The Paper Office for the Digital Age, Second Edition: Forms, Guidelines, and Resources to Make Your Practice Work Ethically, Legally, and Profitably - Softcover

Zuckerman, Edward L.; Kolmes, Keely

Softcover

ISBN 10: 157230104X ISBN 13: 9781572301047

Publisher: Guilford Press, 1997

Synopsis

This manual with computer disk provides the basic administrative forms that every independant or small group practice needs. Serving as the "malpractice risk reduction kit", the book will save therapists time while legally protecting them and their clients. The forms include: a brochure covering everything the client should know; sample treatment plan for managed care organizations; model therapy contracts for adults, children and groups; client handouts on confidentiality including " What You Should Know About Managed Care"; forms for requesting client records; intake forms and checklists; progress note forms for individual and group therapy; a termination summary form; model collection letters with guidelines for when to use them. The author explains the rationale and context for each form, providing options for customizing them to meet the needs of different kinds of practices and the requirements of different localities. The accompanying disk lets users load any of the forms and handouts, as well as five of the book's tables, into their word processing program and modify them as needed. Alternatively, all materials may be photocopied directly from the book.

About this title

Review

"The materials in this book are comprehensive. Beyond their obvious value for experienced therapists, they are of use for introducing graduate students to the procedural dilemmas of clinical practice." --Peter A. Keller, Ph.D., Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA "I am very impressed with this book. It looks like it will be a great deal of help. Over the past 13 years, I have worked as a therapist in a variety of private and public (state and county) mental health settings. I have always prided myself in producing quality written work (reaction formation?), believing it is a necessary reality in today's world--if you have to do a task, you may as well do it well. I anticipate that I will find your book to be a valuable resource." --David Barbour, ACSW "This is the most awesome book I have read in some time. THANK YOU. I am an MSW LSW with a small private practice (under supervision of course) and this information will certainly help me. If you have any further updates or any other information please contact my e-mail site. Thank you." --Mark Mondoro, MSW LSW "I am presently involved in developing an accredited network of behavioral health providers and wish that each one of the provider organizations and practices would have had access to this manual. Many new policies and procedures had to be developed to be in compliance with the standards for accreditation and this manual would have greatly enhanced that process. I would encourage all practices, whether solo practitioner or group practices, to get a copy of this manual and review their policies, procedures and forms. This manual will greatly reduce the work required to position practices and organizations to meet the present and future demands of a rapidly changing process of provision and reimbursement for behavioral health care." --Robert Lesser, R.N., B.S.N., McHenry County Mental Health Board, Illinois FEEDBACK FROM USER SURVEY: "It made starting up my practice simple." "Detailed and ethically sound guidelines for dealing with such complex issues as malpractice, dual relationships, confidentiality, the duty to protect clients from harm, service contracting, and assessing suicide risk. At the same time, it does not neglect such mundane but important details as how to set up appointments, request and release information, and collect fees....Provides a point-by-point discussion of practice during each phase of the service process along with well-developed record-keeping forms and guidelines. In all, the book includes nearly 50 forms; numerous outlines and lists; an extensive resource guide and bibliography; and a computer disk for loading forms and outlines directly into office systems....Includes the best and most extensive treatment of informed consent that I have ever read....The author should be commended for this singular contribution to the literature....I recommend this book." -- "Journal of Teaching in Social Work" .,."ethical dilemmas and safeguards preventing trouble are well described in detail and numerous empirically supported suggestions provided....I can see why there is a CEU test included, as reading "The Paper Office" provided education and training equal to or superior to any in graduate school....For the price it seems like a steal; for what it gives you especially when compared with the seminars that come to town leaving you with only notes. This is a highly suggested primer for all who practice mental health, and one that ought to be reviewed semianually." -- "The Master's Advocate" .,."this book is chock-full of information that can be used to teach social work students how to manage their day-to-day practice in today'scomplex and litigious environment. The author sets out to provide his readers with guidelines that will make them less vulnerable to litigation while conducting a profitable and stable independent practice. He succeeds in doing this and much more.... "The Paper Office" also includes the best and most extensive treatment of informed consent that I have ever read....The author should be commended for this singular contribution to the literature....I recommend this book to social work educators, especially those who teach practice, management, or field instruction. It is thoroughly engaging, and successfully links practice with record-keeping, a goal social workers have long hoped to achieve." -- "Journal of Teaching in Social Work" "Extremely user-friendly, and replete with information on the ethical and legal issues related to the forms....This edition has just about what anyone needs to both understand and effectively document psychotherapy. It could also serve as an effective supplementary text in courses on ethics." -- "Family Psychologist"

From the Author

The legal and ethical demands are built into the forms!
We psychotherapists work in a legally and ethically complex world. This book (with its computer disk of all the forms and handouts) briefly explains the legal and ethical requirements faced by psychotherapists in each area (billing, confidentiality, consent, intake and evaluation, etc.) It then incorporate these demands into the ordinary paperwork of practice so they will not be overlooked. It offers all the forms and patient education materials needed for getting fully informed consent to treatment (four different methods to suit your style of working) for children and adults, individual, marital and group therapy, etc., releases which meet all federal rules for format and content, handouts on the limits of confidentiality, and dozens of others. Available 2/1/96

Edition details

• Publisher: Guilford Press
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 157230104X
• ISBN 13: 9781572301047
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 380