Resources to help with your healing journey…
Welcome to the IPI of Virginia’s client resource page. Choosing to become an IPI client can feel like a big decision; you’re making a definitive step towards a happier life. We applaud you for that and encourage you to educate yourself on the “business end” of becoming a client. Below are several basic office policies that all IPI practitioners abide by. Please review them and bring any questions related to these policies directly to your therapist.
HIPAA Regulations for the State of Virginia
All IPI clinicians operate in compliance with Virginia state HIPAA regulations. When you become a client (first in-office session) we are required to review HIPAA regulations with you. These regulations detail the limits of client confidentiality, and patient’s rights. Please click here to see a copy of IPI Virginia’s HIPAA documentation.
Good Faith Estimate
Each therapist at the Integrative Psychotherapy Institute is an independent practitioner and will specify their fees related to this new policy. All health care providers are required to notify clients of their federal rights and protections against “surprise billing.”
The NO SURPRISES act requires that we inform you orally and in writing of your rights to receive notification when services are provided by an out-of-network provider.
Check with your individual provider, as many of the clinicians at IPI do NOT participate in any insurance plans, therefore we are out-of-network providers. We will, however provide you with a receipt to submit to your insurance company if requested.
We will also provide you a good faith estimate (GFE) of the cost of these services.
Please be aware that it is difficult to determine the true length of treatment for mental health care as circumstances can change once treatment has begun. We also do not know how long you wish to be in treatment. Therefore your GFE will include a fee schedule for the services typically offered at the practice and your individual therapist will collaborate with you to determine how often you will meet to address
your specific needs.
It is a requirement that you sign this form but it does not obligate you to complete a specified number of sessions. Your therapist will indicate your diagnosis code and the number of sessions you will attend if you do treatment for a specified length of time. We will give you a copy of this for your records.
For questions or more information about Good Faith Estimates please visit their webpage at: https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
Code of Ethics
At IPI, we are a group of highly trained psychologists/therapists who believe in giving the very best client service available. We operate internally by a code of ethics that we wish to share with you. These ethics govern our interaction with all clients. Reading about them will give you further insight into our practice and us as individuals.
American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Code of Ethics
American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics
American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics
Confidentiality
Everything discussed in session is strictly confidential. We will disclose information about your treatment to others only with your written authorization. The only exceptions to this are suspected child abuse or neglect, the expressed intention to harm yourself or others, or a court order. Confidentiality and the above exceptions are determined by federal and state laws and by the ethical practices outlined by the professional licensing board. In the case of marriage counseling, should one of the couple give information without the other present, we reserve the right to use professional judgment regarding confidentiality between the two involved.
Sessions
Each session is scheduled for 50 minutes. If you must cancel a session, kindly do so at least 48 hours in advance of the appointment time. Each patient may miss 1 appointment per calendar year at no charge but thereafter a full session fee will be charged for any missed appointment (excluding inclement weather) without 48 hour notice.
Additional session requests:
- Please do not leave children under the age 10 unsupervised in the waiting room or expect young children to sit in on your session. This time is for you and should be free from distraction.
- Please do not bring pets into the office. If you have a certified service dog please contact the clinical director to submit appropriate paperwork prior to scheduling an appointment. Some of our patients have allergies and we need to arrange our schedules to accommodate the needs of all of our patients.
- Cell phones are prohibited from use in the waiting area.
- If you have any questions related to scheduling (setting or canceling appointments), please click here to visit our contact page for details on how to reach your IPI clinician.
Insurance and Fees
In order for us to set realistic goals, it is important to evaluate what resources you have available to pay for your treatment. If you have insurance for mental health, the first step is to determine what your insurance pays for out of network providers. Usually, this phone number is located on the back of your insurance card. Please call them before or soon after our first meeting to determine your reimbursement rate, whether there is a deductible and your maximum benefit. Ask them if a written treatment plan or preauthorization is required for psychotherapy services.
Be sure to let your insurance company know the license (Psy.D., LPC, LCSW, or LMFT) of the clinician you are using as some insurance companies will pay for only specific licenses. It is not the degree (Ph.D., M.S. or B.S.) but the license to practice that is important to the insurance company. It is the responsibility of each patient to collect this information. If you forget to do this, you may have difficulty qualifying for these benefits.
When you come to the first meeting, we will collect some written forms from you and provide you with a packet of information about fees, office policies and the HIPAA regulations that govern services. If you have any questions regarding these forms, please feel free to bring them up during your second session. Please keep a copy of your clinicians fee and cancellation policy in your records.
Internet Communication
To protect your privacy, we do not communicate with clients by email other than to make an initial contact. To make an appointment please call our offices at 1-703-385-9667.
If you are interested in contacting us for reasons other than becoming an IPI client, please click here for details on how to contact us.