Referred By Your Social Worker?

A Private Service

Why are you coming to see us?

Your social worker will have discussed with you why you are being referred to Dr. John Swaine and Associates. The most common reasons are for a specialized assessment or counselling because of family stress, or child / teen issues.

Why see a private therapist?

Public services often do not provide the kinds of services which you or your family may need. They may have long waiting lists, or for other reasons cannot see you as rapidly as is needed. Some social workers prefer to be able to select a therapist of their choice to provide their clients with the specific services they need.

Whatever the reasons why you were referred to us, Dr. John Swaine & Associates welcomes the opportunity to serve you.

What Will Happen?

What will happen first?

Your first session will be an orientation session and most of this time will be spent in going over current problems, issues and concerns. Having as much background information as possible before this session will, of course, help to save valuable time. You may be asked to fill in some forms to bring to this first meeting.

General feedback about the key issues will be given to you at the conclusion of this initial meeting. This may involve practical suggestions, or recommendations for psychological testing, further assessment, or for counselling or psychotherapy sessions.

You may be seen by one of our Associates within the practice.

What if you miss an appointment?

A scheduled appointment is time reserved exclusively for you and should be kept, or cancelled well in advance.

You may be billed for any unkept appointments if not cancelled with 48 hours notice, and subsequent appointments with us may be cancelled.

Reviews

Reviews of goals and progress in counselling will be conducted with you on a regular basis to ensure that we are efficient and keeping on track.

Communication

What about confidentiality?

Ordinarily, the professional work that you undertake with our staff is confidential and any release of file information will only be done with your consent.

However, you need to be aware that your social worker or their lawyers are likely to request reports on your progress in counselling. These may be written reports, or through meetings with your worker. You will be informed about these requests and are entitled to know about what is said.

There may also be a court order or subpoena requesting file information about you. In this instance, confidential information may be released without your consent.

How can you reach us?

Telephone: (902)469-0048. Messages may be taken; calls will be returned as quickly as possible.

Please note that there are no weekend or emergency services, and that staff may not be immediately available due to other commitments.

If you have special concerns about availability or confidentiality, please discuss them during your first session.

Costs

Who pays?

Usually, the costs for the work done by Dr. John Swaine & Associates will be paid for by the Agency making your referral. They will have negotiated a discounted fee with us. A Service Agreement will be signed with us on your behalf, which may be renewed if requested. Service Agreements are ordinarily for periods of three months at a time.

However, if you or your partner have private health insurance, the Agency may request that you use this first, that is, to pay for the services yourself. There may be some charges, such as for report preparation or missed appointments, which your insurance will not fully cover, and these will be your responsibility to pay.

Once your insurance or their Service Agreement has run out, the Agency may agree to sign another Service Agreement with us, or they may refer you to a public mental health service.

If you wish to continue with our service after other resources have run out, we will negotiate a fair fee schedule based on your ability to pay.

This article has been prepared for your information about the terms and conditions of this practice. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.

Rev. 07/05