FAQ

People usually seek counseling when experiencing stress, anxiety, sadness or difficulty in one or more relationships that persists. Therapy begins when a client seeks to change something in his/her life and engages in a therapeutic relationship with a counselor. Through this joint process the client and therapist embark on a journey to seek solutions to presenting problems and concerns. The therapist draws upon research based strategies to assist and support the client throughout this process. 

The duration and frequency of sessions depends on the client’s concerns and the process he/she agrees upon with the therapist to use to effect change. Most short term goals can be met in 3-6 appointments.   Lifestyle changes and long-term goals typically need a minimum of  8-12 appointments, and usually benefit from several months of therapy to maintain desired progress and create lasting, meaningful change.

Psycho-social evaluations are able to be completed in one or two appointments.

(Clients are sent  forms via a secure portal to complete prior to the first appointment. This is a sample.)

A Better Day, LLP 

701 Lee St Suite 920E

 Des Plaines IL 60016-4539 

1. Notice of Privacy Practices 

 THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY, AND BE SURE TO ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 

A Better Day, LLP 

abdtherapy.com 

I. OUR PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION: Thank you for choosing a therapist at A Better Day, LLP. We understand that health information about you and your health care is personal. We are committed to protecting health information about you. Each therapist creates a record of the care and services you receive. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice, A Better Day, LLP. This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose health information about you. We also describe your rights to the health information we keep about you, and describe certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. We are required by law to: • Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private. • Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information. • Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect. • Your therapist can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website. 

II. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU: 

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures we will explain what we mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories. For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules and regulations allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the client to use or disclose the client’s personal health information without the client’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. We may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your person health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of 1. Notice of Privacy Practices your mental health condition. Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another. Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, we may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose health information about your child in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested. 

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION: 

1. Psychotherapy Notes. We do keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is: a. For your therapist's use in treating you. b. For our use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy. c. For our use in defending a therapist at A Better Day, LLP, or A Better Day, LLP, in legal proceedings instituted by you. d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate our compliance with HIPAA. e. Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law. f. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes. g. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law. h. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others. 2. Marketing Purposes. As psychotherapists, we will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes. 3. Sale of PHI. As psychotherapists, we will not sell your PHI in the regular course of our business. 

IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION. 

Subject to certain limitations in the law, we can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons: 1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law. 2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety. 3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations. 4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although our preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so. 5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on our premises. 6. To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law. 7. For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition. 8. Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions. 9. For workers' compensation purposes. Although our preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, we may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers' compensation laws. 10. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. We may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with your therapist. We may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that we offer. 

V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT. 

1. Disclosures to family, friends, or others. We may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations. 

VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI: 

1. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask us not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if we believe it would affect your health care. 2. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full. 3. The Right to Choose How We Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and we will agree to all reasonable requests. 4. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that we have about you. We will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and we may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so. 5. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures We Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which we have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided me with an Authorization. We will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list we will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. We will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, we will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each additional request. 6. The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that we correct the existing information or add the missing information. We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request. 7. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. And, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF PRIVACY NOTICE Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. 

By signing this document, you are acknowledging that you have received a copy of HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. I have read and accept the terms of this agreement. 

client name: 

signature: 

(Clients are sent  forms via a secure portal to complete prior to the first appointment. This is a sample.)

A Better Day, LLP 

701 Lee St Suite 920E

 Des Plaines IL 60016-4539 

Informed Consent for Psychotherapy 

General Information about the Therapeutic Relationship with your therapist

 A Better Day, LLP 

abdtherapy.com 

The therapeutic relationship is unique in that it is a highly personal and at the same time, a contractual agreement. Given this, it is important for us to reach a clear understanding about how our relationship will work, and what each of us can expect. This consent will provide a clear framework for our work together. Feel free to discuss any of this with me. Please read and indicate that you have reviewed this information and agree to it by filling in the checkbox at the end of this document. 

The Therapeutic Process 

You have taken a very positive step by deciding to seek therapy. The outcome of your treatment depends largely on your willingness to engage in this process, which may, at times, result in considerable discomfort. Remembering unpleasant events and becoming aware of feelings attached to those events can bring on strong feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, etc. There are no miracle cures. I cannot promise that your behavior or circumstance will change. I can promise to support you and do my very best to understand you and repeating patterns, as well as to help you clarify what it is that you want for yourself. 

Confidentiality

The session content and all relevant materials to the client’s treatment will be held confidential unless the client requests in writing to have all or portions of such content released to a specifically named person/persons. 

Limitations of such client held privilege of confidentiality exist and are itemized below: 

1. If a client threatens or attempts to commit suicide or otherwise conducts him/her self in a manner in which there is a substantial risk of incurring serious bodily harm. 2. If a client threatens grave bodily harm or death to another person. 3. If the therapist has a reasonable suspicion that a client or other named victim is the perpetrator, observer of, or actual victim of physical, emotional or sexual abuse of children under the age of 18 years. 4. Suspicions as stated above in the case of an elderly person who may be subjected to these abuses. 5. Suspected neglect of the parties named in items #3 and # 4. 6. If a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena for information stated on the subpoena. 7. If a client is 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. Occasionally I may need to consult with other professionals in their areas of expertise in order to provide the best treatment for you. Information about you may be shared in this context without using your name.

If we see each other accidentally outside of the therapy office, I will not acknowledge you first. Your right to privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance to me, and I do not wish to jeopardize your privacy. However, if you acknowledge me first, I will be more than happy to speak briefly with you. 

I have read and accept the terms of this agreement. 

client name: 

client signature: 

(Clients are sent  forms via a secure portal to complete prior to the first appointment. This is a sample. We use Theranest )

quote from Theranest website:

"Is Telehealth in TheraNest HIPAA compliant?

Yes. We take your data security seriously and encrypt all your information by HIPAA standards and are HIPAA compliant. Your data is continually and securely backed up. We use Amazon for Hardware and physical security because they are HIPAA compliant and have to follow many rules and that helps us with compliance. TheraNest does not record or store the audio or video from Telehealth sessions. "

theranest.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051511932-Client-Prepare-for-1st-Telehealth-Session 

theranest.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051512412-Client-Join-Telehealth-Session 

https://support.therapybrands.com/s/article/360051512412-Client-Join-Telehealth-Session-TheraNest

A Better Day, LLP 

701 Lee St Suite 920E

 Des Plaines IL 60016-4539 

Telehealth Treatment Consent ABD 

Telemental health is live two - way audio and video electronic communications that allows therapists and clients to meet outside of a physical office setting. Client Understanding I understand that telemental health services are completely voluntary and that I can withdraw this consent at any time. I understand that none of the telemental health sessions will be recorded or photographed by myself or by my therapist. I agree not to make or allow audio or video recordings of any portion of the sessions. I understand that the laws that protect privacy and the confidentiality of client information also apply to telemental health, and that no information obtained in the use of telemental health that identifies me will be disclosed to other entities without my consent, as explained in Notice of Privacy Practices. I understand that telemental health is performed over a secure communication system that is almost impossible for anyone else to access. I understand that any internet based communication is not 100 % guaranteed to be secure. I agree that the therapist and practice will not be held responsible if any outside party gains access to my personal information by bypassing the security measures of the communication system. I understand there are potential risks to this technology, including interruptions, unauthorized access, and technical difficulties. 

I understand that I or my therapist may discontinue the telemental sessions at any time if it is felt that the video technology is not adequate for the situation. I understand that if there is an emergency during a telemental health session, then my therapist may call emergency services and/ or my emergency contact. I understand that this form is signed in addition to the Notice of Privacy Practices and Consent to Treatment and that all office policies and procedures apply to telemental health services. I understand that if the video conferencing connection drops while I am in a session, I will have an additional phone line available to contact my therapist, or I will make additional plans with my therapist ahead of time for re - contact. 

I understand a “no show” or late fee of $25.00 may be charged if I miss an appointment or do not cancel within 24 hours and subsequently contact my therapist within 24 hours to reschedule the missed appointment. I understand credit card or other form of payment will be established before the first session. I understand my therapist will advise me about what telemental health platform to use and she will establish a video conference session. 

Client Consent 

Client Name: 

I hereby give my informed consent for the use of telemental health in my care. 

Client Initials: 

Date of Birth: 

Email: 

Phone Number: 

Client Signature 

Health Hotlines

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24-hour, toll-free, and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area. Support is available in English and Spanish and via live chat.

• SUICIDE HOTLINE 988

• Disaster Distress Hotline: People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call this helpline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counseling. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained professional from the closest crisis counseling center within the network.

• Veterans Crisis Line: This helpline is a free, confidential resource for Veterans of all ages and circumstances. Call 1-800-273-8255, press "1"; text 838255; or chat online to connect with 24/7 support.

• Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741 for free and confidential support 24 hours a day throughout the U.S.

• Cook County Crisis Line:

211 Metro Chicago is a free and confidential helpline offering 24/7 access to a trained, local specialist who will connect you to food, housing, utility assistance, access to health care and other vital resources.

Launched by the City of Chicago, Cook County, and United Way of Metro Chicago, 2-1-1 is now available to all Cook County residents.

Find the help you need today:

Call 2-1-1

Text your zip code to 898211

Visit 211MetroChicago.org