Policy Notices

Regulation of Psychotherapists: The practice of licensed or registered persons in the field of psychotherapy is regulated by the Mental Health Licensing Section of the Division of Registrations. The regulatory boards can be reached at 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, Colorado 80202, (303) 894-7800.

• A Licensed Clinical Social Worker must hold a master’s or doctorate degree from a graduate school of social work, have at least two years post-master’s or post-doctoral practice under supervision, and pass a national examination in social work.

• A Licensed Social Worker must hold a master’s degree or doctorate degree from a graduate school of social work and pass a national examination in social work.

• A Clinical Social Worker Candidate, Psychologist Candidate, a Marriage and Family Therapist Candidate, a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate, and an Addictions Counselor Candidate must hold the necessary licensing degree and be in the process of completing the required supervision and post-degree practice for licensure.

• A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist must hold a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family counseling, have at least two years post-master’s or one-year postdoctoral practice under supervision, and pass a national exam in marriage and family therapy. 

• A Licensed Professional Counselor must hold a master’s or doctoral degree in professional counseling, have at least two years post-master’s or one-year postdoctoral practice under supervision, and pass a national exam in in professional counseling. 

• A Licensed Psychologist must hold a doctorate degree in psychology, have one year of postdoctoral supervision and practice, and pass a national examination in psychology. 

• A Certified Addiction Technician (ACA) must be a high school graduate or equivalent, complete 1,000 hours of supervised work experience in no less than 6 months, and pass the NAADAC Level I exam. 

• A Certified Addiction Specialist (ACC) must have a clinical behavioral health bachelor’s degree, complete 2,000 hours of supervised work experience in no less than 12 months (may include experience gained/used for ACA credential), and pass the NAADAC Level II exam. 

• A Licensed Addiction Counselor must have a clinical master’s or doctoral degree, meet the requirements for ACC, and have 3,000 hours of clinical work experience, in which a minimum of 2,000 hours must be supervised, and pass the NAADAC Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam. 

• An Unlicensed Psychotherapist is a psychotherapist listed in the State’s database and is authorized by law to practice psychotherapy in Colorado, but is not licensed by the state and was not required to satisfy any standardized educational or testing requirements to obtain a registration from the state. 

Please refer to the Department of Regulatory Agencies website (https://dpo.colorado.gov/) for specifics on the educational and training requirements for the various types of mental health professionals practicing at our agency.

Licensed (Clinical) Social Workers

THERAPIST NAME: Rebecca Hoke, LCSW

DEGREE: Masters of Social Work (MSW) – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2016)

LICENSURE: Licensed Clinical Social Worker – CSW.09925802

THERAPIST NAME: Jamin Jeffers, SWC

DEGREE: Masters of Social Work (MSW) – University of Denver (2023)

LICENSURE: Clinical Social Worker Candidate - SWC.0000001783

NPI: 1003542259

THERAPIST NAME: Jamie McTighe, LPC

DEGREE: Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling – University of Northern Colorado (2022)

LICENSURE: Licensed Professional Counselor - LPC.0021530

NPI: 1689309650

THERAPIST NAME: Amanda Dirkes, LPCC

DEGREE: Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Adams State University (2023)

LICENSURE: Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate - LPCC.0021046

NPI: 1619696614

THERAPIST NAME: Ginger Rivera, BSW

DEGREE: Bachelors of Social Work - Metro State University Denver (2013), Masters of Social Work (MSW) – University of Denver (Planned Fall 2025)

LICENSURE: Planned Fall 2025

NPI: 1245057702

You are entitled to receive information from your therapist about the methods of therapy, the techniques used, the duration of your therapy, if known, and the fee structure. You can seek a second opinion from another therapist or terminate therapy at any time.

In a professional relationship, sexual intimacy is never appropriate and should be reported to the board that licenses, registers, or certifies the licensee, registrant or certificate holder.

PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION: Generally speaking, the information provided by and to the client during therapy sessions is legally confidential and cannot be released without the client’s consent. There are exceptions to this confidentiality, some of which are listed in section 12-43-218 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, and the Notice of Privacy Rights you were provided, as well as other exceptions in Colorado and Federal law. For example, mental health professionals are required to report child abuse to authorities. If a legal exception arises during therapy, if feasible, you will be informed accordingly.

A client is entitled to information, upon request, concerning any psychotherapist who is providing psychotherapy services to that client. Such information includes: the therapist’s name, educational degrees, licenses and credential, and supervisor (if applicable).

A client’s records may not be maintained after seven years pursuant to §12-245-226(1)(a)(II)(A).

PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES

Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychologist and the client, and the particular problems that you bring forward. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. 

There are many different methods used as we work toward your hopes and goals for therapy. The techniques used most often include, but are not limited to: dialogue (talk therapy), emotional exploration, interpersonal feedback, awareness-building, and physical exercises (i.e., relaxation training or progressive muscle relaxation). Your therapist may recommend that you consult with other health care providers or suggest other approaches as an adjunct to our therapy (i.e., group therapy or psychiatric consultation). You have the right to refuse anything that is suggested without being penalized in any way. 

Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. Making changes in your beliefs or behaviors can be difficult, and can sometimes be disruptive to the relationships you already have. You may find your relationship with your therapist to be a source of strong feelings. At times you may feel that you are not making enough progress. We urge you to discuss any feelings that may arise during these difficult times.

On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. Most people who take these risks find that therapy is helpful, and your therapist will do everything he or she can to help you minimize risks and maximize positive outcomes. That said, there are no guarantees of what you will experience or the outcome of therapy. 

The first few sessions will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of these sessions, your therapist will be able to offer some first impressions of what your work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions of whether you feel comfortable working with your therapist. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, energy, and money, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, we will be happy to help you get connected with another mental health professional for a second opinion. The duration of therapy is something that is very difficult to predict in advance. Some clients may get the help they need in only a few sessions, while others may choose to continue therapy for several months or years. Please feel free to discuss this with your therapist if you have any questions or concerns. 

You have the right to ask questions about anything that happens in therapy. Your therapist is always willing to discuss the rationale for therapeutic approaches and to consider alternatives that might work better. You may feel free to ask your therapist to try something that you think will be helpful. You can ask about your therapist’s training for working with your concerns, and you can request that we refer you to someone else if you decide that your therapist is not the right therapist for you. You are free to leave therapy at any time.

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

The law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient and a psychologist. In most situations, we can only release information about your treatment to others if you sign a written Release of Information authorization form that meets certain legal requirements imposed by HIPAA. There are other situations that require only that you provide written, advance consent. Your signature on the Informed Consent form (given separately) provides consent for those activities. You should also know that we occasionally find it helpful to consult other health and mental health professionals about a case. During a consultation, we make every effort to avoid revealing the identity of the client(s). The other professionals are also legally bound to keep the information confidential. If you don’t object, we will not tell you about these consultations unless we feel that it is important to our work together. We will note all consultations in your clinical record.

There are some situations when we are permitted or required to disclose information without either your consent or authorization. They are:

• If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information concerning our professional services, such information is protected by the psychologist-client privilege law. We cannot provide any information without your written authorization, or a court order. If you are involved in or contemplating litigation, you should consult with your attorney to determine whether a court would be likely to order us to disclose information.

• If a government agency requests information for health oversight activities, we are required to provide it for them.

• If a client files a complaint or lawsuit against us, we may disclose relevant client information to defend the clinician/practice.

• If a client files workers' compensation claims, we shall submit a report to the Workers’ Compensation Division.

There are some situations in which we are legally obligated to take actions, which we believe are necessary to attempt to protect you or others from harm, and we may have to reveal some information about your treatment. They are:

• If you communicate intent to harm or kill yourself, we may be obligated to seek hospitalization for you, or to contact family members or others who can provide protection and necessary support.

• If we have reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect or if we have observed a child being subjected to circumstances or conditions which would reasonably result in abuse or neglect, the law requires that we file a report with the appropriate governmental agency. Once such a report is filed, we may be required to provide additional information.

• If we have reasonable cause to believe that an at-risk adult has been or is at imminent risk of being mistreated, self- neglected, or financially exploited, the law requires that we file a report with the appropriate governmental agency. Once such a report is filed, we may be required to provide additional information.

• If you communicate a serious threat of imminent physical violence against a specific person or persons, we must make an effort to notify such person; and/or notify an appropriate law enforcement agency; and/or take other appropriate action including seeking hospitalization of the client.

• If you communicate a serious threat to national security, we must make an effort to notify an appropriate law enforcement agency.

• If you tell us of the behavior of another named health or mental health care provider that informs us that this person has either a) engaged in sexual contact with a patient, including yourself or b) is impaired from practice in some manner by cognitive, emotional, behavioral, or health problems, then the law requires us to report this to their licensing board at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. We would inform you before taking this step. If you are our client AND a health care provider, however, your confidentiality remains protected under the law from this kind of reporting.

The following is not a legal exception to your confidentiality; however, please read this policy if you are in couple’s therapy.

• If you and your partner meet with your therapist individually as part of the couples’ therapy, what you say in those individual sessions will be considered to be a part of the couples’ therapy, and can and probably will be discussed in joint sessions. Do not disclose anything you wish kept secret from your partner. Your therapist will remind you of this policy before beginning such individual sessions.

While this written summary of exceptions to confidentiality should prove helpful in informing you of potential problems, it is important that we discuss any questions or concerns that you may have now or in the future. The laws governing confidentiality can be quite complex, and our therapists are not attorneys. In situations where specific advice is required, formal legal advice may be needed.

COMMUNICATION POLICY

If you would like to get in contact with your clinician for general updates/concerns/treatment progress outside of your scheduled therapy session our preferred form of communication is a scheduled telephone call. Emails and texts with updates are accepted, though will not be met with lengthy responses from your clinician. You are welcome to schedule a meeting with your clinician, which will be billed accordingly.

INTOXICATED/INCAPACITATED CLIENT POLICY

The appropriateness of conducting therapeutic services with a client who appears to be under the influence of an intoxicating substance will be handled on a case-by-case basis by each clients’ clinician. Should a clinician deem that a client’s condition is not conducive to productive or safe therapeutic work, the clinician reserves the right to refuse to provide services at that time and charge a cancellation fee. 

Resilient Future Counseling clinicians also reserve the right to assess, using their best judgment, any client’s ability to safely travel home from therapeutic services. Should a Resilient Future Counseling clinician determine that a client appears unsafe to drive for any reason, the clinician will make every effort to create a safety plan with that client to utilize a safe mode of transportation from the session. Should a client refuse to engage in and/or comply with safe

travel planning efforts, and the clinician deems them to be a threat to themselves or others by operating a vehicle in their current state, Resilient Future Counseling clinicians reserve the right to break confidentiality by notifying the police of this public safety concern.

Note: Resilient Future Counseling clinicians are ultimately not liable for a client’s travel decisions, and can only exercise their best judgment in determining client safety for travel based upon visible and verbal indicators of intoxication and/or other forms of incapacitation.

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Resilient Future Counseling clinicians will not accept any “friend requests” or communication attempts via social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, or others. This is to protect professional boundaries, as well as client privacy.

LITIGATION/COURT PROCEEDINGS

If you are in a divorce or custody litigation, or involved in the court system in any other manner, you need to understand that the role of a therapist is not to make recommendations for the court concerning custody or parenting issues or to testify in court concerning opinions on issues involved in the litigation. By signing this disclosure statement, you agree not to call your therapist as a witness in any such litigation. Experience has shown that testimony by therapists and domestic cases causes damage to the clinical relationship between a therapist and a client. 

Only court-appointed experts, investigators, or evaluators can make recommendations to the court on disputed issues concerning parental responsibilities and parenting plans. Our staff is always happy to write letters to jurisdictions regarding a person's attendance in psychotherapy when requested by the client. If you choose to call us to testify anyway, again, our fee for any testimony or court-related activity is $300/hour or any portion thereof (non-expedited request), or $400/hour or any portion thereof (expedited request), including travel time to and from the proceedings.

PAYMENT FOR SERVICE: Payment may be made by check, cash, or credit/debit card. Payment for services is due at the time of service unless other arrangements have been discussed. It is your responsibility to verify coverage with your insurance company prior to consenting to services. While we do all we can to provide accurate estimates of coverage and benefits, you are ultimately responsible for all charges incurred from our services.

INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT: In order for us to set realistic treatment goals and priorities, it is important to evaluate what resources you have available to pay for services. If you have a health insurance policy, it may provide some coverage for mental health treatment. We will provide you with whatever assistance we can in helping you receive the benefits to which you are entitled; however, you (not your insurance company) are responsible for full payment of fees. It is very important that you find out exactly what mental health services your insurance policy covers. You should carefully read the section in your insurance company booklet that describes mental health services. If you have questions about coverage, call your plan administrator. We will provide you with whatever information we can based on experience

and will be happy to help you in understanding the information you receive from your insurance

company. If necessary, we are willing to call the company on your behalf. 

Insurance benefits have increasingly become more complex. It is sometimes difficult to determine exactly how much mental health coverage is available. “Managed Health Care” plans such as HMOs and PPOs often require authorization before they provide reimbursement for mental health services. Some plans may require you to receive treatment from a therapist who is on their provider panel. These plans are often limited to short- term treatment approaches designed to work out specific problems that interfere with a person’s usual level of functioning. It may be necessary to seek approval for more therapy after a certain number of sessions. While a lot can be accomplished in short-term therapy, some clients feel that they need more services after insurance benefits end. You should also be aware that most insurance companies require you to authorize us to provide them with a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes we have to provide additional information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of the entire record (in rare cases). This information will become part of the insurance company files and will probably be stored in a computer. Though all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, we have no control over what they do with it once it is in their hands. In some cases, they may share the information with a national medical information data bank. 

Once we have all of the information about your insurance coverage, we will discuss what we can expect to accomplish with the benefits that are available and what will happen if they run out before you feel ready to end our sessions. It is important to remember that you always have the right to pay for services yourself to avoid the problems described above (unless prohibited by the contract with the insurance company).

FEES

Fees for services are as follows unless we have discussed alternative arrangements:

• Individual, couples, family, or child psychotherapy intake: $200/45-55 minute session (licensed clinicians); $160/45-55 minute session (Master’s interns and post-masters clinicians)

• Individual, couples, family, or child psychotherapy: $175/45-55 minute session (licensed clinicians); $130/45-55 minute session (Master’s interns and post-masters clinicians)

• Group therapy: $55/60-90 minute session (All clinicians)

• Substance Use Assessment: $300/90-120 minute session (All clinicians)

• Preparation, travel time, and testimony for court proceedings:

$300/hour or any portion thereof for appearances or documents requested more than one calendar week (7 days) in advance. Again, this includes travel time to and from court, meetings with your attorney, paperwork related to the court proceedings, and actual testimony. $400/hour or any portion thereof for appearances or documents requested less than one calendar week (7 days) in advance. This increased fee is justified by the expedited nature of the request. If subpoenaed for testimony, we require a non-refundable deposit of $1200, due no later than one calendar week (7 days) prior to the date of testimony, for each day we are required to appear for testimony, regardless of whether we are called on that day or not. (All clinicians)

• Administrative tasks: $120/hour, prorated to 15-minute (.25 hour) increments – includes email, telephone conversations with you or professionals whom you have authorized us to speak with on your behalf, and/or any other tasks that you ask for outside of scheduled therapy sessions (All clinicians)

• If sessions or services are shorter or longer than the defined payment schedule, fees are prorated accordingly. (All clinicians)

CANCELLATIONS:

• Psychotherapy intakes and sessions: We require notice by 8am on the day of your appointment for rescheduling or cancellation of a psychotherapy appointment. Without such notice, fees will be charged as follows unless alternative arrangements are discussed:

  • Cancellations (after 8am on the day of your appointment) OR no-shows (no communication prior to appointment): 

    • Psychotherapy Intake: $200

    • Psychotherapy Sessions: $100

    • Group Therapy Session: $55

  • We provide every client/family with one complimentary missed appointment per calendar year, regardless of number of appointments during that time. Any late cancellations or no shows (occurring after 8am the day of the appointment) thereafter will be charged according to the policy above, with no exceptions. We recognize that this is a strict policy, but it keeps us from having to make judgments about what constitutes an “emergency” for different people. The only exception occurs for weather, as follows: Late cancels or no shows are not charged on days when Poudre School District, Colorado State University, or the client's local school district close due to inclement weather.

• Substance use evaluations: We require a minimum of 48 hours or 2 business days notice for rescheduling or cancellation of substance use evaluations to allow us time to find someone else to take the appointment. Without such notice, fees will be charged as follows unless alternative arrangements are discussed:

  • Cancellations (within 48 hours or 2 business days of appointment) OR no-shows (no communication prior to appointment): $200

You may avoid a cancellation or no-show fee if we are able to reschedule within the same week as dictated by staff schedule. Please note that many insurance companies will NOT provide payment for missed sessions.

UNPAID ACCOUNTS

If you experience difficulties in meeting your payment obligations, please discuss this with us so we can establish a reasonable payment agreement. Overdue accounts (i.e., which remain unpaid for 60 days or for which an agreed-upon payment plan has not been followed) will be turned over to a collection agency as a final resort for non-payment. 

Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have certain types of health care coverage or who are not using certain types of health care coverage an estimate of their bill for health care items and services before those items or services are provided. 

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any health care items or services upon request or when scheduling such items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. 

• If you schedule a health care item or service at least 3 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule a health care item or service at least 10 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after scheduling. You can also ask any health care provider or facility for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you do, make sure the health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after you ask. 

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more for any provider or facility than your Good Faith Estimate from that provider or facility, you can dispute the bill. 

• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate and the bill. 

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers, email FederalPPDRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov, or call 1- 800-985-3059. 

RECORDING POLICY

It is considered unacceptable by Resilient Future Counseling for you (the client or session guests/family members of the client) to video or audio record sessions without the prior knowledge and expressed consent of your clinician. Recording sessions in this way is generally believed to be a risk to client confidentiality, as well as counter-productive to the therapeutic process and relationship. If it is determined that a session has been recorded without the knowledge/consent of your clinician, that clinician will consider the appropriate action to be taken, up to and including possible termination and referral from our agency.

Resilient Future Counseling is an agency committed to training counselors who are pursuing licensure and additional certifications. To facilitate this training, therapy sessions may need to be video or audio recorded. The purpose of the recordings are to help your clinician serve you better and to review and evaluate counseling techniques. No recording will be done without your prior knowledge and consent. 

In this practice, we sometimes use video and audio taping to support training and supervision. We utilize research-based models (such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy [DBT] and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing [EMDR]) all of which subscribe to a process of consultation/supervision where sessions are recorded and observed by consultants/supervisors, then used for learning purposes by the therapist, the consultant and the couples/clients. 

In order for sessions to be recorded or observed, you must give your written consent (refer to the Informed Consent form). This permission can be revoked at ANY time, and is strictly optional. Recordings will automatically be deleted within one year (unless you and your clinician decide on a different time frame in writing). 

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that provides new privacy protections and new patient rights with regard to the use and disclosure of your Protected Health information (PHI) used for the purpose of treatment, payment, and health care operations, HIPAA requires that we provide you with a “Notice of Policies and Practices to Protect the Privacy of Your Health Information” (the Notice) for use and disclosure of PHI for treatment, payment and health care operations. The Notice, which accompanies these Office Policies, explains HIPAA and its application to your personal health information in greater detail. The law requires that we obtain your signature acknowledging that we have provided you with this information. Although these documents are long and sometimes complex, it is very important that you read them carefully. We are always willing to discuss any question you have

about the procedures at any time. HIPAA provides you with several new or expanded rights with regard to your Clinical Record and disclosures of PHI. These rights include requesting that we amend your record; requesting restrictions on what information from your Clinical Record is disclosed to others; requesting an accounting of most disclosures of PHI that you have neither consented to nor authorized; determining the location to which protected information disclosures are sent; having any complaints you make about our policies and procedures recorded in your records; and the right to a paper copy of these Office Policies, the accompanying Notice of Privacy Practices, and our privacy policies and procedures.