Policies & Practices

Terms & Conditions

CANCELLATION POLICIES

Cancelling INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP services MORE THAN 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time:

-To cancel a service within this time frame, click on the “Change/Cancel Appointment,” button at the bottom of the confirmation e-mail you received after purchasing the session, and follow the prompts.

-Any services cancelled within this time frame will be issued a full refund, no questions asked.

-All refunds will be issued back to the card used to purchase the service being refunded.

Cancelling INDIVIDUAL services LESS THAN 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time:

-If a paid service needs to be cancelled within this time frame, an email notification must be sent to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com PRIOR to 15 minutes past the scheduled start time of the service to avoid incurring a no-show.

-Up to 2 cancellations can be made within this time frame. No refund will be issued; however, you will receive a return e-mail to discuss a good time to reschedule.

-If 3 or more cancellations needs to be made within this time frame, it is considered equivalent to a no-show (therefore, no refunds will be issued, and the service cannot be rescheduled); however, additional services can be scheduled/purchased again at any time.

Cancellating GROUP services LESS THAN 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time:

-If a paid service needs to be cancelled within this time frame, an email notification must be sent to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com BEFORE 12 hours PRIOR the scheduled start time of the service to avoid incurring a no-show.

-Up to 2 cancellations can be made within this time frame. No refund will be issued; however, you will receive a return e-mail to discuss a good time to reschedule.

-If 3 or more cancellations needs to be made within this time frame, it is considered equivalent to a no-show (therefore, no refunds will be issued, and the service cannot be rescheduled); however, additional services can be scheduled/purchased again at any time.

RESCHEDULING POLICIES (both INDIVIDUAL & GROUP SERVICES)

Rescheduling services MORE THAN 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time:

-To reschedulea service within this time frame, click on the “Change/Cancel Appointment,” button at the bottom of the confirmation e-mail you received after purchasing the session, and follow the prompts.

-Any service can be rescheduled as many times as needed if done so within this time frame.

Rescheduling services LESS THAN 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time:

-If you need to reschedule a service within this time frame, a notification e-mail must be sent to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com MORE THAN 12 HOURS PRIOR to the scheduled start time. You will the receive a return e-mail to discuss a time to reschedule (if notification is received LESS THAN 12 hours prior the scheduled start time, this is considered a cancellation). Each separate paid service can be rescheduled only one time with LESS than 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time.

-Each individual or group can reschedule, within this time frame, 3 separate services.

-If a 4th separate service needs to be rescheduled within this time frame, this will be considered a “third” cancellation (therefore, no refund will be issued, and the session cannot be rescheduled); however, additional services can be scheduled/purchased again at any time.

NO-SHOW POLICIES

INDIVIDUAL SERVICES definition of a no-show: When an individual is MORE THAN 15 minutes late attending a scheduled service, without prior e-mail notification sent to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com.

Policy: No refund will be issued; however, each customer is allowed to reschedule one no-show. If you would like to reschedule your first no-show, send an email to notify Douglass Voice Help and you will receive a return e-mail to discuss a good time to reschedule.

-If 2 or more no-shows occur, the service cannot be rescheduled, and no refund will be issued; however, additional services can be scheduled/purchased again at any time.

GROUP SERVICES definition of a no-show: When an entire group neglects to attend a scheduled service, without e-mail notification sent to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com prior to the scheduled start time.

Policy: No refund will be issued, and the service cannot be rescheduled; however, additional services can be scheduled/purchased again at any time.

NDIVIDUALS or GROUP Free phone consultations: The first no-show can be re-scheduled via e-mail request to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com; however, a second no-show cannot be rescheduled. If you have had 2 no shows, you can purchase a 30-minute phone consultation for $75.00 via an e-mail request to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com.

GROUP ATTENDANCE POLICIES

-Douglass Voice Help does not monitor tardiness to sessions, early exit from sessions, or participant attendance.

-If there will be scheduled participants who are ill or have extentuating circumstances and cannot attend the session, the group must send e-mail notification of this to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com PRIOR to the scheduled start time of the session. When Douglass Voice Help is notified of an absence PRIOR to the session start time, the price of the group service will be adjusted down each participant who is not attending the session (via group size pricing structure) and the group will be refunded accordingly (refunds will be issued on the credit/debit card used to purchase the service).

-If a participant does not attend the training and prior e-mail notification has not been sent to contact@douglassvoicehelp.com, no refund will be issued for the missing participant.

LATE POLICIES for INDIVIDUAL SERVICES (late policies are not applicable for group services)

If you are MORE THAN 15 minutes late signing onto a scheduled paid service…

…WITHOUT providing prior e-mail notification sent to Douglass Voice Help: This is considered a no-show.

…WITH e-mail notification sent to Douglass Voice Help:

-For THERAPY SERVICES: Due to time minimums required by law, the session will need to be rescheduled and is considered a cancellation (see cancellation section for policies). You will receive an e-mail from Douglass Voice Help to discuss a good time to reschedule.

-For ALL NON-THERAPY SERVICES: The session can still be held, using the remaining time scheduled. To begin the session, you must send e-mail notification to contact @douglassvoicehelp.com that you are have signed into the virtual waiting room (please allow a few minutes or so after signing into the waiting room to for the session to begin).

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY POLICIES for INDIVIDUALS & GROUPS

If more than 15 minutes is lost to connectivity or equipment problems during a session…

…Due to Douglass Voice Help’s equipment failure: You and Douglass Voice Help will find a time to meet to make up the lost time.

…Due to inadequacies or failure of the customer’s equipment: For the first and second occurrences, you and Douglass Voice Help will find a time to meet to make up the lost time. If this occurs 3 or more times, the session will end at the scheduled time, without lost time being made up.

If you have technical difficulties which may lead to being MORE THAN 15 minutes late attending a scheduled service: You must notify Douglass Voice Help BEFORE 15 minutes past the scheduled start time in order to avoid incurring a no-show. In the case that your internet is not working, you can alternatively call or text 541-275-0222 to notify Douglass Voice Help.

POLICIES FOR THERAPY SERVICES

MINORS IN THERAPY: If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your treatment. I will discuss with you and your parents what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

PARENT/GUARDIAN PRESENCE AT SESSIONS: A parent or guardian must be present for at least the first session with any child under the age of 18. For follow-up sessions, parents/guardians must be present if their child requires this for adequate compliance. Even if this is not required for compliance (as with older children), it still may be of significant benefit for parents to be present for their child’s sessions, but this is not required.

BEHAVIOR: There are times when children, especially those under age 5, may refuse to cooperate during a session. If this occurs during a session, the session can be rescheduled. Upon the third occurrence, the session cannot be rescheduled, and you will receive a 50% refund of the session cost. Upon the fourth occurrence, the session cannot be rescheduled, and no refund will be issued.

INTERPRETER POLICY FOR THERAPY: For non-native English speakers who are not fluent in English and require use of an interpreter, please be aware that an interpreter must be present during our entire session. If an interpreter cannot be present at the scheduled session time, the client/patient must reschedule for a time when the interpreter can be available. DOUGLASS Voice Help does not supply interpreters. The first time a scheduled interpreter does not show up for a session, the session can be rescheduled. If this occurs two or more times, the session cannot be rescheduled, and you will receive a 50% refund of the session cost.

TERMINATION POLICY FOR THERAPY: Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate time for termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. DOUGLASS Voice Help may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with the patient if it is determined that the treatment is not being effectively or safely used.

COMMUNICATION POLICIES

TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY: DOUGLASS Voice Help does not answer phone calls, but if the customer needs to reach us by phone, we can be reached at contact@douglassvoicehelp.com, and we can set up a time to connect on the phone.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION: Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail are considered tele-medicine by the State of California. Under the California Tele-medicine Act of 1996, tele-medicine is broadly defined as the use of information technology to deliver medical services and information from one location to another. If the patient and therapist chose to use information technology for some or all of the therapeutic treatment, the patient needs to understand that:

1.         The customer retains the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time.

2.         All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable.

3.         The patient’s access to all medical information transmitted during a telemedicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee.

4.         Dissemination of any of the patient’s identifiable images or information from the telemedicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without their consent.

5.         There are potential risks, consequences, and benefits of telemedicine. Potential benefits include, but are not limited to improved communication capabilities, providing convenient access to up-to-date information, consultations, support, reduced costs, improved quality, change in the conditions of practice, improved access to treatment, better continuity of care, and reduction of lost work time and travel costs. Effective treatment is often facilitated when the healthcare provider gathers within a session or a series of sessions, a multitude of observations, information, and experiences about the client. The provider may make assessments, diagnosis, and interventions based not only on direct verbal or auditory communications, written reports, and third person consultations, but also from direct visual observations, information, and experiences. When using information technology in services, potential risks include, but are not limited to the provider’s inability to make visual observations of clinically or therapeutically potentially relevant issues such as: your physical condition including deformities, apparent height and weight, body type, subtle attributes of speech and voice quality, gait and motor coordination, posture, work speed, any noteworthy mannerism or gestures, physical or medical conditions including bruises or injuries, chronological and apparent age, ethnicity, facial and body language, and congruence of language and facial or bodily expression. Potential consequences thus include the provider not being aware of what he or she would consider important information.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION: Due to the importance of maintaining confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, Drew Douglass does not accept friend or contact requests on personal accounts from clients on any social networking site (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). Adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If there are questions about this, please bring them up when we chat on the phone and we can talk more about it.

PRIVACY POLICY

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

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.  I. MY PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:  I understand that health information about you and your health care is personal. I am committed to protecting health information about you. I create a record of the care and services you receive from me. I 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 practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which I may use and disclose health information about you. I also describe your rights to the health information I keep about you, and describe certain obligations I have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. I am required by law to:  Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.  Give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.  Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.  I can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information I have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request.  II. HOW I MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:  The following categories describe different ways that I use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures I will explain what I mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways I am permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.  For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. I 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 health care provider were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your personal health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the health care provider in diagnosis and treatment of your condition.  Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Because 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, I may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. I 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:  Session Notes: I do keep “Session notes” and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is:  a. For my use in treating you.  b. For my use in training or supervising associates to help them improve their clinical skills.  c. For my use in defending myself in legal proceedings instituted by you.  d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my 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 session 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.  Marketing Purposes. As a health care provider, I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.  Sale of PHI. As a health care provider, I will not sell your PHI in the regular course of my business.  IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION.  Subject to certain limitations in the law, I can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons:  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.  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.  For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.  For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.  For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on my premises.  To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.  For research purposes, including studying and comparing the patients who received one form of care versus those who received another form of care for the same condition.  Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counterintelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.  For workers’ compensation purposes. Although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, I may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.  Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. I may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with me. I may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that I offer.  V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT.  Disclosures to family, friends, or others. I 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:  The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask me not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. I am not required to agree to your request, and I may say “no” if I believe it would affect your health care.  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.  The Right to Choose How I Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask me to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and I will agree to all reasonable requests.  The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “session notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that I have about you. I 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 I may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so.  The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures I Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which I have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided me with an Authorization. I will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list I will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. I will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, I will charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for each additional request.  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 I correct the existing information or add the missing information. I may say “no” to your request, but I will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.  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.   

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE:  This notice went into effect on [09/13/21]