Office & Financial Policies

It is important to know that the purpose of psychotherapy is to improve mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. There are few risks associated with treatment. However, a potential barrier to treatment being successful is the added stress that may come when office and financial policies are not well understood. Therefore, to work most effectively together we have found it is important to define office and financial policies in advance. Please look over the frequently asked questions about office policies below. Once you are an established client, Psychodrama New Jersey will continue to review these policies with you annually.

Do you take insurance?

No, The therapists at PNJ are considered “fee for service” or “out-of-network” providers. We made the decision to withdraw from in-network insurance panels so that we could devote more time and energy to providing quality clinical care. Instead of spending countless hours on billing paperwork and communicating with insurance companies about payment for services already provided, we get to focus on what we do best—therapy!

We understand that navigating out-of-network benefits can be confusing, so we’ve partnered with Thrizer to make the process easier. You can check your out-of-network benefits by clicking here.

You can check your out-of-network benefits by clicking here. If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, we can use Thrizer to process payment for your sessions and automatically submit claims to your insurance company on your behalf. Depending on your specific insurance benefits and eligibility, Thrizer may also offer the option to pay only your estimated out-of-pocket portion at the time of your session rather than paying the full session fee upfront and waiting for reimbursement.

How do I prepare for my appointment?

Complete the intake paperwork via the Client Portal. Once your appointment has been scheduled, you will receive an email with a link to register and complete the new client paperwork. Doing this is important, as filling out the forms in person will take time away that could be spent speaking with your therapist.
Bring your photo identification with you to your first appointment.

How do I pay for services?

Payment is required in full at the beginning of each session unless otherwise arranged. We accept payment for services by credit card, check, or from a flexible spending account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA). Note: there is an additional $35 fee for any stopped or “bounced” checks or denied credit card charges.
This office does not accept Medicaid or Medicare.
Thrizer: We have partnered with Thrizer to handle the out-of-network process automatically for you. With Thrizer, you will only have to pay a copay for our sessions*.

Here is how Thrizer works:

We will email you a link to create a Thrizer account.
You add your insurance information and a payment method to set up your account.
Review your out-of-network benefits and estimated co-insurance to clarify any questions you have‍.
We charge you for your session via Thrizer. ^

*Unless you have a Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan, in which case you will have pay the full session fee upfront and will receive reimbursement in a few weeks.

^Please note: Thrizer charges a 5% fee of the session rate if you would like to just pay a copay at the time of services; you will pay that fee at the time of our session along with your copay. If you are okay paying my full fee and waiting for reimbursement, you have the option to choose that route instead for just a 1% fee. That fee gets deducted from the reimbursement that comes to your bank account. If you are still working towards a deductible, you do not pay any fees.

Self Pay: When you are not seeking reimbursement through your insurance company, the office will supply a Good Faith Estimate at the beginning of treatment which will clarify any and all costs of treatment costs up front.

What are the fee's for services?

Fees are set based on the experience level and areas of expertise of each therapist.

Please visit Our Team page to learn more about the therapist you are interested in working with. There, you can review each therapist’s clinical background, areas of expertise, and fee schedule.

When you contact our office to schedule an appointment, we will review all applicable treatment costs with you before your first session so you know what to expect.

Cancellations: The appointment time you schedule is reserved exclusively for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice.

Cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice: A $75 late cancellation fee will be charged.
Cancellation within 3 hours of your appointment or failure to attend without notice: You will be charged the full session fee.
Cancellation and missed appointment fees cannot be billed to insurance and are the responsibility of the client. If you miss two consecutive scheduled appointments without appropriate notification, Psychodrama New Jersey, LLC reserves the right to collect any applicable missed-session fees and discontinue services.

Tardiness: Scheduled sessions begin at your previously arranged appointment time. Your fee is based on that time period. Session fees cannot be prorated and session timeframes cannot be extended, therefore prompt arrival is in the best interest of our clients.

What if I am late or have to cancel?

What are my rights and how is my privacy protected?

Treatment at Psychodrama New Jersey centers on a holistic approach to psychotherapy. We are committed to the delivery of competent services and recognize the importance of your role in treatment. Working with a skilled clinician in an office that is guided by sound ethical practice and state regulations help our clients to have confidence in the treatment they are provided. Anyone engaging in treatment should read Psychodrama New Jersey’s Privacy Practices in full and ask any questions necessary to fully understand this information.

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and therapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but during the session. You can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone except when state law, HIPAA, and professional ethics require exceptions.

Some examples of exceptions to confidentiality include:

Suspected past or present abuse or neglect.
If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming themselves or has threatened to harm another person.

Client Rights

1. Right to Voluntary Treatment

If you are a legal adult (18 or older in NJ), you have the right to request voluntary mental health services.

You have a right to:

Receive a comprehensive, individualized assessment of your needs and problem areas.
A customized treatment plan, to be reviewed at regular intervals, developed with your input, and implemented with your full consent.
Consistent and ethical treatment, terminating our treatment when it is no longer needed or at your request.
Referrals to other competent professionals and resources as adjunctive treatment options, reflective of your treatment plan.
Return to treatment following termination.
Be considered for treatment despite inability to pay the full fee (not unwilling) and be considered for a reduced fee based on specific standardized criteria.

2. Right to Refuse Treatment

You have a right to:

Refuse treatment and receive a referral to another qualified mental health professional.
Be informed about risks associated with refusing treatment.

3. Right to Confidentiality/Privacy

You have a right to:

Confidentiality and to understand how your privacy is protected (Please read Notice of Privacy Policy & Technology & Social Media Policy).
You have the right to be informed if any of your PHI has been breached or compromised.
Determine the amount of information to be released, whether to or from anyone, by signing an Authorization to Release Mental Health Information.

4. Right to Comfortable Mental & Physical Environment

You have a right to:

Be treated with courtesy, respect, and professionally.
Feel comfortable, safe and be afforded a sense of privacy in my office.

5. Right to Information

You have a right to:

Understand what you can expect during treatment with Psychodrama New Jersey including appointments, fees, and all relevant office practices, policies, and procedures.
Know therapist credentials, educational experience, treatment philosophy, professional Code of Ethics, NJ State Social Work Licensure requirements, Federal HIPAA regulations.

6. Right to a Grievance Procedure

You have a right to:

File a formal complaint against Psychodrama New Jersey, LLC if you feel that you have been wronged or mistreated in any manner. If you wish to file a complaint, you have the right to file a complaint verbally or in writing to L. Scott Urmey B.S., M.S.W., L.C.S.W., T.E.P. at P.O. Box 3063, Long Branch, NJ, 07740 or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 or by calling (202) 619-0257. All complaints will be handled respectfully, with the intention of a resolution, and you will not be retaliated against.

What is PNJ's Technology & Social Media Policy?

Technology

As mental health professionals, Psychodrama NJ staff are mindful of professional boundaries, confidentiality, and privacy when using the Internet, technology, and social media. If an online interaction occurs or you have questions about how we use technology, we encourage you to discuss it directly with your therapist or a member of our staff.

Technology and online platforms continue to change, so this policy may be updated as needed. If significant changes are made that affect your care or privacy, you will be notified. We welcome any questions or concerns you may have.

Location Services & Privacy

If you use location-based services on your phone, watch, or other mobile device, we encourage you to be aware of the potential privacy implications. Some social media platforms and mobile applications include location-sharing or “check-in” features.

Intentionally or unintentionally sharing your location while at an office where clinical services are provided could allow others to infer that you are receiving services there. Because this may affect your confidentiality and privacy, we encourage you to review the location and privacy settings on your personal devices and social media accounts.

Social Media

Psychodrama NJ therapists do not accept friend, follow, or personal contact requests from current or former therapy clients on personal social media accounts. Connecting with clients through personal social media may compromise confidentiality and privacy and can blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship.

Psychodrama NJ is both a clinical practice and a professional training institute. As part of our non-clinical activities, we maintain a public presence on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share information about continuing education, professional training, supervision, practice updates, and other educational offerings.

There is no expectation that therapy clients follow or interact with Psychodrama NJ on social media. If you choose to follow, like, comment on, or otherwise interact with one of our public accounts, please be aware that your activity may be visible to others and could potentially identify your connection to Psychodrama NJ. This may create a risk to your privacy or confidentiality.

Our therapists will not follow your personal social media accounts or search for information about you online. If there is something from your online life that you would like your therapist to see or discuss, we encourage you to bring it into your session so that you and your therapist can review and explore it together as part of your therapeutic work.

What's the best way to communicate with my therapist between sessions?

If you need to communicate between sessions, the best way is to call the main office phone, 732-686-9427. We also offer secure text/email messaging through our secure client portal system, Simple Practice. We prefer using this feature only to arrange or modify appointments, if necessary. Please do not text content related to therapy sessions through this system. If your therapist is away or unavailable for an extended amount of time, the re will be an automated outgoing reply message that will have detailed information about their ability to return messages.

Once an appointment is scheduled, you will be sent a secured email through the secure client portal system to establish your Client Portal, where you will be able to access confidential information. If you choose to communicate with us by email and/or text message with this system, please be aware that these are retained in the logs of your Internet Service Provider (ISP). While it is unlikely that someone will look at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrators of the ISP. You should also know that any emails and text messages received become a part of your clinical record. It is also important to know that if you choose to provide your email/phone number for appointment reminders, the information will be sent via Simple Practice Client portal system which will help protect your information as best as possible, but it will not be encrypted.

Email and text messaging are very popular and convenient ways to communicate for a lot of people, so in their latest modifications to the HIPAA act, the federal government provided guidance. This information is available in PDF (page 5634) on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-01-25/pdf/2013-01073.pdf. The guidelines state that if a client is made aware of the risks of unencrypted email, and that the client consents to receive personal health information via email, then a health entity may send that client medical information via unencrypted email.

Office & Financial Policies

Do you take insurance?

How do I prepare for my appointment?

Bring your photo identification with you to your first appointment.

How do I pay for services?

This office does not accept Medicaid or Medicare. ​

Thrizer: We have partnered with Thrizer to handle the out-of-network process automatically for you. With Thrizer, you will only have to pay a copay for our sessions*.

Here is how Thrizer works:

Self Pay: When you are not seeking reimbursement through your insurance company, the office will supply a Good Faith Estimate at the beginning of treatment which will clarify any and all costs of treatment costs up front.​

What are the fee's for services?

Fees are set based on the experience level and areas of expertise of each therapist.

Please visit Our Team page to learn more about the therapist you are interested in working with. There, you can review each therapist’s clinical background, areas of expertise, and fee schedule.

When you contact our office to schedule an appointment, we will review all applicable treatment costs with you before your first session so you know what to expect.

Cancellations: The appointment time you schedule is reserved exclusively for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice.

​​

Cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice: A $75 late cancellation fee will be charged.

Cancellation within 3 hours of your appointment or failure to attend without notice: You will be charged the full session fee.

​​

Tardiness: Scheduled sessions begin at your previously arranged appointment time. Your fee is based on that time period. Session fees cannot be prorated and session timeframes cannot be extended, therefore prompt arrival is in the best interest of our clients.

What if I am late or have to cancel?

What are my rights and how is my privacy protected?

Some examples of exceptions to confidentiality include:

Suspected past or present abuse or neglect.

If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming themselves or has threatened to harm another person.

Client Rights

1. Right to Voluntary Treatment

If you are a legal adult (18 or older in NJ), you have the right to request voluntary mental health services.

You have a right to:

Receive a comprehensive, individualized assessment of your needs and problem areas.

A customized treatment plan, to be reviewed at regular intervals, developed with your input, and implemented with your full consent.

Consistent and ethical treatment, terminating our treatment when it is no longer needed or at your request.

Referrals to other competent professionals and resources as adjunctive treatment options, reflective of your treatment plan.

Return to treatment following termination.

Be considered for treatment despite inability to pay the full fee (not unwilling) and be considered for a reduced fee based on specific standardized criteria.

2. Right to Refuse Treatment

You have a right to:

Refuse treatment and receive a referral to another qualified mental health professional.

Be informed about risks associated with refusing treatment.

3. Right to Confidentiality/Privacy

You have a right to:

Confidentiality and to understand how your privacy is protected (Please read Notice of Privacy Policy & Technology & Social Media Policy).

You have the right to be informed if any of your PHI has been breached or compromised.

Determine the amount of information to be released, whether to or from anyone, by signing an Authorization to Release Mental Health Information.

4. Right to Comfortable Mental & Physical Environment

You have a right to:

Be treated with courtesy, respect, and professionally.

Feel comfortable, safe and be afforded a sense of privacy in my office.

5. Right to Information

You have a right to:

Understand what you can expect during treatment with Psychodrama New Jersey including appointments, fees, and all relevant office practices, policies, and procedures.

Know therapist credentials, educational experience, treatment philosophy, professional Code of Ethics, NJ State Social Work Licensure requirements, Federal HIPAA regulations.

6. Right to a Grievance Procedure

You have a right to:

What is PNJ's Technology & Social Media Policy?

Technology

​

Technology and online platforms continue to change, so this policy may be updated as needed. If significant changes are made that affect your care or privacy, you will be notified. We welcome any questions or concerns you may have.

Location Services & Privacy

If you use location-based services on your phone, watch, or other mobile device, we encourage you to be aware of the potential privacy implications. Some social media platforms and mobile applications include location-sharing or “check-in” features.

​

Social Media

​

What's the best way to communicate with my therapist between sessions?

This office does not accept Medicaid or Medicare.

Self Pay: When you are not seeking reimbursement through your insurance company, the office will supply a Good Faith Estimate at the beginning of treatment which will clarify any and all costs of treatment costs up front.