f.a.q.
You have questions. here are the answers.
First, we lock in a weekly therapy day, time & length: one for the child/teen and one for both parents. Next, we set appointments for a comprehensive mental health (MH) evaluation:
• Forms: sent, completed, and returned prior to the day of first appointment.
• Both parents’ intake interview: usually 2 hours, occasionally 90-minutes
• Student’s MH assessment: usually two 90-minute sessions, depending on developmental age.
• With parental permission, Dr. Kaiser converses with relevant professionals: e.g. prior therapist, teacher, etc. Permission is required for communication with pediatrician / pediatric nurse practitioner & medical subspecialist.
• Both parents’ feedback & treatment planning session: 2 hours
• All patients and parents are seen via tele-therapy, i.e. a HIPPA-complaint, confidential version of Zoom.
• Frequency and duration of sessions are determined by the treatment goals (developed with both parents and with student), as well as level of child’s distress, developmental stage, capacity to attend, and family finances.
• Most students are seen weekly for 55-minute sessions. Some are initially seen twice weekly, then frequency is modified once feeling and functioning better.
• Obligatory sessions with both parents are weekly.
• Dr. Kaiser charges for time spent during regular appointments and time devoted ( > 5 minutes) to reading and/or responding to your emails. Charges are based on the hourly rate; current hourly rate is sent to prospective patients before scheduling the first appointment.
• Fees are due on the day of each appointment, through Paypal or Venmo or by check. A weekly statement is sent with the amount due, and the diagnostic and treatment codes needed by insurance companies.
• Dr. Kaiser is not an in-network or out-of-network provider with any insurance plans. It is the parent’s responsibility to file and submit claims.
• If wanting to communicate briefly about appointments, please send a text message to (650) 888-7493 as well as an email message to drpkaiser@gmail.com.
• If you are communicating a clinical update or non-urgent concerns or questions, send an email to drpkaiser@gmail.com. Dr. Kaiser replies to emails within a couple days. Note: she is out of the office Thursday through Sundays.
• If there is an issue needing Dr. Kaiser’s reply within 24 hours, please send a text message to (650) 888-7493.
•If there is an URGENT clinical issue concerning the safety and/or well-being of your child/teen, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency department, or call Stanford Children’s Hospital at (650) 497-8000 and ask for the child psychiatry fellow on call.
• Please Note: Dr. Kaiser’s practice is not set up to provide emergency or urgent services.
• Beyond Dr. Kaiser’s scope of practice are patients with anger/acting out, bulimia, anorexia, or on the autistic spectrum, or a child with divorced parents.