Privacy & Practice Policies

Privacy Policy

Chalfont Guidance Center, LLC (CGC) is a HIPAA compliant practice, and operates under all guidelines as stated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and all updates. For a full overview of the policy, please visit hhs.gov. Patients are entitled to privacy regarding information disclosed in sessions. The only exception is disclosure of information that indicates imminent risk to the patient or someone else. In these cases, appropriate notifications will be made by the provider.

Medication and Prescription Refill Policy

Medication management is an important and routine part of psychiatric care. CGC restricts medication management to within the field of psychiatry, with exceptions made only at the discretion of the provider based on treatment planning. If you have been previously prescribed medications prior to treatment with CGC, you must provide documentation of previously prescribed medication. CGC provider(s) are not obligated to order or prescribe any medication.

Medication refills are prescribed at scheduled appointments. Treatment planning is designed to ensure refills are provided without lapses in medication. Occasionally, additional refills will be required outside of scheduled appointments. If a medication refill is required, the request must be submitted via phone call to the office. Authorized refill requests will be completed within 5 business days of the request being made.

All refill requests are authorized at the discretion of the provider. In order for refills to be authorized, patients must be participating in treatment. If a patients has missed session(s), refills may not be authorized until an appointment is completed.

Cancellation and No Show Policy

All patients must maintain a credit card on file. To cancel an appointment, please notify the provider greater than 48 hours in advance. No fee will be applied for appointments cancelled greater than 48 hours. If an appointment is cancelled less than 48 hours in advance, the following fees will apply: $200 cancellation fee for psychiatric evaluations and $125 cancellation fee for medication management appointments. Exceptions to this fee schedule are rare. A missed appointment may result in discharge from the practice. If a patient is discharged from the practice, a 30 day supply of most current medication will be ordered, if deemed appropriate by the provider; and a list of referral agencies will be provided to the patient/parent or guardian via email. Notification of discharge will occur either via phone or email by the practice.

Telehealth Policy and Location Requirements

For virtual visits, all appointments will be conducted via a HIPAA compliant telehealth audio/video portals. A web camera, (via computer, smartphone, etc.) must be utilized for sessions.

Due to insurance requirements, the patient/client must be physically located in the state of Pennsylvania when the session occurs.