As a service to members, the American Counseling Association has partnered with Robert J. Walsh, NCC, LCPC and Norman C. Dasenbrook, LCPC, who have over 50 years combined experience in the mental health field (including over 30 years in private practice) and are consultants in counseling practice management, to offer a series of bulletins on various private practice topics. This series includes timely information on starting/expanding/ending a private practice, informed consent, HIPAA requirements, managed care and insurance companies, and strategies for enrolling on provider panels and responding to claim denials. The material presented is copyrighted and should not be reproduced without the permission of the American Counseling Association.

To learn more about each of these topics about private practice, click on the following links:

1. Starting a Private Practice (PDF)
2. Meeting HIPAA requirements (PDF)
3. Transfer Plan - Counselor Incapacitation or Termination of Practice (PDF)
4. Provider Relations Contact List for Managed Care and Insurance Panels (PDF) (Updated 1/10)
5. Working with Managed Care (MS Word)
6. Managed Care Response Templates
   1. How to get on provider panels
   2. Responding to claim denials
7. Marketing and Advertising (PDF)
8. Selling or Buying a Private Practice (PDF)
9. Websites for Counselors (PDF)
10. Superbill: a cost effective insurance billing strategy (PDF)
11. Implementing Informed Consent (PDF)
12. Electronic Claims Submission (PDF) -- New!

All files are in .PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. If you do not have this program, you may download it for free here.

Frequently Asked Questions (from Counseling Today)

2008

• Does incorporating offer extra protection?
• The complications of sliding fee scales
• Dealing with managed care denials
• Collaborative law offers emerging income stream
• Maintaining client files

2007

• By any other name, it’s still fraud
• Superbill gets super response
• Answers to several questions related to billing insurance companies
• Managed care companies now requesting to be considered by ACA
• Electronic billing and HIPAA compliance
• The ins and outs of fee collection
• The slippery slope of sliding fee scales
• Rise up and ask for a raise!
• Seeing yourself as a businessperson

Questions regarding private practice are being solicited for a Question and Answer section. E-mail your queries to Rebecca Daniel-Burke at rdanielburke@counseling.org.

Walsh and Dasenbrook have co-authored, The Complete Guide to Private Practice for Licensed Mental Health Professionals 3rd edition .

Their Guide contains the latest information on marketing, advertising, office procedures, dealing with managed healthcare and insurance billing. It also contains a CD-Rom with all the forms necessary for your practice. The Guide can be purchased through their web site at Counseling-PrivatePractice.com.

For more information you can contact the authors at 3703 N. Main St. Suite 100 Rockford, IL. 61103 815.877.0399