Informed Consent and Policies
$127.00
Consents and policies are not just a bureaucratic necessity. They are some of the cornerstones of ethical psychotherapy. Informed consents are required legal documents that ensure the client understands the nature of therapy, their rights, potential risks and benefits involved in therapy, and your practice policies. Researched and written to fulfill federal standards, Documentation Wizard’s forms have been extensively reviewed and approved by two attorneys, a bioethicist, and a medical editor. They can and should be customized to suit your practice needs and state requirements.
Documentation Wizard’s Essential Informed Consents and Policies Package is fundamental for every therapy practice and includes:
- Informed Consent for Services and Practice Policies
- Social Media Policy
- Informed Consent for Telemental Health
- Artificial Intelligence Forms (now included)
- AI Safety Checklist for Therapists
- Disclosure for Using Artificial Intelligence
Documentation Wizard’s Essential Informed Consents and Policies Package includes the consents and policies needed in every practice. They are a process where the therapist shares information with the client so the client can make an informed decision about participating in treatment. They are more than a form. They are part of the clinical process, modeling clear boundaries and expectations. Ideally, consents are given in writing and discussed during your first session. They are dynamic and not a one-time event. They may need to be revisited as your practice evolves. Periodically checking in with your clients supports their continued understanding and agreement.
Let’s Take a Closer Look at Each Included Form:
1. INFORMED CONSENT FOR SERVICES AND PRACTICE POLICIES
The Informed Consent for Services and Practice Policies is an essential risk management strategy. It empowers clients by providing needed information. It educates clients about what to expect from treatment and your office policies. It fosters collaboration, trust, and openness. It demystifies and helps to reduce the client’s anxiety about starting therapy.
This informed consent and policies address:
- Risks and benefits of psychotherapy
- Alternatives to therapy
- What to expect in therapy
- Cancellation and rescheduling policies
- How to address emergencies, illness, and inclement weather
- Confidentiality and limits to confidentiality
- Professional fees, payment, and payment methods
- Legal issues and court appearances
- Pros and cons of using insurance
- Professional records and disclosures
- How to contact the therapist for emergencies and non-emergencies
- Contact outside of therapy
- Weapons, scents, and touch in therapy
- Plan for custodial records
- Termination of services
- And more…
Customization
These documents should be customized to reflect your practice needs and state requirements. Areas that may need to be customized are highlighted in yellow for easy identification. You may make any changes needed other than the copyright. These documents are not a substitute for legal advice.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Because social media is a major part of our culture, having a policy about its use is essential for the confidentiality of both the client and the therapist. There are no laws governing the use of social media in mental health care. But there are ethical guidelines.
This policy includes:
- Risks and benefits of using social media both as a user in general and specifically to the therapeutic relationship
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Limits to confidentiality and emergencies
- Contact policies: how to handle requests to connect, mutual contacts, and searches
- Social media platforms the therapist uses and how they are used.
- Business review sites
Customization
This document can and should be customized to reflect your practice needs. Areas that may need to be customized are highlighted in yellow for easy identification. You may make any changes needed other than the copyright. This document is not a substitute for legal advice.
3. INFORMED CONSENT FOR TELEMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Telehealth is an accepted form of delivering mental health services and is covered by most insurance companies. Telehealth’s unique challenges and considerations make a thorough informed consent critical.
This informed consent covers:
- The delivery and value of using telehealth
- Risks and benefits of using telehealth
- Alternative Options to telehealth
- Confidentiality and Privacy and how to protect them
- Limits to Confidentiality
- Emergency Protocols and Contacts
- Technical Requirements
- How potential security breaches are handled
- How difficulties with technology are handled
- Recordings of the telehealth session
Customization
This document can and should be customized to reflect your practice needs. Areas that may need to be customized are highlighted in yellow for easy identification. You may make any changes needed other than the copyright. This document is not a substitute for legal advice.
4a. DISCLOSURE FOR USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
AI is a useful tool that psychotherapists may use to support them in completing administrative tasks and clinical documentation. In this evolving landscape of ethical challenges and legal risks, current regulatory standards governing the use of AI in mental health treatment are unclear. Additionally, there are no formal training protocols on the use of AI. Therefore, this document is not a formal “consent.” It is a “disclosure.” There is, however, an ethical framework based on our codes of ethics from which to monitor the use of AI. This disclosure provides the framework to recognize, analyze, resolve, or prevent ethical and legal risks in your clinical practice associated with the use of AI so that both the client and the therapist are protected.
This disclosure outlines the risks of AI and how they are addressed including:
- Security, confidentiality, and privacy issues as related to HIPAA and HITECH
- Data retention and storage
- Cultural bias
- “Hallucinations” or inaccurate information
- Potential loss of critical thinking, creativity, and human intuition
- Transparency, impersonation, cyberattacks, potential job loss
- And more…
4b. AI SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR THERAPISTS
A therapist should not use any AI tool without training on the use of AI and after determining under what circumstances AI is a safe adjunctive tool for their psychotherapy practice. The AI disclosure comes with this checklist to help the therapist determine if the AI software is competent and capable of meeting the ethical requirements of HIPAA and HITECH. This checklist is not a replacement for training on the use of AI or a substitute for legal advice.
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Informed Consent and Policies
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