The following is a list of notices that have the goal to benefit you as a consumer:
Good Faith Estimate under the “No Suprises Act“
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. 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 expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a 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 www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) Complaint Procedure
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of (marriage and family therapists, licensed educational psychologists, clinical social workers, or professional clinical counselors). You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.
Other Consumer-Empowering Information
BBS Brochure Download (PDF):
Self-Empowerment: How to Choose a Mental Health Professional
You, as a client, have a right to:
- Request and receive information about the therapist’s professional capabilities, including licensure, education, training, experience, professional association membership, specialization and limitations.
- Be treated with dignity and respect.
- A safe environment, free from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
- Ask questions about your therapy or other services from your provider.
- Decline to answer any question or disclose any information you choose not to reveal.
- Request and receive information from the therapist about your progress toward your treatment goals.
- Know the limits of confidentiality and the circumstances in which a therapist is legally required to disclose information to others.
- Know if there are supervisors, consultants, students, or others with whom your therapist will discuss your case.
- Decline a particular type of treatment, or end treatment without obligation or harassment.
- Refuse electronic recording.
- Request and (in most cases) receive a summary of your records, including the diagnosis, your progress, and the type of treatment.
- Report unethical and illegal behavior by a therapist.
- Receive a second opinion at any time about your therapy or therapist’s methods.
- Have a copy of your file transferred to any therapist or agency you choose.
Brochure for Download (PDF): Therapy Never Includes Sexual Behavior
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) enacts sweeping changes in how the healthcare professions handle the administrative details of their practices, and contains a broad and stringent framework, for the privacy and confidentiality of personally identifiable health information. This Federal statute was enacted as Public Law 104-191. Further information regarding this act can be found at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website.