Billing and Collecting for Your Mental Health Practice

Jeffrey E. Barnett, PsyD, ABPP, is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Loyola University Maryland and a licensed psychologist who has been in practice for over 25 years. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in both clinical psychology and clinical child and adolescent psychology. He also is a distinguished practitioner of psychology in the National Academies of Practice. He is a past chair of the APA Ethics Committee and currently serves on the ABPP Ethics Committee and the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists.  Dr. Barnett has also served in numerous leadership positions within the profession of psychology, including president of the Maryland Psychological Association and president of three divisions of APA (Psychotherapy Independent Practice and State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs). In 2 9, he received the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to the Independent Practice of Psychology, and in 2 , he received the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychotherapy and Psychology from the APA Division of Psychotherapy.  Dr. Barnett is a frequent author and presenter on ethics, legal, and professional practice issues, including the business of practice. His recent books include Financial Success in Mental Health Practice: Essential Tools and Strategies for Practitioners, Ethics Desk Reference for Psychologists, and Ethics Desk Reference for Counselors. He is an associate editor of the APA journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, as well as the editor of its amp quot Focus on Ethics amp quot feature.  Steven Walfish, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and has been in independent practice in Atlanta since 2 2. He received his PhD in clinical amp ndash community psychology from the University of South Florida in 98 . He has previously been in independent practice in Tampa, Florida, and in Edmonds and Everett, Washington.  He is the editor of Independent Practitioner and has served on the editorial boards of several journals. He has published in the areas of substance abuse, weight loss surgery, and professional training and practice. He is currently a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, where he supervises postdoctoral fellows.  Dr. Walfish has received the Award for Outstanding Research in Consulting Psychology from APA's Division of Consulting Psychology, the Walter Barton Award for Outstanding Research in Mental Health Administration from the American College of Mental Health Administration, and the Award for Mentoring from the APA Division of Independent Practice. In 2 , he was elected a fellow of the APA.  His other published books include Succeeding in Graduate School: The Career Guide for Psychology Students, Financial Success in Mental Health Practice: Essential Tools and Strategies for Practitioners, and Earning a Living Outside of Managed Mental Health Care: 5 Ways to Expand Your Practice.

• IntroductionThe Ethics of Billing, Collecting, and Financial Arrangements: A Working Framework for CliniciansThe Financial Agreement Between You and Your ClientThe Nuts and Bolts of Getting Paid for Your ServicesDo It Yourself or Contract Out: The Pros and Cons of Using a Billing ServiceBilling and Collecting for Forensic Mental Health ServicesEthical Lapses by Clinicians in the Billing ProcessFraud, Abuse, and Case ExamplesEpilogueAppendix A: Sample Financial AgreementAppendix B: Sample SuperbillAppendix C: Sample Insurance Claim Form (CMS- 5 )Appendix D: Sample Credit Card Guaranty of PaymentReferencesIndexAbout the Authors