Referral Process and Insurance Policies

Patients may be self-referred or referred by physicians, third-party payers, or other health-care professionals. Ms. Thurman is an in-network provider for most insurance companies in North Carolina. For more information about insurance, you can contact her at (919) 571-0622 or at thurmanrita@gmail.com.

Cancellation Policies

A 24 hour cancellation policy is required for all appointments. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in full charges for the missed session.

Evaluation

Prior to therapy, patients are evaluated to determine appropriate goals for treatment. Everyone brings unique needs to the therapeutic setting, and the evaluation helps identify those needs. The evaluation may consist of an assessment of voice, fluency, articulation, language and/or hearing screening as necessary. Evaluations from other facilities will be reviewed. If a child has a school Individual Education Plan (IEP) or past therapy, please bring these records for consistency in programming.

All evaluations and screenings will be followed by therapist consultation and recommendations. If a client is receiving services through another facility, treatment programs are coordinated at this time.

Direct Therapy

Therapy is provided based on the needs of the individual. Family counseling is provided and their participation in therapy is encouraged.

Frequency of therapy will be determined by recommendations obtained from the evaluation. Sessions may occur one to three times a week for at least 30 minutes and not exceeding 60 minutes, depending on the individual needs of the client.

Therapy sessions may incorporate group peer or mentor practice. Offsite sessions are provided in different environments to ensure transfer of new skills to a variety of locations/environments. Telehealth sessions are also provided for skill transfer or virtualtherapy.

Therapy hours: Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. Self-help groups are on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm. See Self-help group section for specific dates.

Consultative Services

The scope of communication disorders implies that no one speech/language pathologist can specialize in all areas of the field. Ms. Thurman offers consultative services to colleagues in the field who request more information about stuttering. Contact Ms. Thurman by phone or e-mail for additional information concerning consultations and workshops.

Rita Thurman complies with the guidelines for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. (HIPAA) privacy regulations. All records, treatment sessions and evaluations are confidential. No information will be released without the client’s written consent. The privacy manual is available for review.