Valley Mental Health Policies and Conditions

This outlines key procedures of our practice. Please read it carefully and feel free to ask for clarification or any other questions you may have.

MESSAGES and EMERGENCIES

If you have a medical emergency please call 911.

Business Days: Our staff members are available to assist you by phone on business days between the hours of 8:30 am – 4:00 pm. You can reach our office by calling 503-589-4046.

Urgent Issues: For issues that cannot wait until the next business day and occur after hours or on holidays and weekends please reach your provider at the following:

      • For Ayako Garduque, David Wear, Jean Daniels, and Sandy Bassett please call (503)589-4046.
      • For Tymberly Seim call (503)330-1999.

Instructions are also available by calling our main office number (503-589-4046) and listening to the outgoing message.

PRESCRIPTION REFILLS

 Medications will be managed and refilled during your appointments – PLEASE PLAN AHEAD. This will help in the following ways: 

      • We can confirm your medications, dosages, check for side effects and send in refills.
      • You will be prescribed enough medication to last until it is necessary to see you again.
      • You will have an opportunity to discuss any medication concerns you have directly with your prescriber.
      • You can request information about your prescribed medications or diagnoses
      • If calling in to request a refill please be sure to do so 3-5 business days before you are out of your medication

Make sure you have an appointment with your prescriber BEFORE you run out of any medications so they can be refilled during this time. Please see the section on Session Fees, above, regarding prompt payment of session fees to enable you to schedule sessions in a timely fashion.

CANCELLATIONS and SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS FOR MEDICATION MANAGEMENT

      • Please make every effort to schedule future appointments at the beginning or end of a treatment session.
      • If you need to schedule or change an appointment time, please call our office at (503) 589-4046.
      • Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you. It is necessary for you to cancel any appointment you cannot keep. There will be no charge for appointments cancelled 48 hours or more in advance. All appointments must be cancelled or rescheduled 48 hours before appointment to allow scheduling for other individuals. Please see the section on Session Fees, below, for further information about scheduling appointments only after paying outstanding balances.

Hours and Appointments

  • Office hours are by appointment.
  • We assume you are here for evaluation and treatment related to specific problem areas in your life. Your provider will work with you to assist you in making positive changes and, like all doctors, cannot guarantee results. You will benefit the most from treatment if you are committed to the process and attend appointments regularly.
  • Please plan to arrive for your appointment on time.
  • We make every effort to be on time. If we run over with a previous client, it is related to an emergent situation. Please be patient and we will do our best to make up the time to you.
  • Initial evaluations last 60-90 minutes. You will be asked to fill out various questionnaires. These will help your provider learn important information about you without taking up extra treatment time.
  • During the initial session, recommendations for treatment may be made including medication(s), therapy, or both. We may also decide to meet for one or two more 45-minute visits to get a full picture before recommendations can be made. Effective treatment requires a good match between a client and a provider. During your sessions, you and your provider together will determine if you are a good fit. If not, our office can assist you in finding a provider that might work better for you.
  • Medication follow-up appointments are generally 30 minutes.
  • Psychotherapy appointments are 45-50 minutes. When you feel you have made sufficient progress toward your goals and are ready to end therapy, or if you wish to take a break, it is useful to have 2 or 3 sessions for this ending phase.
  • Clients arriving late will be seen for the remaining time. At the discretion of their provider. Please be aware that individuals arriving more than 10 minutes after the start of their appointment will be rescheduled.
  • If you do not attend (no show) 2 or more appointments or have a history of last minute cancellations, your provider may not be able to continue treatment with you. You should receive a letter warning you of potential closure due to non-attendance and should discuss that with your provider. In the event that you are closed for services, our intake staff will be happy to assist you with names of providers in the area.

MEDICAL RECORDS

If you wish to review your medical records, please complete the Client Records Request Form. Our office will contact you once your request has been processed.

SESSION FEES

  • Clients with coverage through PacificSource Community Solutions or Open Card will not be charged for services. You should have received a fee schedule with your enrollment packet. If not please ask for one.
      • If acceptable insurance coverage is carried, our office will be happy to bill your insurance as a courtesy to you.
        • Regardless of insurance coverage, full payment for appointments is your responsibility.
      • If you are not covered by insurance the full fee will be required at the beginning of each appointment.
      • If a payment is not made at the time of visit, or you have an unpaid balance on your account, another appointment will not be scheduled until the payment is made.
        • If needed, a payment may be made over the phone by calling the billing department at (503) 315-8646 and then you may schedule your next appointment.
        • Medications will be managed and refilled during your appointments, so prompt payment will allow prompt scheduling and ensure that the medication management continues uninterrupted. Please see the section on Prescription Refills, below, for additional information.
      • If you have special circumstances and need to make payment arrangements, please work this out with our office prior to treatment. Our work together can best proceed when financial issues are worked out ahead of time.
      • Additional policies regarding fees:
      • Please know that there is a $25 charge for any returned checks.
      • Unpaid balances will be charged 2% per month after a bill is past due.
      • Unpaid accounts will be turned over to a collections agency after 6 months if there is no payment plan is in place and no payment is received

SUPERVISION and CONSULTATION

For professional growth and monitoring, we obtain professional consultation and supervision from our peers in the mental health field. In that context we may discuss your diagnosis and treatment plan but will not disclose your name or other identifying information.

 

HOSPITALIZATION

We do not provide in-patient hospital care. Should you need hospitalization we will coordinate admission with a psychiatrist affiliated with a hospital who will assume your care while you are in the hospital. We will be in contact with them and will be able to resume care when you are discharged from the hospital. If you are hospitalized please sign a release of information for the hospital and have it faxed to us so we can continue to coordinate your care with the hospital providers. This allows them to send us your discharge information and we will be able to resume your care once you are discharged.