Office Hours 

At this time, the office is open Monday-Thursday from 9:00 am — 7:30 pm and Saturdays from 9 am – 5 pm. We may close the office for holidays or vacations. 

Holidays and Office Closings 

The office will be closed from December 24th through January 1st and will reopen on January 2nd or the next business day. Additional annual holiday closings: Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the following Friday. We ask that you plan ahead and schedule appointments before annual closings. 

Scheduling 

Appointments can be scheduled by contacting the office by phone or email. Once an established patient you can use the patient portal for communication. If you are new to Backer Counseling, welcome! We would like to get to know you better and will send you a questionnaire to help us understand how we may best meet your mental health care needs. 

Follow-up appointments are scheduled for 50-60 minutes. You are encouraged to schedule your next visit at the end of each appointment to increase likelihood of obtaining your preferred time. 

Cancellation/No Show Policy for Appointments 

We understand that there are times when you must miss an appointment due to emergencies or obligations for work or family. In order to be respectful of the medical needs of other patients, please be courteous and call the office at (904) 385-0133 promptly if you are unable to show up for an appointment. We will attempt to reallocate this time to someone who is in need of treatment. Appointments are in high demand, and your early cancellation may allow another patient access to timely treatment and care. A fee of $75 will be charged for any no shows or late cancellations. This includes intake appointments.

Will I be charged if I need to cancel my intake appointment? 

We do not double book appointments and reserve time exclusively for your appointment. If you cancel an appointment within 24 business hours of your appointment, or if you “no show” for your initial appointment, further requests for an intake appointment must be approved by the provider and will require payment, in full, in advance to reserve the time slot. Payment will not be refunded or forwarded if the rescheduled intake appointment is missed. We schedule intake appointments with adequate time for the provider to conduct the evaluation. If you arrive 15 minutes late without providing notice to the office, for any appointment, this is considered a no-show. 

Fees and Account Balances 

Our fee-for-service private payment structure guarantees that your treatment frequency and duration are determined by your provider and yourself, not by an insurance company. This allows us to provide higher quality treatment and an individually tailored course of care. Payment is expected at the time of each visit. 

We will provide you with a billing invoice (superbill) that you may submit to your insurance carrier for direct reimbursement under an out-of-network provision if you wish to do so. 

We currently accept insurance payment from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna and United Commercial plans 

Backer Counseling will contact your insurance company to identify any co-pays or co-insurance fees. You will be expected to pay these fees at the time of the service. When billing insurance, we may use Headway. A credit card is required on file in order to ensure timely payment of any unmet deductibles, co-pays, co-insurances or any other fees.

You may request good faith estimate, a list of services and pricing at info@backercounseling.com 

Patients who have questions about their bill or who would like to discuss the option of a payment plan please contact our office to schedule a time to discuss further. 

Will I be charged if I need to cancel my follow up appointments? 

Please call the office at (904) 385-0133 as soon as you need to cancel. We do require at least 24 hours (one business day) notice for all cancelations. There will be a full charge for appointment no shows or cancelations without 24 hour notification. If another client is able to be seen in your cancelled timeslot, you will not be charged the full visit fee, you will be charged the $25.00 same day cancellation fee. 

Please note: We value your time and ours. Repeated no-shows or same day cancelations (more than 2 in a 3-month period), may be dismissed from the practice and be denied any future appointments or required to pay in advance for all visits. 

What if I can’t reach anyone in the office to cancel? 

A voicemail message, email, or patient portal message communicating your need to cancel with a minimum or 24 hour notice will be honored by the timestamp on the message. 

 Will you remind me of the appointment time? 

All appointments will receive your preference of a text or email appointment reminder 48 hours in advance. No cancellation fee will be charged if your call to reschedule is received 24 hours before the appointment. Not receiving a reminder communication regarding an appointment does not absolve your responsibility to honor the cancellation/no-show policy. 

What if I am Running Late for Scheduled Appointment? 

Life happens. Please be thoughtful and notify the office as soon as you are able to if you are running late for an appointment or an emergency comes up. We do have a 15 minute window after your appointment time, if you arrive 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment without notifying the office, this will be considered a same day no show. 

Telephone Calls 

Business Hours: Our office hours are Saturday 9:00am - 2:00pm. Phone calls received will be answered and/or returned during these hours. If you reach the Backer Counseling voicemail, please leave a detailed message including your name, phone number, reason for the call. We make every effort to return calls within 24 hours. Do not leave urgent or emergent messages or requests on voicemail. Call 911 or activate your local emergency response system for medical or psychiatric crises or emergencies. 

After Hours 

Backer Counseling does not provide on-call services. It is your responsibility to contact your primary care provider, go to urgent care, the emergency department or call 911 after hours. 

Non-urgent questions or concerns can be left as voicemails and will be responded to within 24 business hours. Do not leave urgent or emergent messages or requests as a voicemail. Call 911 or activate your local emergency response system for medical or psychiatric crises or emergencies. 

Emergencies, please contact one of the following: 

• United Way Crisis Hotline at (904) 632-0600 

• Dial 911 or 988 

• Go to your nearest emergency room 

• Text HOME to 741741 for free, 24/7 crisis counseling 

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255 

Our office is NOT equipped to handle psychiatric or other medical emergencies. DO NOT come to our office in the event of a psychiatric or medical emergency at any time. We are happy to coordinate with your emergency services provider once you are in a safe and secure setting. 

EMAIL and SOCIAL/ BUSINESS NETWORKING SITES 

Email communication cannot be guaranteed secure or confidential. Backer Counseling uses email for scheduling coordination and administrative communication only. Please be aware that emails and responses to emails can become part of the medical record. We ask that you use the secure patient portal for electronic communication when needed. 

Your provider and the staff at Backer Counseling will not accept friend requests or other requests on any social media or business networking site. 

Patient Forms and Record Request 

We are happy to complete forms and provide records to medical providers when requested and with your permission. There is a fee of $35.00 for all forms or letters (letters to the school, camp, or other non-clinical agencies). More complex forms will be charged up to $50.00, depending on the length and time involved to complete the form. 

Patient Complaints and Concerns 

Your experience is important to us. Please know your choice to receive care at Backer Counseling is voluntary and we are thankful you have chosen to trust us with your care. It is our hope your experience is positive. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns with your provider and/or our team. We are thankful for opportunities to increase the quality of care we provide and meet the needs of our clients. 

Court-Related Matters 

Backer Counseling does not provide forensic services, participate in custody proceedings, and will not participate in court related matters of any kind. No exceptions.