SOHM Psychiatry, PLLC — Practice Policies
Last updated: July 2026
Welcome to SOHM Psychiatry, PLLC. The following policies describe how the practice operates and what you can expect as a patient. By scheduling and attending an appointment, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to these policies. More detailed consent forms and a Notice of Privacy Practices will be provided to you at intake.
Practice Model & Insurance
SOHM Psychiatry is a self-pay, out-of-network private practice. SOHM Psychiatry does not participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or any other federal, state, or commercial insurance plans.
Direct-pay psychiatric care allows treatment to return to a more thoughtful, personalized, and holistic approach. Rather than focusing on rushed appointments and symptom checklists alone, which are often required by insurance companies, SOHM Psychiatry's goal is to provide comprehensive care that thoughtfully considers your goals, lifestyle, individual needs, and long-term well-being.
By operating outside of insurance-driven treatment constraints, SOHM Psychiatry is able to prioritize meaningful clinical time, individualized treatment planning, and care decisions centered on what is most appropriate and beneficial for you.
Payment is due at the time services are rendered. As a courtesy, patients may request a superbill or itemized receipt to independently seek potential out-of-network reimbursement from their insurance carrier. Reimbursement is not guaranteed and depends on each patient's individual plan benefits.
At this time, SOHM Psychiatry does not directly bill any insurance plans.
If your insurance plan includes out-of-network benefits, you may choose to submit claims directly to your insurance carrier for potential reimbursement. Patients may also use third-party services such as Reimbursify (https://reimbursify.com/for-patients/) to simplify the submission process. Please note that these services may charge a separate processing fee per claim.
Good Faith Estimate (No Surprises Act)
Under the federal No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges for medical services before your first appointment and upon request. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you may dispute the bill. More information is available at https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises, or you may request a copy of your Good Faith Estimate at any time.
Fees and Payment
A valid credit or debit card must be kept on file with SOHM Psychiatry at all times. Payment will be charged to the card on file at the time of service. A separate Credit Card Authorization is provided at intake. Cash and checks are not accepted.
The Practice's current fee schedule is available upon request and is provided at intake. Fees are subject to periodic adjustment, with reasonable advance notice to patients.
Returned payments or chargebacks may be subject to a $35 administrative fee, in addition to the underlying charge.
Cancellation, Late Arrival, and No-Show
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please provide notice at least two (2) business days (48 business hours) in advance. Late cancellations and missed appointments will be charged a missed-appointment fee of fifty percent (50%) of the full fee for the scheduled appointment.
Patients arriving more than 20 minutes late for a standard appointment, or more than 10 minutes late for a brief appointment, will be considered a no-show, charged the missed-appointment fee, and required to reschedule.
Because appointment times are held exclusively for you, these charges apply regardless of the reason for the cancellation or late arrival. Exceptions for documented medical or psychiatric emergencies are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time, excluding weekends and federal holidays.
Services and Treatment Limitations
Controlled Substances
SOHM Psychiatry limits the circumstances in which controlled substances may be prescribed. The Practice may consider prescribing controlled substances only for patients who are physically located in the Commonwealth of Virginia and who have completed an in-person visit with Dr. Patel. Patients located outside of Virginia, and patients who are seen by Dr. Patel only through telehealth, will not be prescribed controlled substances of any schedule, including but not limited to medications commonly used for:
ADHD/ADD (Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Concerta, and similar stimulants)
Anxiety or panic disorders (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, and other benzodiazepines)
Insomnia or sleep disorders (Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, and similar hypnotics)
Whether to prescribe a controlled substance in any particular case remains within Dr. Patel's sole clinical judgment and is subject to all applicable federal and Virginia requirements, including in-person evaluation, periodic in-person follow-up, and Prescription Monitoring Program review. Non-controlled treatment options may be available for many of these conditions and will be discussed with you when clinically appropriate. Patients who require controlled-substance treatment that SOHM Psychiatry does not provide will be referred to an appropriate provider.
Services Not Offered
SOHM Psychiatry does not provide:
Emergency, urgent, or crisis psychiatric services
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letters
Suboxone, methadone, or other medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders
Disability, FMLA, workers' compensation, or other legal evaluations, forms, or letters
School or workplace accommodation evaluations or forms
Fitness-for-duty, firearm, or driving evaluations
Court-ordered treatment or forensic evaluations
Couples or family therapy
EMDR, DBT, TMS, ECT, ketamine, or other specialized therapies or procedures
SOHM Psychiatry’s practice model is designed for care of adults 60 and below. Therefore, SOHM Psychiatry does not accept as new clients patients who are minors (under the age of 18) or who are over the age of 60.
Conditions Requiring a Higher Level of Care
SOHM Psychiatry’s outpatient, private-pay model may not be an appropriate fit for individuals experiencing:
Active suicidal ideation or self-harm urges
Active homicidal ideation or violent urges
Active eating-disorder behaviors (restriction, binging, or purging)
Active alcohol or substance abuse or addiction
Any condition requiring a higher level of psychiatric care, crisis response, or continuous monitoring
Psychiatric Emergency
SOHM Psychiatry does not provide emergency or crisis services. If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You may also contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
After-hours calls, patient-portal messages, and emails are not monitored in real time and will be reviewed on the next business day.
Telehealth
SOHM Psychiatry offers telehealth appointments through the Practice's EMR platform, Telehealth by SimplePractice. Telehealth appointments are subject to the same fees, cancellation policy, and clinical standards as in-person visits.
To participate in a telehealth visit, you must be physically located in the Commonwealth of Virginia [, LIST ANY OTHER STATES WHERE YOU ARE LICENSED] at the time of the appointment. It is your responsibility to notify SOHM Psychiatric if your location changes. Your identity and location will be confirmed at the start of each telehealth visit. A separate Consent for Telehealth is provided at intake.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
SOHM Psychiatry uses certain administrative AI tools within its electronic medical record (EMR) — including, where you consent, an AI note-taking and session-transcription tool (SimplePractice's Note Taker) — to support documentation, scheduling, and billing. AI tools do not make clinical decisions, do not provide treatment, and do not communicate directly with patients. All AI-processed information is treated as protected health information under HIPAA. A separate Consent for AI Tools form is provided at intake, and you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting your care.
Communication Between Appointments
Telephone, patient-portal, and email communication should be reserved for non-urgent administrative matters such as scheduling, medication-refill requests, or brief clinical updates. SOHM Psychiatry does not communicate by text (SMS) message. By engaging in care with SOHM Psychiatry, you consent to communication through the patient portal and, where you elect, telephone and email.
SOHM Psychiatry aims to respond to non-urgent messages within one to two business days.
Clinical and administrative work performed outside of scheduled appointments — including extended phone calls, extensive patient-portal or email exchanges, prior authorizations, form completion, record review, and other care coordination requiring more than 10 minutes — may be billed separately at a prorated rate based on $400 per hour, in quarter hour (fifteen minute) increments.
Social Media and Online Presence
To protect your confidentiality and preserve professional boundaries, SOHM Psychiatry does not accept friend, follower, or contact requests from current or former patients on any personal social-media platform. SOHM Psychiatry does not respond to public reviews because doing so could compromise patient confidentiality.
Records and Release of Information
You have the right to request a copy of your medical records. Requests must be made in writing (a Release of Information form is available at any time). Records will generally be provided within 30 days. A reasonable, cost-based fee consistent with applicable law may apply.
Legal Matters, Subpoenas, and Testimony
SOHM Psychiatry does not provide forensic evaluations, custody evaluations, disability determinations, or other legal opinions. If SOHM Psychiatry’s records or testimony are sought in connection with any legal matter — including subpoenas, depositions, custody disputes, or court appearances — the requesting party (or, where applicable, the patient) is responsible for professional time at $2500 per half day (4 hours or less) and $5000 per full day (5–8 hours), plus reasonable expenses. Payment is required in advance.
Discharge and Termination
Either you or SOHM Psychiatry may end the treatment relationship at any time. The Practice will generally provide advance notice, a brief bridge supply of non-controlled medications where clinically appropriate, and referral resources. Failure to schedule an appointment for more than six (6) months without prior arrangement, or non-payment of fees, may be treated as termination of the treatment relationship.
SOHM Psychiatry reserves the right to discharge a patient in circumstances including: (i) the patient requires a higher level of care; (ii) the patient violates SOHM Psychiatry’s Code of Conduct (respect, safety, no aggression or threats); (iii) repeated cancellations or no-shows without reasonable explanation; (iv) non-payment; (v) obtaining psychiatric medications from another provider without disclosure; or (vi) other circumstances permitted by law.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Your protected health information is safeguarded consistent with HIPAA and applicable state law. Please review SOHM Psychiatry’s full Notice of Privacy Practices for details on how SOHM Psychiatry uses and discloses your information and your rights with respect to that information.
Changes to These Policies
SOHM Psychiatry may update these Policies from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page and provided to active patients in writing. Continued receipt of services after the effective date of any change constitutes acceptance of the modified policy.
Contact
SOHM Psychiatry, PLLC
Attn: Natasha Patel, D.O.
117 S Main St.,
Suite 15
Hopewell, VA 23860