Private Practice Question

[ScarletKnight62]

Is it possible to see clients from an agency that you work for in your private practice?

I'm going to be interning at a residential eating disorder treatment center and would also like to have a private practice one day. I'm wondering if it's legal/ethical to refer the clients I would see at the treatment center to my private practice for continued care once they discharge from treatment. Or could I only see them through the treatment center?

Thanks!

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[Shatani]

I work for a residential agency and that is expressly forbidden here. We can't refer clients to our own private practices. It's deemed unethical.

 

[erg923]

Citing what code?

 

[Shatani]

Citing what code?

no idea...they just like to throw that word around. it is, however, part of our contract though.

Like most things, there are ways around it.

 

[erg923]

Hmmm. I was taught not to throw around that term lightly. If its "unethical", then you need to cite the APA code you think it violates.

 

[cmd0618]

5.06 In-Person Solicitation
Psychologists do not engage, directly or through agents, in uninvited in-person solicitation of business from actual or potential therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence. However, this prohibition does not preclude (1) attempting to implement appropriate collateral contacts for the purpose of benefiting an already engaged therapy client/patient or (2) providing disaster or community outreach services.

This is directly from the APA code of ethics which you can see online: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

I'm not sure what it all means, but it sounds like they think advertising your business would be taking advantage of their situation. I'm sure that's not what you meant, though.

 

[Shatani]

I agree, erg...

 

[Shatani]

5.06 In-Person Solicitation
Psychologists do not engage, directly or through agents, in uninvited in-person solicitation of business from actual or potential therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence. However, this prohibition does not preclude (1) attempting to implement appropriate collateral contacts for the purpose of benefiting an already engaged therapy client/patient or (2) providing disaster or community outreach services.

This is directly from the APA code of ethics which you can see online: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

I'm not sure what it all means, but it sounds like they think advertising your business would be taking advantage of their situation. I'm sure that's not what you meant, though.

i suppose i could see that. i would be more inclined to believe that this agency considered that if they also had a problem with clinicians referring clients to the program from their outpatient practices....which they dont. seems like the same thing to me. i could be wrong.

 

[futureapppsy2]

5.06 In-Person Solicitation
Psychologists do not engage, directly or through agents, in uninvited in-person solicitation of business from actual or potential therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence. However, this prohibition does not preclude (1) attempting to implement appropriate collateral contacts for the purpose of benefiting an already engaged therapy client/patient or (2) providing disaster or community outreach services.

This is directly from the APA code of ethics which you can see online: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

I'm not sure what it all means, but it sound like they think advertising your business would be taking advantage of their circumstances.

Seems like that might fall under this exception, although I'm not really sure what they mean by "collateral contacts" (anyone know?). It does seem like one could argue that continuity of care would be a potential benefit to the client(s).

attempting to implement appropriate collateral contacts for the purpose of benefiting an already engaged therapy client/patien

 

[ScarletKnight62]

Hmmm that's too bad.

Does it seem to vary from agency to agency? I'm just curious because it seems dumb to me that if a client has already been doing work with me for 2-3 months and then gets discharged because their insurance runs out (which happens all the time) before they're ready, they'd have to start over with a new therapist instead of just seeing me outside of the agency. No clients ever seems to come back to the agency just for individual sessions (without doing some groups/family work etc), so I'm not sure how that would work.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

Hmmm that's too bad.

Does it seem to vary from agency to agency? I'm just curious because it seems dumb to me that if a client has already been doing work with me for 2-3 months and then gets discharged because their insurance runs out (which happens all the time) before they're ready, they'd have to start over with a new therapist instead of just seeing me outside of the agency. No clients ever seems to come back to the agency just for individual sessions (without doing some groups/family work etc), so I'm not sure how that would work.

Your concern is valid but I think the "unethical" aspect arises from a general concrn about the power deferential between treaters and clients. At one time it was unethical fir a client to be treated by 2 separate psychologists. That rule was eventually removed due to many reasons. Some of those were genuine responses to help clients who needed psychologists that specialize in different areas. And I feel that some of the reasoning involved getting more money.

Whenever I read something like this I worry about the power deferential. As a treater you have a lot of power and your advice will often be viewed without skepticism. While I believe your intentions are genuine and you desire to help your clients I am not sure that is true of all individuals in similar positions of power.

 

[aequitasveritas]

Is it possible to see clients from an agency that you work for in your private practice?

I'm going to be interning at a residential eating disorder treatment center and would also like to have a private practice one day. I'm wondering if it's legal/ethical to refer the clients I would see at the treatment center to my private practice for continued care once they discharge from treatment. Or could I only see them through the treatment center?

Thanks!

This is a real pet peeve of mine & we need to set the record straight. The ONLY issue here is : WHAT IS IN THE CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST? THAT IS IT!!! Your agency has no right to say jack-*&^%! They are worried about losing the government payout that the client brings into the clinic. If it is in your client's best interest to continue with you, you MUST allow them to do so. The fear is that this will turn into a revolving door for self-referals.

 

[2012PhD]

This is a real pet peeve of mine & we need to set the record straight. The ONLY issue here is : WHAT IS IN THE CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST? THAT IS IT!!! Your agency has no right to say jack-*&^%! They are worried about losing the government payout that the client brings into the clinic. If it is in your client's best interest to continue with you, you MUST allow them to do so. The fear is that this will turn into a revolving door for self-referals.

+ 1 don't see what is unethical in your situation. Did you sign an agreement with the agency that says you can't take clients for your own practice?

 

[PerhapsMaybeOk]

um, you can be on an official referral list from an affiliated agency and have another provider refer you. Happens all the time in peds methinks

 

[stigmata]

This is a real pet peeve of mine & we need to set the record straight. The ONLY issue here is : WHAT IS IN THE CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST? THAT IS IT!!! Your agency has no right to say jack-*&^%! They are worried about losing the government payout that the client brings into the clinic. If it is in your client's best interest to continue with you, you MUST allow them to do so. The fear is that this will turn into a revolving door for self-referals.

100% agree!