Policies
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the following policies. These are essential agreements that assure equitable care. You will be asked to review and sign digital copies of our policies at your first appointment, and a hard copy can be made available upon request.
medication refills
The routine practice of Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC is to write a prescription to cover your medication needs until your next appointment. If you keep scheduled appointments or reschedule promptly, there should be no need for additional refills. If an exception occurs, please have your pharmacy fax a refill request to (888) 765-0392 (please do not send an email or leave a voicemail) at least 5 working days before you will run out of medication. Refills will be considered for patients with a scheduled follow up appointment and on a case by case basis. Please note, we do not process refill requests after hours, on weekends or holidays.
Please remember it is your responsibility to schedule a follow-up appointment before you run out of medication and within the return time frame determined in your treatment plan. Controlled substances cannot be refilled by phone and will only be written during office visits, if appropriate.
missed appointments
We understand that schedules can be unpredictable! If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please call or email us 48 hours prior to your originally scheduled appointment. If you are an established patient you may notify us through the patient portal as well. Please note you will be subject to a late cancellation fee without 48 hour notice.
patient rights & responsibilities
Every patient will be treated with dignity and respect.
Services will not be denied to any patient on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, duration of residence, or any kind of disability.
Every patient will receive appropriate care and treatment, using an individualized treatment plan, employing accepted methods and approaches most appropriate for specific problems and needs identified.
Every patient is expected to actively participate in the development or modification of their individual treatment plan.
Every patient will be informed of risks associated with the treatment to be undertaken.
Every patient can refuse proposed treatment, which the patient does not wish to receive.
Every patient will be informed of any alternative treatment methods available, if any.
Every patient is expected to arrive on time for appointments, free of alcohol and/or illicit substances.
Every patient may terminate services at any time upon their written or verbal request.
confidentiality
All information and records obtained in the course of treatment shall be kept confidential, unless you provide written consent prior to disclosure. Please note, Oregon law requires some exceptions to absolute confidentiality. These exceptions are as follows:
If there is reason to believe you may be in danger of harming yourself or others
If there is reason to believe that abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or an individual with disabilities has occurred
If a court order is received or other situations required by law
If required for insurance billing purposes
If an emergency situation requires sharing of information
Additionally, if your provider is seeking consultation with another expert regarding treatment planning
termination of treatment
If a patient “no-shows” for an appointment and does not contact Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC, within 30 days, it is assumed treatment has been terminated and must be re-established for further services to continue which includes medication refills.
Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC reserves the right to terminate treatment if a patient is not actively participating in the treatment plan, a patient is referred to another provider who may be of better service, or when deemed necessary by Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC. Such as, if payment is not received, and/or patient or family member/significant-other are hostile or aggressive, or cause any disruption in our work space.
Typically, a patient must be seen a minimum of every three (3) months or more frequently as indicated by the treatment plan for continuation of the provider-patient relationship.
email communication
Please be aware that email is not a confidential means of communication unless both parties are communicating through secure avenues. Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC can send and receive emails through a signed BAA Google Apps email account that has encryption technology by Virtru. This technology facilitates secure, HIPAA compliant, electronic communication. It is recommended that no information regarding your personal health history be communicated using electronic means without this or similar technology.
Communicating with standard email is not secure. Please take this into consideration when sharing your personal health information.
phone, email, & client portal messages
Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC will make an effort to check messages at least once per weekday and attempt to return messages within 24-48 hours. We do not offer 24 hour call availability at this time. Once you become an established patient with Sunstone Psychiatric LLC, you may set up a secure account via our patient portal which allows for confidential messaging services for non-urgent communication only.
texting
We do not use texting as a form of communication with patients.
length of treatment
Duration of treatment varies based on the nature of treatment and individual patient needs. The frequency of appointments will vary depending on medication response, therapeutic benefit as well as the type of medication prescribed.
services not provided
Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC does not provide court evaluations or testimony including but not limited to child custody, workers compensation, or criminal cases. Additionally we do not complete disability evaluations or documentation for emotional support animals.
revision of office & practice policies
Sunstone Psychiatric, LLC reserves the right to revise our office and practice policies at any time by updating this document without advance notice to you. Such revisions shall be effective immediately upon posting. Therefore, we encourage you to check our office and practice policies frequently.