Trust and safety are critical to a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship and we take confidentiality very seriously. Federal law prohibits the release of any health information without your written permission, except in the following circumstances:

1. If your provider believes you may harm yourself or others
2. If your provider suspects child or elder abuse
3. If a court subpoenas your records
4. If you are using health insurance benefits, we may be required to provide information to your health plan, including some or all of your record of treatment, in order for your carrier to pay for services. Psychotherapy notes are handled separately under HIPAA and have additional protections.
5. If you are party to child custody litigation at any time in the future, the court may order release of information about your treatment in this office.
6. In some instances, as provided by the state law of Texas, information about your healthcare may be exchanged with other healthcare professionals involved in your treatment.

Dr. Walton and her associates are board certified in the state of Texas to practice psychiatry, which includes prescribing medications, providing psychotherapy, or both, depending upon your particular treatment needs. During your initial visit, your provider will take a detailed history and make treatment recommendations.

Successful treatment requires an active and committed approach by both patient and provider and initial consultations are designed to help determine if you and we are a good fit for continued work together.

We believe the physician-patient relationship should be collaborative. We will do our best to explain our reasoning for any treatment recommendations and engage patients in the decision making process. In turn, we expect that patients will adhere to agreed upon treatment plans, including taking medications as prescribed, attending therapy modalities recommended, and obtaining lab work.

Patients who are consistently noncompliant with treatment recommendations, follow-up, and lab draws may be terminated due to the risks associated with non-adherence. Our ability to provide the best possible diagnosis and treatment plan relies on the patient providing us complete and accurate information at all times. Therefore, we expect the patient will be forthcoming and honest in all interactions, including disclosure of ALL medical history, drug or alcohol use, and any over the counter medications or supplements. Deliberately misleading the provider or staff may be grounds for termination from the practice.

In an effort to provide a safe environment for everyone in the office, direct or indirect threats will result in immediate termination from the practice. This includes, but is not limited to: threatening phone calls, yelling or screaming in person or over the phone, vulgar or profane language, intimidation, or threats. We will not tolerate deliberate property destruction. The office is a gun free zone. Neither open or closed carry is permitted.

You have the right to discontinue treatment at any time. We will assume you have discontinued treatment if you've missed a scheduled appointment and do not reschedule within 30 days, you fail to schedule a follow-up appointment within 3 months of your last appointment, or you have not been seen in 6 months. Upon written request, our office will transfer records to an alternate provider.

Email and standard SMS messaging are not confidential methods of communication and may be insecure. Because of this, there is a risk that email and standard SMS messaging regarding medical care might be intercepted and read by a third party.

The secure patient portal is our preferred method of communication with patients. It is HIPAA compliant and more secure than email. Typically, we can respond to portal messages much faster than via email or phone calls. We will make every attempt to respond to messages within 24–48 business hours. You will be invited to create a patient portal account when you are accepted as a patient.

*To request a copy of your medical record, send us a message in the patient portal.

Dr. Walton and her associates are in-network for and accepting Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plans only. We do not accept Medicaid or Medicare at this time. If we are not a provider for your insurance plan, we can provide you with a coded invoice (“superbill”) which may be presented to your insurer for reimbursement.

We strongly recommend you clarify your benefits and coverage before scheduling an appointment. Only your health insurance plan can describe your benefits to you or verify provider eligibility. If charges are denied by a health insurance plan they become entirely your responsibility, even if you had understood from your health insurance plan that the charges would be paid by them.

Payment is due in full at the time of service. All patients are required to keep a current credit card on file. We will charge the card on file at the time of service, unless you request to use another form of payment prior to the end of the visit. We accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards. There is a $25 fee for returned checks.

Paperwork such as school/work leave or accommodations, disability, or insurance authorization forms can be time consuming for providers. We reserve the right to evaluate whether we are the appropriate clinical resource to complete these requests and/or refer accordingly. We do not write letters for emotional support animals.

Treatment is available by appointment only. We value every patient's time. A space held for you is a space not available to another person seeking help. Therefore, we require at least 48 hours advance notice should you need to cancel your appointment for any reason.

The full self-pay fee will be charged to the card on file for all appointments missed (10 minutes after the scheduled appointment) or cancelled with less than 48 hours notice. Please note that health insurance plans do not pay for missed appointments, therefore these charges will be entirely your responsibility.

Three missed appointments or late cancellations in a 12-month period may result in termination from the practice. Patients canceling or missing their initial assessment more than twice will not be rescheduled a third time.

Prescription of psychoactive medications requires provider monitoring of medication effectiveness and side effects to ensure patient safety. Rather than discontinuing prescribed medications or adjusting dosages in between appointments, please let us know if you are experiencing intolerable side effects.

It is our policy to prescribe enough medication and refills to last until your next scheduled appointment. It is your responsibility to schedule follow-up appointments before your prescription runs out. It is at the discretion of the doctor whether or not a medication will be refilled without an appointment. Certain scheduled medications require an appointment for each refill to ensure medical necessity.

We do not prescribe pain medications. Please see your primary care physician or pain specialist for narcotics. We do not typically prescribe benzodiazepines or other potentially habit-forming medications. The provider will consult the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), an electronic database that tracks controlled substance prescriptions, prior to initiating any controlled substance prescription, and at periodic intervals throughout treatment. Evidence of controlled substance misuse, abuse, or diversion may be grounds for termination from the practice. The provider may require periodic, unannounced urine or serum toxicology screenings. The presence of unauthorized and/or illegal substances in the screenings may prompt referral for assessment for a substance abuse disorder or discharge from the practice.

At the provider's discretion, formal psychological testing (completed by a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist) validating a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be required before stimulants will be prescribed.

We make every effort to respond to voicemails or portal messages within 24–48 hours. If you need more rapid attention for your own or someone else's safety, do not delay while waiting for our office to return your telephone call.

• Call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room
• Austin / Travis County Suicide Hotline: 512-472-HELP (512-472-4357)
• Austin Oaks Hospital: 512-440-4800

The after-hours doctor is for emergencies only, not for routine refill requests. No new controlled substances will be called in after hours or by on-call doctors.

We are committed to providing respectful, safe, and high-quality psychiatric care. If you are concerned about any aspect of your treatment or experience with a provider, you have the right to file a complaint. Your feedback helps us improve our services.

How to Submit a Complaint

You can file a complaint in any of the following ways:

1. Patient Portal — Send us a message in the patient portal. Provide as much detail as you are comfortable sharing so we can better understand your concern.
2. By Phone — Call our office and ask to speak with the Practice Manager or Patient Relations representative.
3. In Writing— You may submit a written complaint by mail or email. Please include your name and contact information, the provider's name, dates of care, and a brief description of your concern.

What Happens After You File

• We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 14 business days.
• Your concern will be reviewed by appropriate clinical or administrative staff.
• We may contact you for clarification or additional information.
• You will be informed of the outcome or next steps when the review is complete.

Confidentiality and Non-Retaliation

• Complaints are handled confidentially to the extent permitted by law.
• Filing a complaint will not affect your access to care or result in retaliation.
• You may submit a complaint on behalf of a minor or another patient if you are legally authorized to do so.

External Reporting Options

If you prefer, or if your concern is not resolved, you may also file a complaint with the Texas Medical Board or the Texas Board of Nursing.

In compliance with the No Surprises Act issued January 1, 2022, we are asking all current and potential patients or clients to review this fact sheet.

You have the right to:

• Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
• Correct your paper or electronic medical record
• Request confidential communication
• Ask us to limit the information we share
• Get a list of those with whom we've shared your information
• Get a copy of this privacy notice
• Choose someone to act for you
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

• Tell family and friends about your condition
• Provide disaster relief
• Include you in a hospital directory
• Provide mental health care
• Market our services and sell your information
• Raise funds

We may use and share your information as we:

• Treat you
• Run our organization
• Bill for your services
• Help with public health and safety issues
• Do research
• Comply with the law
• Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
• Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
• Address workers' compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
• Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

For more information see www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy.

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing.

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.