The policy also states that a client will be discharged if there are two (2) consecutive missed psychiatric appointments or three (3), consecutive missed appointments with their therapist, whichever occurs first. If you foresee a scheduling conflict please speak with your front desk staff/therapist so we may work with you.

Cognitive Behavioral Services Inc. places the people we serve at the center of everything we do. The safety and wellbeing of our clients and staff is our foremost concern. Telehealth counseling sessions are just as important as in person sessions. The value of making sure the experience is professional online is more challenging, but very important for therapeutic results. Here are some etiquette tips to make the most of your telehealth experience. 

• The client must be present.

• Whether child or adult, if the client is not present the appointment will be cancelled. 

• Find the best location possible.

• Therapists have guidelines for confidentiality, privacy and setting locations on their end; clients are encouraged to do the same.

• Be in a safe location. Do not drive or do anything that may endanger your life and take the focus away from your therapy time. If you are driving, the appointment will be re-scheduled.

• If the client is a child the child must be present for therapy. 

• If using a phone for a session, again, try to sit still. Walking around can make the other viewer distracted and even nauseous.

• Try to protect your privacy.

• In order to maintain confidentiality, inform your family members that you are in an important meeting and need to not be disturbed.

• Parents of youth receiving services are asked to respect the ability for the youth to receive these services without others overhearing.

• Use a headset so that at least half of the conversation cannot be overheard.

• Limit your distractions.

• Turn off notifications on the device you are using and remove other devices from your vicinity.

• Other noise and visual distractions should be limited as much as possible (pets, children, potential interruptions).

• Dress for the public.

• Clients are encouraged to dress comfortably, but in normal public attire.

• Reconnect, if the connection is lost.

• At the beginning of your session, be sure to confirm with your therapist how you will reconnect if your session is interrupted.

• If you are unable to connect with Zoom, let the medical assistant know. We can accommodate calls or have you come into the office. 

We want to ensure that even though we are apart you are still able to get the most out of your time with the therapist or psychiatrist. I

• Each client has the right to quality treatment and may include one or more of the following. (Cada cliente tiene el derecho a tratamiento de calidad  y puede incluir uno o más de los siguientes).
  • Outpatient Psychotherapy: individual, group, or family. (Psicoterapia ambulatoria: individual de grupo o de familia).

• Psychiatric Evaluation (Evaluación psiquiátrica).

• Psychiatric Medication Management (Manejo de medicamentos psiquiátricos).

• Assessment (Evaluación).

• Services will be provided by an appropriately trained mental health professional.  (Los servicios serán proveídos por un profesional apropiado de salud mental).

• The client has a right to confidentiality. Information cannot be released or received without written permission of the client. / El cliente tiene derecho a la confidencialidad.  La información no puede ser dada o recibida sin un permiso escrito del cliente.

• The client has the right to informed consent. The client has the right to full knowledge of the parameters of any research study or medical procedure. / El cliente tiene el derecho a consentimiento informado. Tiene derecho al conocimiento complete de los parámetros de cualquier investigación o procedimiento médico.

• A client has the right to review his/her record under conditions prescribed in the agency’s Confidentiality Policy. / El cliente tiene derecho a revisar su record bajo las condiciones prescritas en la Política de Confidencialidad de la agencia.

• A client has a right to register complaints about the services s/he is receiving according to the Grievance Procedure. / El cliente tiene derecho a registrar quejas sobre los servicios  que está recibiendo de acuerdo al Procedimiento de Quejas.

• If the client perceives that s/he has been discriminated against due to race, sex, age, ethnic origin, religious belief, sexual orientation or health status while receiving treatment, the client can pursue a grievance through the appropriate channels as outlined in “Problem Resolution Procedure”, given to each client at Intake and posted in the unit. / Si el/la cliente percibe que ha sido discriminado/a por su raza, sexo, edad, origen étnico, creencias religiosas, orientación sexual o estado de salud, mientras recibe tratamiento, el cliente puede proceder con una queja a través de los canales apropiados señalados en Procedimiento de resolución de Problemas.

• While receiving services, a client is expected to be responsible to the treatment. Is expected  to: (Mientras recibe tratamiento el cliente debe ser responsable al tratamiento, se espera que:)

• Comply to the scheduled office based appointments, as well as treatment plans and behavioral contracts developed with the informed consent of the client. / Cumplir con las citas a la oficina, así como con el plan de tratamiento y contratos conductuales desarrollados con el consentimiento informado del cliente.

• Call the office in advance of missed appointments at least 48 hours in advance. Repeated missed appointments, for non-medical reasons, may result in termination of treatment. /Llamar con anticipación cuando va a faltar a una cita con 48 horas de avance. Citas perdidas repetidamente, por razones no médicas, puede resultar en terminación del tratamiento.

• Maintain abstinence from drug and alcohol abuse.  / Mantener la abstinencia de drogas y abuso de alcohol.

• While on the premises, maintain appropriate behavior. /Mientras está en el edificio, debe mantener una conducta apropiada.

Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general. Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life. Recovery is a lifelong process, reach out to your therapist for more information and to incorporate smoking cessation as part of your recovery plan.

PA has many free resources to help you quit!

All of the resources listed below are free. If you have health insurance through Medicaid, you may get nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, or other medications to help you quit for as little as $1 a month.

If you have private insurance or Medicare, call your insurance company for more information

Under the Affordable Care Act, many insurance plans should cover smoking cessation services, including counseling and medications.

For more information, call the member services number on your insurance card.

Addiction is a life long struggle but you don’t have to face it alone.