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prior to your first appointment
At Even Better Mood Clinic, our goal is to match you up with the best healthcare provider for your needs. On occasion, this may mean identifying when we may not be a good fit for you, sooner rather than later, and then referring you elsewhere if needed.
Please carefully review our clinic policies below prior to your first appointment so that you can determine if our practices are in line with your preferences.
If you discover we may be a mismatch, please let our front desk know as soon as possible and we will kindly cancel your appointment (free of charge) and refer you to an alternative provider in the area.
Clinic Policies
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines (commonly called "Benzos"), while therapeutic for some psychiatry disorders, can also be drugs of abuse. They can cause cognitive problems, especially in older adults and they can even be lethal when combined with other substances such as alcohol or opiates. In general, our clinicians try to avoid using benzodiazepines as much as possible, though there may be exceptions to this rule depending on the specific patient/case.
New patients should never assume a benzo prescription will be started or continued once care is established.
The decision to prescribe or not prescribe a benzo (as well as type and dosage) will be at the clinician's discretion, generally after the initial evaluation is completed.
Stimulants
Stimulant medicines, often prescribed for ADHD, can also be drugs of abuse.
Clinicians may ask for additional evidence to support ADHD diagnoses, such as prior health records, reports from family members, and/or objective ADHD testing, often prior to prescribing stimulant medicines.
New patients should never assume a stimulant prescription will be started or continued once care is established.
The decision to prescribe or not prescribe a stimulant (as well as type and dosage) will be at the clinician's discretion, generally after the initial evaluation is completed.
Substance/Drug Use
Ongoing substance use is generally harmful to your health/wellness, counterproductive (for meeting treatment goals), and can lead to dangerous complications, especially when combined with prescription medications. Our clinicians generally require our patients to either remain completely sober or keep substance use at a minimum throughout the course of treatment. Patients should be open and honest with their clinician about the nature and quantity of their substance use. Toxicology screens/urine tests may be ordered by your clinician at any time. If the severity of your substance use is high enough, your clinician may recommend seeking specialized care with an Addiction Medicine/Chemical Dependency Specialist.
While we do treat patients with both psychiatric and substance use issues ("dual diagnosis"), Even Better Mood Clinic is
NOT a "rehab" facility
NOT a "detox" center and
NOT an intensive outpatient program (IOP)
If you or your clinician deem that you will be requiring any of the above services, Even Better Mood Clinic can provide you referrals.
Polypharmacy
Due to the dangers of medication-medication interactions, our clinicians generally aim to keep your medication list as short and simple as possible. However, we also understand the need for multiple medications when appropriate as well.
New patients should never assume their medication regimen will be refilled and continued, unchanged.
The decision to prescribe or not prescribe any psychiatric medicine (as well as type and dosage) will be at the clinician's discretion, generally after the initial evaluation is completed.
We encourage you to discuss your treatment goals and medication preferences with your clinician at your initial evaluation.
Disability Evaluations, Physician Forms, Paperwork, Letters
Disability evaluations
1. Are outside the scope of our general clinical practice
2. Create an unwanted dynamic between clinician and patient which damages rapport and therapeutic alliance
3. Place an overwhelming administrative burden on our staff and office
For these reasons (among others), WE WILL NOT PROVIDE PAPERWORK OR COMPLETE FORMS RELATED TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
• SHORT-TERM DISABILITY
• EDD
• LONG-TERM/PERMANENT DISABILITY
• WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
• LEGAL/COURT-RELATED FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATIONS
• MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM WORK OR SCHOOL
• “ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS” (WHICH IS A FORM OF DISABILITY EVALUATION)
• DISABILITY-RELATED “DOCTOR’S LETTER” FOR WORK OR SCHOOL (ATTENDANCE-RELATED “DOCTOR’S LETTER” OR “EXCUSE” FOR WORK OR SCHOOL MAY STILL BE REQUESTED)
If you will require any of the above forms/paperwork, you will need to request them from a different clinical provider (ie therapist, primary care provider, or an alternative psychiatric provider). We understand if this will require you to seek care/transfer care with a different psychiatric provider altogether. If such is the case, please reach out to our front desk to request a referral to an alternative provider.
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter Requests:
At Even Better Mood Clinic, we are very much in support of the positive, sometimes profound, effects of animal companionship on human quality of life.
Unfortunately, due to the legal complexity involved with ESA certifications, WE DO NOT PROVIDE ESA LETTERS.
If you are in need of an ESA letter, please ask our front desk to refer you to an alternative (preferably forensic) psychiatric provider.
Timeliness
We make time for you, so please make time for us.
If you need to cancel/reschedule your appointment, you must do so more than 24 business hours prior to your appointment time, so that we may offer the appointment slot to other patients in need.
Late cancellation/No show: For “late cancellations” (within 24 business hours) and “no shows,” we allow 3 freebie warnings (no fee for the first 3 occurrences). Thereafter, each subsequent late cancellation/no show will be charged a fee of $100 per occurrence. For new patients, >3 late cancellations/no shows may, in lieu of a $100 fee, result in discharge from the clinic and referral to an alternative provider.
Tardiness: If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, your appointment will be cancelled and you will be considered a “no show,” subject to the same “late cancellation/no show” policy described above.
Repeated/Excessive late cancellations/no shows (>6 occurrences total, including 3 freebie warnings) may result in discharge from the clinic and referral to an alternative provider. For new patients, >3 late cancellations/no shows may, in lieu of a $100 fee, result in discharge from the clinic and referral to an alternative provider.
Please Note: To allow for adequate time to complete the check-in process and paperwork, please plan to arrive to the clinic 30 minutes early for New Patient appointments and 15 minutes early for Follow-up Patient appointments.
Telehealth
Telehealth appointments are offered for your convenience. However, we ask that you treat your telehealth appointment with the same professionalism and importance as an in-person doctor's appointment.
This means proper Telehealth Etiquette:
1) Report your exact location (in case of emergency, we need to know where you are). Please note that telehealth services with a California-licensed mental health provider may not be available if you are physically located outside of the state of California.
2) Choose an appropriate space. Private, with 4 walls is preferred for confidentiality. Avoid crowded cafes, supermarkets, bathrooms and bedrooms. In the car is OK as long as the vehicle is parked and not moving.
3) You agree not to record or share the content of your telehealth visit.
4) Report anyone else present in the space for confidentiality reasons. An ROI consent form may need to be signed if a third party needs to routinely be present in sessions and involved in your care.
5) No distractions. No driving, no errands, no texting. Please give your clinician your undivided attention.
6) No substance use. No smoking, no alcohol, no drugs.
7) Dress appropriately. No pajamas, bath robes, or revealing clothing. If it's not appropriate for an in-person doctor's appointment, it's not appropriate for telehealth.
8) If a telehealth visit does not work for you for any reason, please let us know and alternative support options can be considered.
Release of Information (ROI)
Doctor-patient confidentiality is one of our top priorities at Even Better Mood Clinic. Any time a third party (anyone other than you or your clinician) needs to be involved in your care, you will be required to sign a Release of Information (ROI) consent form.
Some examples of situations requiring an ROI form include:
1) Discussing your care with a family member or friend
2) Sending your health records to your employer (ie HR Dept)
3) Obtaining health information from an outside healthcare provider or facility.
It is also important to understand situations when your health information may be disclosed to a third party without your consent. Please discuss this with your clinician.
Payment
Payment is due at the time of service/appointment. Failure to pay may result in discharge from the clinic and referral to an alternative provider.
No Surprises Act and the Good Faith Estimate
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical 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 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 www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.
Notice to Patients:
Open Payments Database
For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) frommanufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospital be made available to the public.
You may search this federal database for payments made tophysicians and teaching hospitals by visiting this website:
https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/
Additional Policies/Forms