What do I need to initiate the process?

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     If your child has insurance such as Medicaid or a private insurance Southshore Bilingual Therapy, Inc. is participating in, a referral with a diagnosis code will be required to properly bill your insurance company. A referral for therapy is made through your child’s physician. Upon receipt of the referral, we will schedule the initial evaluation. 

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     If you choose to self-pay for therapy services, a referral is not required.

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What should I expect at the initial evaluation?

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     When you first meet with a therapist from Southshore Bilingual Therapy Inc., we conduct a thorough and careful evaluation of your child that is tailored to the concerns that prompted the referral. Each evaluation utilizes objective and standardized measures, whenever possible. In addition to the formal assessment of your child, we also want to hear from you, the parents. Nobody knows your child better than you do, and your perceptions and observations are an invaluable component in developing an effective treatment plan. Evaluations vary from child to child, depending on age, capabilities, or physical or mental development. However, every evaluation is conducted in a manner that minimizes stress for the child. And, we hope, an experience that the child enjoys. Some children will need information about the evaluation ahead of time. We recommend that you tell them that we will be playing games with them. You can tell older children that we want to see how they use their eyes, hands and muscles. Please reassure your child that this will be a fun experience. Most evaluations are completed in 1 hour. Part of that time will be spent assessing your child and the rest will be spent talking with you. We also will use this time to explain the results of the evaluation and provide you with any additional information.

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How often will my child receive services?

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     When your child is evaluated, the therapist will make a recommendation for the frequency and length of the treatment plan of care based on the specific needs of your child. Typically, children receive therapy 1 to 2 times per week. As children progress, the therapist may ease them out of therapy by decreasing the frequency to every other week or once a month to ensure that they maintain skills.

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What is your cancellation policy?

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      Please note that once you have booked an appointment for an evaluation with us it means we have reserved time in our schedule exclusively for you. If you cancel your appointment lest than 24 hours before it is scheduled to take place, you will be subject to a cancelation fee/rebooking charge of $25.00.  To avoid a cancelation fee, please provide cancelation notice at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. You can cancel or reschedule an appointment by emailing us, texting or calling our office at 813-323-5783.

 

     Attendance and participation in therapy along with complete compliance with any associated home programs, are essential for therapeutic success. While Southshore Bilingual Therapy, Inc. understands that illnesses and emergencies occur, we respectfully request that you avoid cancellations or “no shows”. Please adhere to our following policy regarding providing our office with advance notification for any cancellations resulting from a conflicting appointment, vacation, obligations for work or family, or any other event. All cancellations must be submitted 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. A fee of $25.00 will be assessed for the first cancellation within 24 hours of scheduled appointment or failure to show. This fee will be billed directly to the client and not their health insurance company, as medical insurance does not provide coverage for missed sessions if cancellations are made less than the required 24 hours or if the client fails to show up for a scheduled appointment. If you fail to appear for an appointment (no show) without providing the appropriate advance notification for 3 appointments within 30 days, the office will reserve the right to cancel all pending appointments and discharge your family member from services.

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What steps are you taking in regards to COVID safety?

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     Our clinic provides face-to-face and/or teletherapy individualized speech-language and/or occupational therapeutic services. 

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CLINIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES​

1. Staff will continue our rigorous hand-washing and sanitizing procedures between each therapy session.

2. All toys and other resources will be cleaned between each patient, and high-touch surfaces will be cleaned multiple times during the day.

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PATIENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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1. If you or your family member(s) present with COVID symptoms or have tested positive, please contact our office to make arrangements for tele-therapy sessions, when appropriate.