Helpful Forms

Instructions for Completing Forms:
After completing the necessary forms, please bring them to your initial
appointment. They are to be signed, dated and witnessed at the time of
your initial appointment. If you will be an adult client at A New Start, please
click on the form name, print and complete the following:

• Adult Information Packet

If you are the Parent/ Legal Guardian of a child or adolescent who will be
a client at A New Start, please click on the form name, print and complete
the following:

• Child Information Packet

If you have any questions about completing the forms, please contact our
administrative staff at (770) 461-9944 and they will be pleased to assist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a counseling appointment? Simply telephone our office at 770-461-9944 and ask to make an appointment. Our administrative staff will be pleased to assist you in scheduling an appointment and providing necessary information. Please have your insurance card available when you call to schedule.

How long will my counseling appointment last? For psychotherapists the appointment time will be 45 minutes.

How do I know if I have insurance coverage for counseling? Please call the phone number on your health plan insurance card to request information regarding outpatient behavioral health benefits. Please be sure to inquire about co-payments, deductibles and authorizations required.

What insurances do you take? UHC/BCBS/Aetna PPO/Cigna/PHCS/Medicare/Medicaid and Tricare, as well as many others. This list is frequently updated, so please contact our administrative staff or your insurance carrier with questions regarding coverage.

If I have no insurance, do you have a sliding scale? No, but we will be pleased to assist you by recommending alternative referral sources or to coordinate a mutually beneficial payment arrangement.

How much does a counseling session cost? Our full fee is $120.00 per session for psychologists and psychotherapists. We accept most insurance plans and are on most insurance provider panels. Please call our office or your insurance company to verify specific coverage and costs.

Are there any extraneous charges for other services? Occasionally, it may be necessary for your counselor to return phone calls, make court appearances and/or write letters on your behalf. We are pleased to provide these services as they become necessary. There is a charge for each of these services. The administrative staff will be pleased to inform you regarding current charges.

What paperwork is required during the initial visit? • The age appropriate initial appointment paperwork is located on this website which should be completed prior to the scheduled appointment. The forms are required to be signed and dated at ANSCC. • Verifiable insurance information. • Picture identification. • Guardianship papers (if necessary). • Co-payment/Deductible. • Current medication and dosage list. • Names and contact information of other professionals you and your counselor determine may need to be contacted.

PLEASE ARRIVE 20 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED INITIAL APPOINTMENT TIME.

For clients under the age of 18, who needs to attend the initial counseling session? Generally, our counselors request to meet the parents for the first appointment to obtain history and current symptom information unless otherwise instructed by the front desk staff. This would typically change only in an urgent situation. If you are instructed that the child/adolescent will be seen during the initial visit, then a parent or guardian must accompany the client. The administrative staff will be happy to instruct you further when you are calling to schedule.

What is the age range of clients seen at ANSCC? From 2 years through advanced years.

How long does counseling take? Ideally, counseling is terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes more manageable or is resolved. However, some insurance companies and managed care plans may limit the number of sessions for which they pay. You should check with your health plan to find out more about potential limitations in your coverage. During the first few counseling sessions, you and your counselor should discuss the estimated length of time needed to achieve your goals, in light of your particular needs.

Does ANSCC provide confirmation of appointment calls? For most of our center therapists we provide confirmation calls as a courtesy to our clients.  The calls are provided through House Calls, an automated service, and may be directed to the phone number of your choosing.  We ask that you continue to make every effort to keep up with scheduled appointments because there is a charge for not providing a 24 hour notice for cancellations.  In order for the system to work properly we will need your assistance by immediately providing the administrative staff with any change in your contact information. 

What if I miss an appointment? We are pleased to accommodate your schedule changes provided we are given a minimum of 24 hour notice for cancellations. Missed appointments and cancellations occurring less than 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment will be charged at the full session rate and may not be billed to the insurance company.

How does the 24 hour notice to cancel an appointment work? We determine 24 hours by the time of your appointment. For example, if your appointment is at 8 AM on Wednesday, then your appointment needs to be cancelled by 8 AM on Tuesday. Monday appointments need to be cancelled by noon on Friday. To cancel an appointment scheduled on the day after a holiday, it needs to be cancelled on the day prior to the holiday.

Why does ANSCC charge for late cancellations or missed appointments? The counselor you are seeing allocates the appointment time that you choose solely for you. Other clients may desperately want an appointment and could utilize the time slot in the event you are unable to keep the appointment. Unfortunately, they will be prohibited from doing so if you do not show for the appointment or it was not cancelled with sufficient notice.

Are cancellation fees ever waived? The only reason a cancellation fee would be waived is in the event of a dire emergency or illness that requires hospital treatment.

When will the ANSCC administrative staff be available? Generally, the administrative staff is available from 8 AM until 6 PM Monday through Thursday with extended hours on Monday and Tuesday until 8 PM and on Thursday until 7 PM. Voicemail is available and your message will be logged, including the date and time of your call.

What if I have a counseling emergency and am not a current client of ANSCC? If this is an emergency, if you feel suicidal, or if you feel like you want to hurt yourself or someone else, call 911, call your doctor, or go to the nearest emergency room immediately!

What if I have an after hour counseling emergency and am a current client of ANSCC? For active clients of ANSCC, we provide an after hour on-call service for life threatening emergencies. Each of the full time therapy staff rotates on call. Please call the office number and follow the instructions for an emergency situation.

What is the difference in a psychiatrist, psychologist and psychotherapist? All three professionals deliver services to assist clients with emotionally challenging situations. Psychiatrists have the ability to prescribe medication. Psychologists and psychotherapists both provide psychotherapeutic services but the psychologists are further trained in research and providing psychological assessments. Psychotherapists provide therapy services.

Is everything I say in a counseling session confidential? In Georgia, as with most states, the licensure laws protect client confidentiality. As a client of ANSCC, you are guaranteed the protection of confidentiality within the boundaries of the client/counselor relationship. Any disclosure which may be required will only occur after the client or parent/guardian of the client signs a release of information which will include: the party the disclosure will be made to, the specific purpose for the release of information and the length of time for which the release will be valid. The only limitations to confidentiality occur when a counselor feels that there is clear and imminent danger to you or to others, or when legal requirements demand that confidential information be disclosed such as a court case. Whenever possible, you will be informed before the confidential information is released.

If more than one family member sees a counselor in this group, can the counselors talk to one another about the family? Yes, but only with signed releases of information from the client or parent/guardian of the client. It does tend to provide a significant advantage for the family, as it helps to provide the greatest insights and direction for the family from an entire team of professional staff, while maintaining the client’s right to confidentiality.

Is it possible for my counselor to talk to other professionals about my situation who are not professional staff members at ANSCC? Yes, as long as appropriate releases of information are signed and current contact information for the professional is provided to the counselor by the client. Sometimes, coordinating schedules with other professionals may be difficult but we make every effort to establish contact at your request.

What do I do if I have questions which were not addressed on these pages? Please feel free to contact the administrative staff and they will be pleased to assist you further.