Practices and Procedures
Before your first counseling session, the client must send to Dr. Arnott a signed Declaration of Practices and Procedures and Informed Consent. Thank you.
Declaration of Practices and Procedures and Informed Consent
Qualifications:
I earned a Doctor of Education degree in Counseling Psychology (2005), a Masters of Science degree in Counseling Education (1995), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology (1993). I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the following eleven states: Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. In Kentucky I am licensed as a Temporary Registered Telehealth Health Care Provider - LPC, and in New Hampshire, I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (temporary). Applications are pending in Alabama, Ohio, and Massachusetts.
Fees and Office Procedures:
The fee for services is $125 per 50-minute session and paid directly to Dr. Melissa Arnott, LPC, LCADC, NCC. Payment for services is due at the close of each session. Payment is now accepted from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Magellan Health, Oscar Health, Oxford, and United Healthcare insurance companies. If your plan has a co-pay, you will billed for the co-pay amount.
Schedule your appointment here. Appointments are typically set at the close of each session. I typically have morning, afternoon, and evening appointments available Monday through Friday. Appointments may be scheduled, rescheduled or cancelled using the link in your confirmation email, or by logging in to this site. Failure to give notice for any appointment not cancelled 24 hours in advance may result in a charge for the time reserved for you.
Privileged Communication:
It is my policy to assert privileged communication on behalf of the client and the right to consult with the client if at all possible, except during an emergency, before mandated disclosure. I will endeavor to apprise clients of all mandated disclosures as conceivable.
Client Responsibilities:
You, the client are a full partner in counseling. Your honesty and effort are essential to success. As we work together, if you have suggestions or concerns about your counseling, I expect you to share these with me so that we can make the necessary adjustments. If I determine that you would be better served by another mental health provider, I will help you with the referral process. If you are currently receiving services from another mental health professional, I expect you to inform me of this and grant me permission to share information with this professional so that we may coordinate our services to you.
Counseling Relationship:
As the Counselor, I view counseling as a process with you, the client, that helps you explore, clarify, and identify your needs, gain resources to make positive changes in your thinking and behaviors, that result in greater self-acceptance and increased satisfaction with life. Using a person-centered, Existential philosophy, our counseling relationship will emphasize life’s meaning, responsibility, and the pursuit to be “that self which one truly is” (Soren Kierkegaard).
Clients Served:
I work with clients in a variety of formats, including individually, as couples and as families. I also conduct group therapy. I see clients of all ages and backgrounds with the exception that I do not work individually with children under sixteen years of age.
Code of Conduct:
As an LPC, I am required by law to adhere to the Code of Conduct for practice that has been adopted by my licensing board for each State in which I practice. A copy of the Code of Conduct is available to you upon request. Should you wish to file a disciplinary complaint regarding my practice as a LPC, you may contact the State’s respective Board of Examiners. I also follow all Codes of Ethics for services provided for clients residing in States I am licensed in, and any specific professional organizations to which I belong.
Emergency Situations:
When no one is available to answer calls during or after normal office hours, you may leave a voicemail message and I will return your call as soon as possible. In an emergency situation please seek help through hospital emergency facilities or by calling 911.
Physical Health:
Physical health can be an important factor in the emotional well-being of an individual. If you have not had a physical examination in the last year, it is recommended that you do so. Also, please provide me with a list of any medications that you are currently taking.
Areas of Focus and Licenses:
I focus on individual counseling in areas that include depression, anxiety, abuse, sexuality, addiction, stress, anger, career and family issues, and provide assessment and evaluation. I hold a national certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC#230832), a certificate in Psychological First Aid (#13117PFA), and certification in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, I am a licensed to provide counseling services to residents in Florida (#819), Kentucky (#268008), Louisiana (#8308), Nevada (#CP1209 -R), New Hampshire (#EL06624), New Jersey (#37PC00386500), Pennsylvania (#PC000589), Texas (#85752), Virginia (#0701011255), and West Virginia (#2545). I am also a Licensed Clinical Alcohol & Drug Counselor in New Jersey (#37LC00164400).
Confidentiality:
Material revealed in counseling will remain strictly confidential except for material shared under the following circumstances, in accordance with State law:
The client signs a written release of information indicating informed consent of such release.
The client expresses intent to harm him/herself or someone else.
There is reasonable suspicion of abuse/neglect against a minor child, elderly person (60 or older), or dependent adult.
A court order is received directing the disclosure of information.
In the event of marriage or family counseling, material obtained from an adult client individually may be shared with the client’s spouse or other family members with the client’s written permission. Any material obtained from a minor client may be shared with the client’s parent or guardian.
Potential Counseling Risk:
The client should be aware that counseling poses potential risks. In the course of working together, additional problems may surface of which you were not initially aware. If this occurs, you should feel free to share these concerns with me.
Teletherapy Informed Consent Addendum
This Teletherapy Informed Consent Addendum contains important information focusing on providing counseling services using the phone or the Internet. Please read this Addendum carefully, and let me know if you have any questions. When you sign this document, it will represent an agreement between us.
Benefits and Risks of Teletherapy
Teletherapy (or Telehealth) refers to providing professional counseling services remotely using the internet and telecommunications technologies, such as video conferencing or telephone. One of the benefits of Teletherapy (or Telehealth) refers to providing professional counseling services remotely using the internet and telecommunications technologies, such as video conferencing or telephone.
One of the benefits of Teletherapy is providing services without being in the same physical location. As of July 2021, I have a license to serve residents in ten states including Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
Telehealth can be helpful, particularly during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in ensuring continuity of care as the client and counselor are otherwise unable to continue to meet in person. It is also more convenient and takes less time. Teletherapy, however, requires technical competence on both our parts to be helpful. There are many benefits to be gained through Teletherapy, along with different risks to be considered, compared to in-person counseling. For example:
Identity and Location Verification. Before Teletherapy is commenced, you agree to provide verification of your identity and that the physical location is in one of the States in which I am licensed. Services provided will be consistent with the jurisdictional licensing laws and rules in both the jurisdiction in which I am physically located and where you, the client, is physically located at the time of service.
Risks to confidentiality. As Teletherapy sessions take place wherever you are located, there is potential for other people to overhear sessions if you are not in a private place during the session. On my end, I will take reasonable steps to ensure your privacy. It is important; however, for you to make sure you find a private place for our session where you will not be interrupted. It is also important for you to protect the privacy of our session on your cell phone or other device. You should participate in therapy only while in a room or area where other people are not present and cannot overhear the conversation.
Issues related to technology. There are many ways that technology issues might impact Teletherapy. For example, technology may stop working as expected during a session, other people might be able to get access to our private conversation, or stored data could be accessed by unauthorized people or companies.
Crisis management and intervention. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please seek professional help from an emergency room, or call 911. Usually, I will not engage in Teletherapy with clients who are currently in a crisis situation requiring high levels of support and intervention. Before engaging in Teletherapy, we will develop an emergency response plan to address potential crisis situations that may arise during the course of our Teletherapy work.
Records
The Teletherapy sessions shall not be recorded in any way unless agreed to in writing by mutual consent. I will maintain a record of our session in the same way I maintain records of in-person sessions in accordance with my policies.
Electronic Communications
You will need to have or have access to certain computer or cell phone systems, to use Teletherapy counseling services. You are solely responsible for any cost to you to obtain any necessary equipment, accessories, or software to take part in Teletherapy.
For communication between sessions, I only use email communication and text messaging with your permission and only for administrative purposes unless we have made another agreement. This means that email exchanges and text messages with my office should be limited to administrative matters. This includes things like setting and changing appointments, billing matters, and other related issues. You should be aware that I cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any information communicated by email or text. Therefore, I will not discuss any clinical information by email or text and prefer that you do not either. Also, I do not regularly check my email or texts, and do not respond immediately, therefore, these methods should not be used if there is an emergency.
Treatment is most effective when clinical discussions occur at your regularly scheduled sessions. But if an urgent issue arises, you should feel free to attempt to reach me by phone. I will try to return your call within 24 hours except on weekends and holidays. If you are unable to reach me and feel that you cannot wait for me to return your call, and if you need immediate attention, contact your family physician or the nearest emergency room. If I will be unavailable for an extended time, I will provide you with the name of a colleague to contact in my absence, if necessary.
Appropriateness of Teletherapy
I will let you know if I decide that Teletherapy is no longer the most appropriate form of treatment for you. If you decide Teletherapy is not optimal for you, it is important to let me know. We will discuss options of engaging in referrals to another professional in your location who can provide appropriate services.
Teletherapy Informed Consent
This agreement is an Addendum to the Declaration of Practices and Procedures and Informed Consent signed (above), and does not amend any of the terms of that agreement. Your signature on the signed and returned form indicates agreement with its terms and conditions. I have read the Teletherapy Informed Consent Addendum of Dr. Melissa Arnott, LPC, LCADC, NCC and my signature below indicates my full informed consent to Telehealth counseling services provided by Dr. Melissa Arnott, LPC, LCADC, NCC.
Confidentiality
I have a legal and ethical responsibility to make my best efforts to protect all communications that are a part of Teletherapy services. The nature of electronic communications technologies, however, is such that I cannot guarantee that our communications will be kept confidential or that other people may not gain access to our communications. I will try to use updated encryption methods, firewalls, and back-up systems to help keep your information private, but there is a risk that our electronic communications may be compromised, unsecured, or accessed by others. You should also take reasonable steps to ensure the security of our communications (for example, only using secure networks for Teletherapy sessions and having passwords to protect the device you use for Teletherapy).
The extent of confidentiality and the exceptions to confidentiality that I outlined in my Declaration of Practices and Procedures and Informed Consent Form still apply in Teletherapy. Please let me know if you have any questions about exceptions to confidentiality.
Emergencies and Technology
Assessing and evaluating threats and other emergencies can be more difficult when conducting Teletherapy than in traditional in-person treatment. To address some of these difficulties, we will create an emergency plan before engaging in Teletherapy services. I will ask you to identify an emergency contact person who is near your location and who I will contact in the event of a crisis or emergency to assist in addressing the situation. I will ask that you sign a separate authorization form allowing me to contact your emergency contact person as needed during such a crisis or emergency.
If the session is interrupted for any reason, such as technological connection failure, and you are having an emergency, do not call me back; instead, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. Call me back after you have called or obtained emergency services.
If the session is interrupted and you are not having an emergency, disconnect from the session and I will wait two (2) minutes and then re-connect you via the Teletherapy platform on which we agreed to conduct treatment. If I do not connect via the Teletherapy platform within two (2) minutes, then call me on the phone number I provided you (609-741-7140).
Fees
The same fee rates will apply for Teletherapy as apply for in-person therapy. If there is a technological failure and we are unable to resume the connection, you will only be charged the prorated amount of actual session time.