Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

Hamilton Behavioral aims to provide ethical and high-quality mental health therapy, both virtually and in person. During the intake process, please review the following Client Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. By scheduling further mental health therapy services after the intake process you agree to these terms and conditions. These guidelines emphasize the importance of cooperation between you, your therapist, Hamilton Behavioral’s clinical team, and administrative staff. Hamilton staff and clinical providers also share this responsibility. Understanding these rights mutually enhances the quality of care. All practice guidelines listed are in accordance with the NASW Code of Ethics and the National Board of Certified Counselors.

As a client participating in mental health care, you have the right:

1. To receive prompt evaluation, care, and treatment regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, religion, or age, and to be treated with dignity and respect. Hamilton will determine the progression of case assignments to clinicians based on staff availability and practice scope. A waiting list may be developed to ensure an adequate match to the scope of practice is assessed and determined.
2. To receive psychotherapy services, treatment plans, and next steps explained in clear language, possibly by a bilingual therapist. If a bilingual therapist is unavailable, a referral will be made to appropriate internal or external options. Hamilton Behavioral offers weekly 45-minute psychotherapy sessions and makes decisions based on this structure. Therapists may recommend different levels of care based on their assessments; clients have the right to refuse these recommendations as part of your self-determination rights. Refusal to comply may lead the clinician to refer you to another service or treatment, internally or externally, resulting in the closure of your psychotherapy case. This decision will be made by the clinician, clinical supervisor, and relevant administrative staff after all efforts have been exhausted.
3. To receive information or inquire about staff qualifications, training, and scope. To be informed of any changes in clinical staff responsible for your care or transfers between clinicians. Hamilton may limit the number of internal therapist transfers due to utilization limits. This decision will be made with the collaboration of clinicians, clinical supervisors, and administrators in charge of a clinical review.
4. To receive mental health treatment that meets best-practice standards set by licensed clinical social workers, professional counselors, associate counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists, as approved by relevant authorities such as the National Association of Social Workers, the National Board of Certified Counselors, and the Department of Consumer Affairs.
5. To self-determination. You can refuse services, care recommendations, treatment goals/plans, or interventions. You also have the right to request more services, such as groups, or seek additional services outside of Hamilton Behavioral if unavailable.

   To best meet your needs, Hamilton clinicians reserve the right to end treatment sessions if you do not meet treatment plan goals or comply with a service plan designed to effectively treat mental health conditions. This decision is made collaboratively between the therapist, clinical supervisor, and/or administrators. Chronic no-shows or cancellations may alter your level of care (see cancellation policy). If a lack of cooperation with the treatment plan is detrimental to your health, safety, and well-being, the therapist will proceed with steps as required by NJ State regulations regarding mandated reporting and duty to warn.

6. To participate in planning your care, including discharge planning and follow-up. This involves patients over 12 and their guardians in treatment decisions according to state regulations. Clinicians must match services with needs. If needs cannot be met, you may be transferred to another clinician or service.
7. To have your records kept confidential to the extent permitted by law and to know where and to whom your records have been disclosed. Hamilton will maintain a limited-access electronic copy of your mental health records as determined by relevant state and federal regulations and will not release this information to anyone except as described below.
8. To have access to, and an explanation of, your mental health records. Please be advised that Hamilton Behavioral has the right to reserve or withhold any or all parts of this information when it is determined to be therapeutically inadvisable by a given clinician or by Hamilton administrative teams/staff. Hamilton also reserves the right to charge a client any administrative fees associated with the time and effort required to deliver this information to parties listed in the order. Fees associated with this process will be provided via written contract/statement between Hamilton and the client.
9. To measurement-based care. Evidence-based care is one of the many ways Hamilton’s qualified clinical therapists gather helpful data related to your clinical symptoms, frequency, duration, trends, and patterns. Hamilton staff may ask for your voluntary participation in measurement-based-care instruments in the form of survey questions for assessment, planning, and progression of your mental health care.
10. To receive upon intake: a written description of services, costs, sliding-scale fee (if applicable), and this written statement of patient rights and responsibilities, including grievance processes — without fear of recrimination — and contact with a person in charge of a billing issue or inquiry or other staff in charge.

Client Responsibilities

1. Take the time to read, understand, and sign the informed consents and other forms necessary for treatment. Do no harm.
2. Give complete and accurate information to the professional staff and participate actively in the treatment planning and review process. Ask questions about what your assigned therapist can offer you, about credentials, training, supervisory staff, and how they can be reached.
3. Be responsible for your mental health treatment efforts by attending scheduled appointments and cancelling only when necessary. Provide at least 24 hours’ notice when cancelling. Refer to Hamilton’s Cancellation Policy or ask your clinician for a copy upon resuming sessions. Make copayments or fee-for-service payments according to the agreed schedule and keep accessible records in case of inquiries.
4. Respect other clients and staff in language, behavior, and manner, and respect others’ right to privacy and dignity.
5. Support the efforts of staff to keep the office clean (if applicable). Be sure you can navigate the technical environment if you are a virtual client. Have a family member around to help connect or reconnect you to the internet when necessary if independent navigation of virtual sessions is difficult.
6. Voice any concerns, including violations of these rights, to your therapist or a trusted staff member.
7. You have the right to report any significant ethical violations by Hamilton clinical or administrative staff involved in your mental health care. Hamilton Behavioral takes such allegations seriously, and they require time and resources to address. False accusations made intentionally against staff will be considered harmful actions and may result in termination of treatment services and legal consequences, as per state civil regulations and private protections.
8. You have the right to speak with any supervising staff member and/or the appropriate administrator(s) in charge regarding violations of these rights.
9. You have the right to avoid placing your therapist in ethical dilemmas such as becoming involved in social interaction or asking the therapist to do something they are not comfortable with, including bartering services.
10. All information in this Client Bill of Rights is consistent with the following professional regulating entities. For more information, please see: NASW Code of Ethics · NBCC Code of Ethics & Client Rights.
11. If you are dissatisfied with the services of your therapist, express concerns directly to the therapist first, if possible. Next, ask to speak to the therapist’s supervisor. If no supervisor is assigned and no one is available to help you, you may terminate the counseling relationship if the situation remains unresolved and contact the appropriate state licensing board, national certification organization, or professional association if you believe the therapist’s behavior to be clearly unlawful.
12. At Hamilton Behavioral we have developed a process dedicated specifically to this. An administrator will be available to help you resolve the issue if a clinical supervisor cannot. For issues regarding violations of these rights, a process-review inquiry will be conducted that includes members of the clinical-administrative team. If you feel you have been dealt with unethically, please contact our office.

Administrative Contacts

Claritza Huertas — Office Manager / Administrator in Charge
Carol Berman — Therapist / Admin Team
Sherin Ahmed — Clinical Supervisor / Admin Team

info@hamiltonbehavioral.com · 800-883-7556

This Bill of Rights is reviewed periodically and updated to remain consistent with NASW, NBCC, and NJ Department of Consumer Affairs regulations.