Clinic Policy

At Morning Light Christian Counseling, we believe in excellence. We want you to experience the best care possible. The following is a statement of our Clinic Policy, designed to enhance your experience. This policy applies to all our counseling services. HIPAA, insurance, and the Good Faith Estimate portions of our clinic policy do not apply to coaching services. All other policies apply to both counseling and coaching services.

Client Registration

After scheduling your initial appointment, your therapist will send you an individual link to an online portal. It is important to complete your paperwork before you arrive to your first appointment. If you have questions regarding your paperwork, please reach out to your individual therapist.

Client Reminders

Our therapists use automated reminders as a courtesy. However, you are responsible for writing down your appointment time and making it to the appointment, regardless of receiving the reminder. If the you do not receive a reminder for a scheduled appointment, it is recommended to reach out to your individual therapist. If you do not wish to receive automated reminders, you can inform your individual therapist or change the settings on your online portal.

Missed Appointments

A missed appointment is a scheduled appointment in which you do not show and do not provide at least 24-hour notice prior to your scheduled appointment time. You will be responsible for the entirety of the session cost for a missed appointment unless otherwise determined by the therapist. You will not be charged for a missed appointment if it is a weather-related cancellation.

Late Arrival to Appointments

Because counseling is based on 45-60 minute time slots, it is important to arrive on time to your appointment. It is unlikely your therapist will be able to allow you to make up the time you missed if you are late to your appointment. It is also possible clients using insurance may be required to pay a fee for late arrivals. Please let your therapist know if you are running late to your appointment.

Waiting Room Etiquette

We do not have a receptionist at Morning Light Christian Counseling, which means you will make yourself comfortable in the waiting room until your therapist comes out to get you for your appointment. Your therapist will work to be on time to each appointment, but please text or call your individual therapist if he or she is not in the waiting room fifteen minutes after your scheduled appointment. Please be respectful of others working in session by remaining quiet in the waiting room while you enjoy complimentary refreshments.

Children

We love children at Morning Light Christian Counseling; however, children are not to be left unattended in any part of our facilities. It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to keep all children quiet while others are receiving services. The parent or guardian is also responsible for any damage done to Morning Light Christian Counseling’s property.

Acceptable Forms of Payment

Therapists accept cash, check, credit card, or HSA/FSA cards. Therapists are responsible for their own billing and may choose to charge an additional fee to use a card. If choosing to pay with cash, exact change may be required. A $50.00 fee will be charged for all checks returned due to insufficient funds.

 
Covid Policy

Each of our therapists are seeing clients in-person and virtually. Our office does not currently require vaccinations or masks to enter our office. However, if you or a member of your household is exposed to Covid-19 or has symptoms of Covid-19, please notify your therapist and he or she will help you determine whether you should switch your appointment to a virtual appointment.

Our HIPAA Policy

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
  • Correct your paper or electronic medical record
  • Request confidential communication
  • Ask us to limit the information we share
  • Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
  • Get a copy of this privacy notice
  • Choose someone to act for you
  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

  • Tell family and friends about your condition
  • Provide disaster relief
  • Include you in a hospital directory
  • Provide mental health care
  • Market our services and sell your information
  • Raise funds

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your information as we:

  • Treat you
  • Run our organization
  • Bill for your services
  • Help with public health and safety issues
  • Do research
  • Comply with the law
  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
  • Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
  • Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

  • You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
  • We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record

  • You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
  • We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
  • We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

  • You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
  • If you pay for a service or health care item 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 say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

  • You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
  • We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

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.

Choose someone to act for you

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
  • We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

  • You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on page 1.
  • 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 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
  • We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.


In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
  • Share information in a disaster relief situation
  • Include your information in a hospital directory

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

  • Marketing purposes
  • Sale of your information
  • Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

In the case of fundraising:

  • We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

Our Uses and Disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information?

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

Treat you

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our organization

We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for your services

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

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, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research

We can use or share your information for health 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.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

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.

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.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.


Changes to the Terms of this Notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.

Insurance Coverage

Some therapists at Morning Light accept some forms of insurance. If using insurance benefits, your therapist will work with you to verify your benefits as quickly as possible. You will then be informed of your co-pay and deductible. Your therapist will collect your co-pay at the time of service and will then bill your health insurance carrier directly for services rendered. Once the claim is processed by your insurance, you will be billed (or refunded if necessary) for any remaining balance owed. If you change or add an insurance policy, you must inform your therapist and provide your new insurance card prior to your appointment. Any balances not paid by your insurance carrier are your responsibility and payment is due upon receipt of your billing statement.


Some of our therapists do not take insurance, and all of them only take certain types of insurance. If you choose to see a therapist that does not not directly bill your insurance, your therapist may give you a statement of reimbursement (superbill) to submit to your insurance. However, there is no guarantee your insurance will reimburse you. By scheduling with a therapist that does not take your insurance, you are choosing to use self-pay in the event that your health insurance does not reimburse you for treatment. The responsibility of your insurance reimbursing you is not the responsibility of the therapist.

 
Good Faith Estimate

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

  • You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
  • Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
  • If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
  • Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit
 cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-877-751-2972.


Animal-Assisted Therapy

Our therapists may choose to incorporate a dog into their psychotherapy work. If your therapist chooses to do that, he or she believes the dog's presence benefits his or her clients. There are scientific studies to back this up. The use of animals by health professionals in their work is called animal-assisted therapy. Numerous studies show that interacting with animals helps people lower their blood pressure, increases engagement, and reduces anxiety/depression. This content outlines the risks and rules needed to ensure your health and safety (as well as the dog's) as we work together. Alexander is currently the only dog at Morning Light Christian Counseling and he is primarily working with Benjamin Rex Allison. Alexander and Rex are currently in training for him to be an Animal Assist Therapy Dog. Alexander still needs to learn some skills to pass his therapy dog certification test. First up will be the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen test.

Although working with canines in a therapeutic setting has many benefits, there are risks associated with the intervention. Because we use a live animal, it is important to note in advance the policies and procedures needed to maximize the intervention and ensure safety.

  • Any fear of dogs must be reported before treatment commences so the proper precautionary measures can be taken, if any.
  • Although Alexander will remain current on his vaccinations and health screenings, there is always a slight risk of zoonotic disease transmission (i.e., sharing of diseases between animal and humans) when working with an animal.
  • Although every effort will be made to cut and file Alexander’s nails, scratching may occur while physically interacting with the dog.
  • Please be aware that Alexander sometimes plays or shows affection by licking or nibbling, which may result in oral contact from the dog. Although, therapists and coaches will make every effort to monitor and control this, there is a risk for light biting and licking.
  • Dogs use their body to communicate and may brush against or lean into a person. Other body language such as tail wagging or body wiggling may also occur.
  • Clients will promptly report all accidents and/or injuries incurred while at Morning Light Christian Counseling to his or her therapist or coach.
  • Should injury occur, therapists and/or coaches will respond accordingly and take proper action to help the client get the appropriate medical care.
  • If you become uncomfortable or distracted by the presence of Alexander in a session, he will be promptly removed. If at any time, Alexander shows signs of distress, irritation, fear, or in any way acts in negative manner, he will be removed from the session if necessary. Neither you nor Alexander will ever be forced to interact should there be nonverbal or expressed signs of distress and/or resistance.
  • Do not feed Alexander or give him anything unapproved by your therapist or coach.
  • Wash your hands before and after handling Alexander.

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Do You Still Have Questions?

Do You Still Have Questions?

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