Office Policies

Office Policies and Procedures

Below you will find a detailed explanation of Dr. Ritvo’s policies. Please read them carefully, as your understanding is important to our work together. Please do not hesitate to bring any questions or concerns to our attention.

INITIAL CONSULTATION: Our first one to three meetings will involve a psychiatric consultation. By the end of the consultation, I should be able to make a recommendation with regard to initial treatment and offer some first impressions of what our work might include if you decide to continue. This time also will enable you to determine your comfort level with me, and we can both evaluate whether I am the best person to provide treatment. If you have questions about my style and thinking, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If it is determined that we will not continue to work together, I will be happy to provide referrals to other mental health professionals.

MEETINGS: Psychotherapy sessions are 50 minutes in duration. The duration, frequency and time of meetings will be determined mutually. Medication management follow-up visits are generally scheduled for 20 or 30 minutes, and I will make a recommendation with regard to frequency.

MEDICATIONS: Medication may be a part of your treatment. To ensure quality of care, regular follow up with routine office visits is necessary for prescriptions to be provided. Patients must be seen before refill prescriptions are written. Please inform me about needed medication refills at least 5 business days before your medication runs out. I also strongly recommend that you set aside a reserve of 5 days of each medication.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Once an appointment is scheduled, you will be expected to pay for it unless I have received 48-hours (2 business days) notice.

CONTACTING ME: I am typically not immediately available by phone, and I do not answer my phone when I am with a patient. When I am unavailable, you will be in contact with my voicemail and you can leave me a message or text me for a faster response. I will make every effort to return your call within 1 business day. Please advise the best telephone numbers and times to reach you. If you are unable to reach me and feel that it is an emergency, call 911, contact your family physician, or go to the nearest emergency room. If I will be unavailable for an extended time, I will provide you with the name of a colleague to contact, if necessary.

EMAIL POLICY: While Email can be helpful in scheduling appointments, there are a number of serious concerns including, potential breaches of privacy, difficulty validating your identity, and delays in responses. The content of any emails exchanged should be limited to non-urgent scheduling of future appointments, directions, or similar logistical issues. Emails should not include any material related to your treatment (therapy or medication), and certainly not related to any emergency medical or psychiatric concerns.

Please do not assume I have received your email unless you receive a reply acknowledging receipt from me. If you do not receive a reply, please leave a message on my voicemail.

PROFESSIONAL FEES, BILLING AND PAYMENTS: I do not accept insurance and am not a participating provider for any insurance company. You are responsible for payment for treatment.

INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT: If you have a health insurance policy, it will usually provide some coverage for mental health treatment. I can provide you with the information you need to submit for reimbursement; however, you and not your insurance company are responsible for this submission and for full payment of my fees. It is very important that you find out exactly what mental health services your insurance policy covers. You should also be aware that your contract with your health insurance company requires that I provide information relevant to the services that I provide to you including a clinical diagnosis.

PROFESSIONAL RECORDS: Pursuant to HIPAA, and described in detail in your copy of “Notice of Privacy Practices,” I maintain Protected Health Information about you in your Clinical Record. As described in that notice, except in unusual circumstances, you may examine and/or receive a copy of your Clinical Record, if you request it in writing. Because these are professional records, they may be misinterpreted and/or upsetting to untrained readers. For this reason, I recommend that you initially review them in my presence, or have them forwarded to another mental health professional so you can discuss the contents.

Please note that these policies are subject change at any time.