Starting and Developing a 21 st Century Private Practice
September 18, 2015
Carolyn Parsons, Psy.D., L.P. carolyn@parsonspsychological.com
Minnesota Psychological Association http://www.mnpsych.org/
Private Practice Listserv
Minnesota Psychologist Online
Friday Forums
Minnesota Board of Psychology http://mn.gov/health-licensing-boards/psychology/
Psychology Practice Act can be downloaded from site
Compliance Specialist, Josh Bramley, 612-548-2109
Revisor of Statues https://www.revisor.mn.gov/
Publishes updates after legislative sessions so can check for changes
Minnesota Department of Health – Health Care and Coverage http://www.health.state.mn.us/macros/topics/healthcare.html
Minnesota Standard Consent Form to Release Health Information and Instructions http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/hpsc/dap/consent.pdf
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – HIPPA http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/
American Psychological Association (APA) http://www.apa.org
HIPPA for Psychologists Online Class - provides state by state templates
$600 Non Members, $375 Members, $225 Practice Assessment Payer or if insured by APA Insurance Trust
Updates developed in 2013 and free for those that took class prior to that
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/principles.pdf
Minnesota Record Keeping Document (19 pages, discusses MN law and HIPPA)
Minnesota Mental Health Intake & Evaluation Form
Minnesota Mental Health Progress Note
Minnesota Mental Health Termination Summary http://www.apacommunities.org/groups/division-31-ethics-resources-for-minnesota

APA Practice Central http://www.apapracticecentral.org
Fee additional to APA membership
Receive Good Practice Magazine 3 times per year
Provides numerous articles on business practices
Document: Record Keeping Guidelines (12 pages)
Originally published in American Psychologist, December 2007
Combines APA principles and HIPPA
Article available with hyperlinks at: http://www.apapracticecentral.org/flash/record-keepingguidelines/data/downloads/recordkeeping_links.pdf
Video: Applying the APA Record Keeping Guidelines in Clinical Practice http://www.apapracticecentral.org/flash/record-keeping-guidelines/index.aspx
Putting HIPPA Into Practice, Good Practice, Winter 2007
Also has article about Psychotherapy Notes: Practioners: Take Note http://www.apapracticecentral.org/good-practice/secure/2007-winter.pdf
APA Psychologists in Independent Practice (Division 42) http://division42.org/
Division 42 Listserv
Samples of practice forms

Last Revised January 29, 2013
The Psychology Practice Act can be downloaded from MN Board of psychology website for free or purchased for $17.95 (shipping extra) from Minnesota Bookstore (links on Board of
Psychology website)
Minnesota Statutes - Chapter 48- Minnesota Psychology Practice Act pages 4-25
Sections 148.79 – 148.99
Minnesota Administrative Rules – Chapter 7200
Sections 7200.0100 – 7200.6105 pages 26-62
Other laws relating to the practice of psychology in Minnesota pages 63-200
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 13 (Government Data Practices including licensing)
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 144 - (Minnesota Health Records Act, Patient Rights)
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 147 (Reporting Obligations)
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 604 (Sexual Exploitation)
Minnesota Statutes–Chapter 214 (Complaints, Suspension of License, Default of Student
Loans, Health Care Provider Tax, Health Professionals Services Programs)
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 270C (Tax Clearance, Issuance of Licenses)
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 319B Minnesota Professional Firms Act, Professional Health
Services
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 609 (Criminal Sexual Conduct)
Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 626 (Reporting Maltreatment of Minors, Prenatal
Exposure to Controlled Substances, Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults)
Minnesota Rules – Chapter 4605 (Diseases)
7200.4750 RECORD KEEPING. Updated in 2013
Subpart 1. Record-keeping requirements. Providers shall maintain accurate and legible records of their services for each client. Records shall minimally contain:
A. client personal data;
B. an accurate chronological listing of all client visits, fees charged to the client or a third-party payer, and payments received;
C. documentation of services, including, where applicable:
(1) assessment methods, data, and reports;
(2) an initial treatment plan and any subsequent revisions;
(3) the name of the individual providing the services;
(4) case notes for each date of service, including any interventions;
(5) consultations with collateral sources;
(6) diagnoses or problem descriptions;
(7) documentation that informed consent for services was given, including written informed consent documents, where applicable;
(8) documentation of supervision or consultation received; and
(9) the name of the individual who is clinically responsible for the services provided;

D. copies of all correspondence relating to the client; and
E. copies of all client authorizations for release of information and any other documents pertaining to the client.
Subp. 3. Records retention. The provider shall retain a client's records for a minimum of eight years after the date of the provider's last professional service to the client, except as otherwise provided by law. If the client is a minor, the records retention period shall not commence until the client reaches the age of 18, except as otherwise provided by law.
7200.4905 CLIENT WELFARE.
Subpart 1. Bill of rights. The provider shall display prominently on the premises of the professional practice or make available as a handout the bill of rights of clients which must include a statement that consumers of psychological services have the right:
A. to expect that the provider has met the minimum qualifications of education, training, and experience required by state law for licensure;
B. to examine public records maintained by the Board of Psychology that contain the credentials of the provider;
C. to report complaints to the Board of Psychology;
D. to be informed of the cost of professional services before receiving the services;
E. to privacy as defined and limited by rule and law;
F. to be free from being the object of unlawful discrimination while receiving psychological services;
G. to have access to their records as provided in Minnesota Statutes, sections 144.291 to 144.298, except as otherwise provided by law or a prior written agreement;
H. to be free from exploitation for the benefit or advantage of the provider;
*I. to terminate services at any time, except as otherwise provided by law or court order;
*J. to know the intended recipients of psychological assessment results;
*K. to withdraw consent to release assessment results, unless that right is prohibited by law or court order or is waived by prior written agreement;
*L. to a nontechnical description of assessment procedures; and
*M. to a nontechnical explanation and interpretation of assessment results, unless that right is prohibited by law or court order or is waived by prior written agreement. The handout must include the Board of Psychology's current mailing address, Web site address, and telephone number.

Date of Service
Session Start/Stop Times
Patient Name:
Medical Record Number:
Service: (CPT code)
Session Number
Present at session: (client, mother, etc.)
Types of treatment provided: (individual, couples, family, group)
Treatment Modality/Interventions: (cognitive behavioral, supportive, behavior mod, family therapy, hypnosis, smoking cessation, crisis intervention, etc.)
Treatment Goals: (symptom reduction, skill acquisition, improve functioning, etc.)
Session Narrative/Observation: (Affect/mood typical, notable change in MSE/affect/mood including____)
Treatment Response/Progress: (no notable change, slight progress, intermittent progress, maintaining previous gains/stable, etc.)
Diagnosis: codes and description, indicate primary, secondary, history of, provisional, etc.)
Treatment and Follow-up Plan: (continue current treatment, specific strategies to try/implement, referral recommended, future considerations)
Clinician Name and Date
______________________________________________________________________________
Client Name and Date
Types of Information You Might Include:
Pertinent Themes Discussed
Key Events Discussed
Significant Client Reactions (in or out of session)
Interventions/recommendations to follow-up
Psychotherapy notes have special privacy protections in order to be accessed by anyone but the writer but must be kept separate from the clinical record. Insurance companies cannot request psychotherapy notes when making medical necessity decisions or auditing . Psychotherapy notes do not include medication prescription and monitoring, start and stop times, modalities and frequencies of treatment, results of clinical tests, and any summary of diagnosis, functional status, treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis and progress to date.