparation of records or treatment summaries, and time spent performing any other service you may request. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require your therapist’s participation, you will be expected to pay for your therapist’s time including preparation, transportation, and attendance costs.

Sessions are payable by credit card or by using one of our payment methods we offer. For all services provided by us, payment is due at the time service is rendered unless prior arrangements have been made.

Cancellation Policy

Late Arrivals:
If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your appointment, your session may be canceled. Note that if you arrive late to your appointment, we will still end the session at the scheduled time to allow your provider to transition to their next appointment.

Service Fees for Cancellations:
Please note that the following fees apply for cancellations and no shows to appointments:

• If you contact us to cancel a scheduled appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice, you will be charged a $150 service fee.

• If you fail to show up for a scheduled appointment and do not contact us prior to that appointment to cancel, you will be charged a $150 service fee. Three consecutive no-shows may result in automatic removal from the regular schedule.

These charges cannot be billed to your insurance, and we will charge the cancellation fee to the credit card on file for your account. Our team will provide you the option to reschedule your appointment as schedules allow.

Contacting Your Provider

Your provider is often not immediately available by telephone. When your provider is unavailable, calls are answered by a confidential voicemail that your therapist monitors frequently during business hours. Your therapist will make every effort to return your call on the same day, except for weekends and holidays. If your therapist will be unavailable for an extended period, he/she will provide you with the name of a colleague to contact if you need immediate assistance. If you are unable to reach your therapist and it is an emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Freedom to Withdraw

You have the right to end therapy at any time. If desired, your therapist can provide you with the names of other qualified provider at Medens Health.

Litigation Limitation

Due to the nature of the therapeutic process and the fact that it often involves making a full disclosure with regard to many matters that may be of a confidential nature, it is agreed that should there be legal proceedings (such as, but not limited to, divorce and custody disputes, injuries, lawsuits, etc.), neither you (the patient) nor your attorney, nor anyone else acting on your behalf will call on Medens Health to testify in court or at any other proceeding, nor will a disclosure of the psychotherapy records be requested. If, however, you become involved in legal proceedings that require your therapist’s participation, you will be expected to pay for all professional time, including preparation and transportation costs, even if your therapist is called to testify by another party. Because of the difficulty of legal involvement, Medens Health will assess an hourly charge of $250 for preparation, travel, and attendance at any legal proceeding.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to report any issues related to our practice policies, please contact our Compliance Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: complianceofficer@medenshealth.com

Notice to Consumers

If you feel that Medens Health has done something harmful or unethical and you do not feel comfortable discussing it with your provider, you can always contact the Board of Psychology, which oversees licensing. They will review the services that you have been provided.

If you are in California:
State of California Board of Psychology
1625 North Market Boulevard, Suite N-215
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: 866-503-3221
Email: bopmail@dca.ca.gov

If you are in Nevada:
State of Nevada Board of Psychology
4600 Kietzke Lane, Bldg B-116
Reno, NV 89502
Phone: 775-688-1268
Email: nbop@govmail.state.nv.us

Effective Date

This revised Practice Policy is effective April 1, 2023.

Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Policy describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

Who We Are

For the purpose of applicable data protection legislation, the controller of your personal data is Medens Health, a 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation, with a principal place of business located at 9713 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

General Rules

Medens Health takes our legal responsibilities seriously, and we care about your privacy. We are obligated by law to give you this Notice of Privacy Practices. It explains our privacy practices with respect to your medical information, which includes mental health information, billing information, demographic information, and other individually identifiable health information.

Typical Uses and Disclosures

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

To treat you (“treatment”):
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: We use this information to schedule an appointment with you, and to communicate with health care providers who are employed by us. If we refer you to another doctor, clinic and/or hospital, we may also share your information if you provide us consent to do so.

To run our organization (“health care operations”):
We can use and share your health information to run our business, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

To bill for your services (“payment”):
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from you, health plans, or other entities.
Example: We may give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services. Although not required, we may ask that you sign a consent form, expressly giving us permission to use and disclose your information for the purposes listed above, namely, treatment, health care operations, and payment.

Appointment Reminders

We may use your information to call, text and/or email to remind you of scheduled appointments. We may also call, text and/or email to notify you of other available treatments or services that might be helpful to you.

Other Uses and Disclosures

We are allowed, or sometimes required, to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet many conditions as required by law before we can share your information for these purposes.

Help with public health and safety issues:

We can share health information about you for certain situations, such as:
• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse or neglect of a child, dependent adult, or elder adult
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
• Conduct research
• Comply with the law

We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services, if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests:

We can use or share health information about you:
• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
• Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Special Uses on Restrictions and Disclosures

Unless you give us written permission, we will not use or disclose your medical information in these cases:
• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

Fundraising:
In the case of fundraising, we may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

Your Rights Regarding Your Medical Freedom

The law gives you many rights regarding your mental health information. You can:

Request a Restriction:
Ask us to restrict our uses and disclosures for purposes of treatment (except emergency treatment) and payment of confidential care operations. We do not have to agree to do this, but if we agree, we must honor the restrictions that you want. If you pay for a service out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will accommodate this request unless a law requires us to share that information. To ask for a restriction, send a written request to our Privacy Officer listed at the end of this notice.

Request Confidential Communications:
Ask us to communicate with you in a confidential way, such as by phoning you at work rather than at home, by mailing information to a different address, or by using email to communicate. We will accommodate these requests if they are reasonable. If you want to ask for confidential or encrypted communication, send a written request to our Privacy Officer listed at the end of this notice, or notify your provider.

Access:
Ask to see or to get photocopies of your medical files. By law, there are a few limited situations in which we can refuse to permit access or copying. For the most part, however, you will be able to review or have a copy of your health information within 10 days of your request. You may have to pay a reasonable, cost-based fee for photocopies in advance. If we deny your request, we will send you a written explanation, and instruction about how to get an impartial review of our denial if one is legally required. If you want to review or get photocopies of your medical information, send a written request to our Privacy Officer listed at the end of this notice.

Amendment:
Ask us to amend your medical information if you think that it is incorrect or incomplete. If we agree, we will amend the information within 10 days of your request. If we do not agree, you can write a statement of your position, and we will include it with your confidential information along with any rebuttal statement that we may write. If you want to ask us to amend your medical information, send a written request, including your reasons for the amendment, to our Privacy Officer listed at the end of this notice.

Accounting:
Get a list of the disclosures that we have made of your medical information within the past six years (or a shorter period if you want), except disclosures for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations, and some other limited disclosures. You are entitled to one such list per year without charge. If you want more frequent lists, you will have to pay a reasonable, cost-based fee for them in advance. If you want to ask us for an accounting, send a written request to our Privacy Officer listed at the end of this notice.

Copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices:
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly. To request a copy, send a written request to our Privacy Officer listed at the end of this notice.

Third Party Sites

For your convenience, MedensHealth.com provides links to articles and/or websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations and individuals. When you follow a link to a third-party site, you are leaving MedensHealth.com and are subject to the external site's privacy policies. You are encouraged to read and evaluate the privacy policies on the specific site you are entering. We are not responsible for the privacy policies of third-party sites, including the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that these sites may collect.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

By law, we must abide by the terms of this Privacy Policy until we choose to change it. We reserve the right to change this notice at any time in compliance with and as allowed by law. If we change this Notice, the new privacy practices will apply to your medical information that we already have as well as to such information that we may generate in the future. If we change our Privacy Policy, we will post the new notice in our offices, have copies available in our offices, and post it on our website.

Contact Us

We are dedicated to addressing any concerns promptly and taking appropriate measures. If you have any questions or concerns, or please contact our Privacy Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: privacyofficer@medenshealth.com

Complaints

You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights.

You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 877-696-6775, or by clicking here. We will not retaliate against you if you make a complaint.

If you want to complain to us, please contact our Privacy Officer using one of the methods above.

Effective Date

This revised Privacy Policy is effective April 1, 2023.

Telehealth Policy

Our Telehealth Policy contains essential information about providing healthcare services via phone or the Internet. Please ask us any questions you might have so that you can be fully informed and prepared as you begin your treatment.

Benefits and Risks of Telehealth

Telehealth refers to providing services remotely using telecommunications technologies, such as video conferencing or the telephone. One of the benefits of telehealth is that the client and provider can engage in services without being in the same physical location. It is also more convenient and takes less time, as there is no commute. Telehealth, however, requires technical competence in both the provider and the client to be helpful. Although telehealth has benefits, there are some differences between in-person treatment and telehealth and some risks.

For example:

Risks to confidentiality:
As telehealth sessions take place outside of our offices, there is potential for other people to overhear sessions if you are not in a private area during the session. On our end, your provider will take reasonable steps to ensure your privacy. However, it would be best to find a private place where you will not be interrupted. It is also essential for you to protect the confidentiality of your session on your cell phone or other device. You should participate only in a room or area where other people are not present and cannot overhear the conversation.

Issues related to technology:
There are many ways that technology issues might impact telehealth. For example, technology may stop working during a session; other people might be able to get access to a private conversation, or unauthorized people or companies could access stored data.

Crisis management and intervention:
Usually, Medens Health providers will not engage in telehealth with clients currently in a crisis requiring high levels of support and intervention. We may not have an option of in-person services, but you may require a higher level of services in a crisis. Before engaging in telehealth, you and your provider will develop an emergency response plan to address potential crises during telehealth work.

Electronic Communications

Treatment is most effective when clinical discussions occur at your regularly scheduled sessions. But if an urgent issue arises, you should feel free to attempt to reach your provider by phone. They will try to return your call within 24 hours, except on weekends and holidays. If you cannot reach your provider and feel that you cannot wait for them to return your call, and if you need immediate attention, contact your family physician or proceed to the nearest emergency room. If your provider will be unavailable for an extended time, they will inform you of this and provide you with the name of a colleague to contact during their absence, if necessary.

Confidentiality

Medens Health and your provider have a legal and ethical responsibility to do our best to protect all communications that are a part of telehealth services. The nature of electronic communications technologies, however, is such that we cannot guarantee that our communications will be kept confidential or that other people may not gain access to our communications. We use updated encryption methods, firewalls, and backup systems to help keep your information private. However, there is a risk that others may compromise, unsecured, or access our electronic communications. You should also take reasonable steps to ensure the security of our communications. For example, only use secure networks for telehealth sessions and establish passwords to protect the device you use for telehealth.

The extent of confidentiality and the exceptions to privacy outlined in our Informed Consent still apply in telehealth. Please let your provider know if you have any questions about exceptions to confidentiality.

Safety Considerations

Telehealth can present unique challenges for your provider in keeping you safe. In the unlikely event that an emergency was to occur during your session (medical emergency, accident, domestic violence, fire, etc.), your provider must know where to direct the appropriate authorities. For this reason, you must share the address of your location with your provider. Your provider will ask for the address during your first session and will ask again in any session where you appear to be in a different location.

Your provider must also assess your safety for conducting therapy in your physical space. Suppose they determine that you are at risk of suffering domestic violence or abuse or that you are at risk of harming yourself or others. In that case, they will notify the appropriate authorities to ensure your safety.

Assessing and evaluating threats and other emergencies can be more difficult when conducting telehealth than in traditional in-person treatment. To address some of these difficulties, you and your provider will create an emergency plan before engaging in telehealth services. Your provider will ask you to identify an emergency contact person near your location and whom they will contact in the event of a crisis or emergency to assist in addressing the situation. You will be asked to sign a separate authorization form allowing them to get your emergency contact person as needed during such a crisis or emergency.

If the session is interrupted for any reason, such as technological connection failure, and you are having an emergency, do not call your provider back; instead, call 9-1-1, or go to your nearest emergency room. Call your provider back after you have called or obtained emergency services.

Appropriateness of Telehealth

Your provider will let you know if they decide telehealth is no longer the most appropriate treatment for you. If you determine that telehealth is not optimal for you, it is essential to inform your provider. In either case, they will discuss options for in-person sessions or supply you with referrals to another professional in your location who can provide appropriate services.

Records

Telehealth sessions shall not be recorded in any way unless agreed to in writing by mutual consent. Your provider will maintain a record of your session like they keep records of in-person sessions following Medens Health’s policies and their state licensing board.

Freedom to Withdraw

You have the right to withdraw at any time without affecting your right to future care, services, or program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns related to our telehealth policy, please contact our Compliance Officer using one of the methods below.

Mail:
Medens Health
Attention: Compliance Officer
2108 N Street, #5619
Sacramento, CA 95816-5712

Phone: 833-953-7900
Fax: 844-654-2900
Email: complianceofficer@medenshealth.com

Effective Date

This revised Telehealth Policy is effective July 1, 2023.