Diagnosis For a condition to be considered a covered illness or disorder, copies of laboratory tests results, X-rays, or any other report or result of clinical examinations on which the diagnosis was based, are required as part of the positive diagnosis by a physician.
Severe Weather An employee who is late for a scheduled shift during a severe weather day will be offered the opportunity to work his/her full regular schedule of hours if work is needed, without suffering any pay deductions taken from such employee’s regular scheduled work day providing such employee completes his/her shift. Severe weather days are days when weather hampers mass transit (e.g. buses and ferries) from transporting travelers to their destinations. If weather conditions are such that driving to work would be hazardous, roads are closed, or travel to work would result in extreme hardship, an employee may use his/her PTO time if unable to report for work. EIB is not available for severe weather days. Employees are required to provide notification as soon as practicable if they are going to be late or unable to report for work.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychologist and patient, and the particular problems you hope to address. There are many different methods I may use to deal with those problems. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Because therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. When treating insomnia specifically, therapy might cause you to experience increased sleepiness and fatigue, especially in the early phases of treatment. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, significant reductions in feelings of distress, improved sleep, and less fatigue. But there are no guarantees as to what you will experience. Our first session will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue with me for therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions about whether you feel comfortable working with me. At the end of the evaluation, I will notify you if I believe that I am not the right therapist for you and if so, I will give you referrals to other practitioners who I believe are better suited to help you. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion. Please note that the psychological services I provide are not for emergency situations. For emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. FEES My fee is $395 for an initial evaluation lasting 90 minutes, and $250 for each subsequent psychotherapy session (either in-person or over the telephone) lasting 45 minutes. I charge this same $250 per 45-minutes rate for other professional services you may need, though I will prorate the cost if I work for periods of less than 45 minutes in increments of 15 minutes, rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment (e.g., 22 minutes of service will be charged for 15 minutes whereas 23 minutes of service will be charged for 30 minutes). Other professional services include telephone conversations or email responses lasting longer than 15 minutes, and the time spent performing any other service you may request of me. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for any professional time I spend on your legal matter, even if the request comes from another party, at the same $250 per 45-minutes rate. I do not charge for time spent writing reports and progress notes as per the standard routine of my care of you. I also do not charge for any time I may spend collaborating with your other providers. From time to time, I may institute fee increases and these will be discussed and agreed upon ahead of time with a new Treatment Contract. If it has been more than one year since our last appointment, then you will re-initiate services at my current standard fee which may be higher than the fee you were previously paying. In addition, if it has been more than one year since our last appointment, you will be scheduled for another initial evaluation (90 minutes) and charged accordingly, with subsequent 45-minute psychotherapy sessions thereafter. INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT You are responsible for paying your full session fee. I am not in-network with any insurance companies. If you decide to submit claims to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have, you may do so. However, be aware that the services provided will still be charged to you, not your insurance company, and you are responsible for the full payment. I have no role in deciding what your insurance covers. You are responsible for checking your insurance coverage, deductibles, payment rates, pre-authorization procedures, etc. Missed appointments, late cancellations (i.e., cancellations within 24 hours of service), and telephone session are not typically covered by insurance companies and therefore you will likely be responsible for the full session fee in these instances. If your insurance company doesn’t reimburse you, I am not responsible for refunding you any payment you expected to be reimbursed or otherwise. I will provide you a superbill after each session with the following information that you will need to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have:
MENTAL DISORDER As defined in the 32 CFR 199.2: For the purposes of the payment of benefits, a mental disorder is a nervous or mental condition that involves a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that is associated with a painful symptom, such as distress, and that impairs a patient’s ability to function in one or more major life activities. A Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a mental condition that involves a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress; impaired control over substance use; social impairment; and risky use of a substance(s). Additionally, the mental disorder must be one of those conditions listed in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). “Conditions Not Attributable to a Mental Disorder,” or V codes (Z codes in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM)), are not considered diagnosable mental disorders. Co-occurring mental and substance use disorders are common and assessment should proceed as soon as it is possible to distinguish the substance related symptoms from other independent conditions.
Non-Grievability No dispute over a claim for any benefits extended by this Health and Welfare Fund shall be subject to the grievance procedure.
Reasonable Accommodation for Applicants / Employees with Disabilities The contractor must be familiar with the requirements for and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and all rules and regulations established there under. Employers must provide reasonable accommodation in all employment activities unless to do so would cause an undue hardship.
Behaviour No obscene or insulting language or disorderly behaviour shall be permitted. This includes any form of entertainment that may be considered lewd or inappropriate for a public place or that may offend or cause embarrassment to others.
Anti-Doping I understand and agree that the UCI Anti-Doping Rules and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Protocol apply to me. I agree to submit to drug testing. If it is determined I may have committed an anti-doping rule violation, I agree to submit to the results management authority and processes of USADA or the results management authority of the UCI and my national federation. I agree that arbitration is my exclusive remedy under the above rules.
Nepotism No employee shall be awarded a position where he/she is to be directly supervised by a member of his/her immediate family. “
Influenza Vaccination The parties agree that influenza vaccinations may be beneficial for patients and employees. Upon a recommendation pertaining to a facility or a specifically designated area(s) thereof from the Medical Officer of Health or in compliance with applicable provincial legislation, the following rules will apply:
