The confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Consumer Records maintained by this program is protected by Federal Law and Regulations. It is the policy of Forever Free Online Addiction Counseling to hold all information concerning clients in strict confidence in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including 42 CFR Part 2 (governing the confidentiality of client-identified substance abuse counseling information) and 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164 (governing the security and privacy of health information mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Generally, the program may not tell a person outside the program that a Consumer attends the online counseling, or disclose any information identifying a Consumer as an alcohol or drug abuser unless:

(1) The Consumer consents in writing
(2) The disclosure is allowed by a court order; or
(3) The disclosure is made to medical personnel in a medical emergency or to qualified personnel for research, audit, or program evaluation.


Violation of the Federal Law and Regulations by a program is a crime. Suspected violations may be reported to appropriate authorities in accordance with Federal regulations.

Federal Law and Regulations do not protect any information about a crime committed by a Consumer either at the program or against any person who works for the program or about any threat to commit such a crime.

Federal Laws and Regulations do not protect any information about suspected child abuse or neglect from being reported under State law to appropriate State or local authorities nor is an individual protected if he/she makes specific threats to do physical harm to particular individual.

(See 42 U.S.C. 290 dd 3 and 42 U.S.C. 290 ee 3 for Federal laws and 42 CFR Part 2 for Federal regulations.)


I have read the above statement and been given a copy.

Informed Consent for Online Counseling
At Forever Free Online Addiction Counseling, I offer online counseling services that are modeled as closely as possible to an in-person counseling session. I adhere to the same professional ethics and standards of practice online as I would if I were meeting you in person. I ama trained and professional who is committed to offering you a high level of care.

RISKS AND BENEFITS
Counseling has both benefits and risks. Risks may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness, because the process of counseling often requires discussing unpleasant aspects of your life. However, counseling has been shown to have benefits for individuals who undertake it. Counseling often leads to a significant reduction in feelings of distress, increased satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, greater personal awareness and insight, increased skills for managing stress and resolutions to specific problems of drugs and alcohol. But, there are no guarantees of any positive outcome. Addiction Counseling requires active effort on your part. In order to be most successful, you will have to work outside of sessions on matters discussed with your counselor.

FRAMEWORK
Appointments will ordinarily be 30-60 minutes in duration, once per week at a time that is most convenient to you, using our online appointment service. Sessions may be more or less frequent as needed. You may discuss your individual needs directly with your counselor.

PROFESSIONAL FEES
Our fees for online counseling are the same as for in-person counseling appointments. Online counseling is paid in advance before sessions using our online appointment service and credit card services and all information is secured.
CANCELLATION POLICY You must give at least 24 hours’ notice in order to cancel your counseling session or you will be charged for it. Sessions cancelled at short notice or missed sessions mean that the time that could have been used for other clients is lost.

You will not be expected to pay for the session if you have major problems with your connection, software or computer equipment, in which case the session will be cancelled and re-booked for another day and time when any problems have hopefully been rectified.
Connection and call quality problems should be few and far between. If a connectivity issue arises during a session and proves to be off-putting or inhibits the counseling process, this possibility is available to you:
1. if the connectivity issue happens within the first 10 minutes and continues, the session will be cancelled at no cost and rearranged for another time.

PROFESSIONAL RECORDS
Counselors are required to keep appropriate records of the services provided. Your records and personal data are confidential and maintained in a secure manner in compliance with applicable rules and regulations. Your counselor will keep brief records noting the date of the appointment, your reasons for seeking counseling, the goals and progress set for treatment, topics discussed, your medical, social and treatment history.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of counseling. Anything you discuss with your counselor and the information contained in your file will remain completely confidential with the exception of the following circumstances: if you present a serious danger to yourself or another person.

OTHER RIGHTS
If you are feel dissatisfied with what is happening in counseling, you are encouraged to discuss your concerns with your counselor, who welcomes feedback, so that I may respond to your concerns. Comments and feedback will be taken seriously and handled with care and respect

CONSENT TO COUNSELING
By clicking ‘I Agree’ below, you indicate that you have read this Informed Consent for Online COUNSELING and agree to its terms. Fever Free Online Addiction Counseling may change these terms and conditions from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page to ensure that you are happy with any changes.