Privacy Practices

Notice Effective Date: 5/12/2022

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

This notice is to explain the rules around the privacy of your own medical/health records and our legal duties on how to protect the privacy of your medical/health records that we create or receive. Generally, we are required by law to ensure that medical/health information that identifies you is kept private. We are required by law to follow the terms of the notice that are the most current.

This notice will explain:
• how we may use and disclose your medical/health information,
• our obligations related to the use and disclosure of your medical/health information, and
• your rights related to any medical/health information that we have about you.

This notice applies to the medical/health records that are generated in or by this agency. The terms “medical” and “medical/health” in this Notice means information about your physical or mental condition which make you eligible for our services, or which arise while we are serving you. For example, this may include psychological tests, psychiatric assessments or medical or social assessments.

If you have any questions about the content of this Notice of Privacy Practices, or if you need to contact someone at the agency about any of the information contained in this Notice of Privacy Practices, the contact person is the Privacy Officer or designee:

HIPAA Privacy Officer, (636) 321-0114
HIPAA Official Designee, (636) 931-2700 Ext 1047

In addition to agency departments, employees, staff and other agency personnel, the following people will also follow the practices described in this Notice of Privacy Practices:
• Any health care professional who is authorized to enter information in your medical/health record;
• Any occasional volunteer that we allow to help you while you are in the agency; and

In addition, individuals and providers may share medical information with each other about COMTREA’s individuals served in common for the purpose of treatment, payment or health care operations as those terms are described later in this Notice of Privacy Practices.

How We May Use And Disclose Medical/Health Information About You

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose medical/health information. For each category of uses or disclosures we will explain what we mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

Use and Disclosure of Medical/Health Information

We can use or disclose medical/health information about you regarding your treatment, payment for services, or for agency operations, and we will make a good faith effort to have you acknowledge your copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices.

Treatment - We may use medical/health information (protected health information, or PHI) about you to provide you with treatment or services. We may disclose medical/health information about you to doctors, nurse practitioners, dentist, nurses, qualified mental health professionals (QMHP), qualified counselors; or, technicians, interns/students, other agency personnel, occasional volunteers, or interpreters who are involved in providing your services. For example, your treatment team members will internally discuss your medical/health information in order to develop and carry out a plan for your services. Different departments of the agency also may share medical/health information about you in order to coordinate the different things you need, such as prescriptions, medical tests, special dietary needs, respite care, personal assistance, day programs, etc. We also may disclose medical/health information about you to people outside the agency who may be involved in your medical care after you leave the agency, such as such as community health/mental health/developmental disability/substance abuse providers or others we use to provide services that are part of your care but only the minimum necessary amount of information will be used or disclosed to carry this out. Please note that the definition of treatment does allow COMTREA to share PHI when necessary to consult with other providers, or when necessary to refer you to another provider, or even to treat a different individual.

Payment - We may use and disclose medical/health information about you so that the treatment and services you receive at the agency may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party. For example, we may need to provide your insurance plan information about psychiatric treatment or rehabilitation services you received at the agency so your insurance plan, or any applicable Medicaid or Medicare funds, will pay us for the services. We may also tell your insurance plan or other payer about a service you are going to receive in order to obtain prior approval or to determine whether the service is covered. In addition, in order to correctly determine your ability to pay for services, we may disclose your information to the Social Security Administration, the Division of Employment Security, or the Department of Social Services.

Health Care Operations - We may use and disclose medical/health information about you for agency operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run the agency and make sure that all of the individuals we serve receive quality care. For example, we may use medical/health information for quality improvement to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you. We may also combine medical/health information about many agency individuals to decide what additional services the agency should offer, what services are not needed, and whether certain new treatments are effective. We may also disclose information to doctors, nurses, technicians, intern/students, and other agency personnel as listed above for review and learning purposes. We may also combine the medical/health information we have with medical/health information from other agencies to compare how we are doing and see where we can make improvements in the care and services we offer. It may also be necessary to obtain or exchange your information with Elementary and Secondary Schools, Missouri Department of Social Services (Family Support Division and Children’s Division), Vocational Rehabilitation, the Office of State Courts Administrator, or other Missouri state agencies or interagency initiatives, such as the System of Care initiative. Or, we may remove information that identifies you from this set of medical information so others may use it to study health care and health care delivery without learning the identity of specific individuals we serve. This may be in the form of providing information to our regional advisory councils or state advisory councils, planning councils or the COMTREA Corporation Board and Jefferson County Community Mental Health Fund Board.

Uses and Disclosures of Medical/Health Information That Do Not Require Your Consent or Authorization:

We can use or disclose health information about you without your consent or authorization when:
• there is an emergency or when we are required by law to treat you,
• we are required by law to use or disclose certain information, or
• there are substantial communication barriers to obtaining consent from you.

We can also use or disclose health information about you without your consent or authorization for the following purposes:

Appointment Reminders - We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or services at the agency.

Treatment Alternatives and Health-Related Benefits and Services - We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives or health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

Individuals Involved in Disaster Relief - Should a disaster occur, we may disclose medical information about you to any agency assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status and location.

Research - Under certain circumstances, medical information may be disclosed for research purposes when a waiver of authorization has been approved by an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Committee. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health and recovery of all individuals served who received one medication to those who received another for the same condition. Before we use or disclose medical/health information for research, the project will have been approved through this research approval process.

As Required By Law - We will disclose medical/health information about you when required to do so by federal, state or local law.

To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety - We may use and disclose medical/health information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to the health and safety of you, the public, or any other person. However, any such disclosure would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

Special Situations
Organ and Tissue Donation - If you are an organ donor, we may release medical/health information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Military and Veterans - If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release medical/health information about you as required by military command authorities. We may also release medical information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.

Workers' Compensation - When disclosure is necessary to comply with Workers’ Compensation laws or purposes, we may release medical/health information about you for workers' compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

Public Health Risks - We may disclose medical/health information about you for public health activities. These activities generally include the following: to prevent or control disease, injury or disability; to report births and deaths; to report child abuse or neglect; to report reactions to medications or problems with products; to notify people of recalls of products they may be using; to notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; to notify the appropriate government authority if we believe an individual has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.

Health Oversight Activities - We may disclose medical/health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

Lawsuits and Disputes - If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose medical/health information about you in response to a court or administrative order.

Law Enforcement - We may release medical/health information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official; however, if the material is protected by 42 CFR Part 2 (a federal law protecting the confidentiality of drug and alcohol abuse treatment records), a court order is required. We may also release limited medical/health information to law enforcement in the following situations: (1) about an individual served who may be a victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the individual served agreement; (2) about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct; (3) about criminal conduct at the agency; (4) about an individual served where the individual commits or threatens to commit a crime on the premises or against program staff (in which case we may release the individual’s name, address, and last known whereabouts); (5) in emergency circumstances, to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, and the identity, description and/or location of the individual who committed the crime; and (6) when an individual served is a forensic individual served and we are required to share with law enforcement by Missouri statute.

Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors - We may release medical/health information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release medical/health information about individuals who were served by the agency to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

National Security and Intelligence Activities - We may release medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective Services for the President and Others - We may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials so they may conduct special investigations or provide protection to the President and other authorized persons or foreign heads of state.

Inmates - If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release medical/health information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official if the release is necessary (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.

Emergency or Disaster Events - In the interest of public safety and planning for community needs in an emergency or disaster event, we may disclose general information about you to emergency managers, fire, law enforcement, public health authorities, emergency medical services such as ambulance districts, utilities, and other public works officials regarding:
• The numbers and locations of COMTREA individuals served in community and state-operated settings;
• Any special needs identified in these settings for purposes of rescue such as sensory, cognitive and mobility impairments;
• Special assistance and supports needed to effectively meet these needs such as communication devices, specialized equipment for evacuation, etc;
• Necessary information to order necessary treatment or prophylaxis supplies and medications in the event of a public health emergency;
• Emergency notification contacts to expedite contact with families, legal guardians or representatives or others regarding need for evacuation or emergency medical care;
• Any special needs that justify prioritization of utility restoration such as but not limited to dependence on respirator or other medical equipment, phone for emergency contact, etc.; or
• Any other information that is deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and well-being of individuals COMTREA serves.

Your Rights Regarding Medical/Health Information About You.

You have the following rights regarding medical/health information we maintain about you:

Right to Access Your Information: (Request for Individual Served Access of Protected Health Information FMTRT0203). You have the right to inspect and copy your medical/health information with the exception of psychotherapy notes and information compiled in anticipation of litigation. In addition COMTREA will not release any information considered to be a secondary release such as records from another physician, hospital, or other healthcare provider outside of COMTREA. To inspect and copy your medical/health information, you must submit your request in writing to this agency’s Privacy Officer or designee. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other supplies associated with your request following agency policy. For individuals COMTREA serves, there is no charge during the first year of treatment. You may wish to receive your information electronically if the information is stored electronically. You may also request electronic copies be forwarded to a third party. Other than those served there is a charge for records as authorized by law.

We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access to your medical/health information because of a threat or harm issue, you may request that the denial be reviewed. Another licensed health care professional chosen by the agency will review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.

Right to Request an Amendment (Request for Amendment FMTRT0204) If you feel that medical/health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for the agency. Requests for an amendment must be made in writing and submitted to the Privacy Officer or designee. You must provide a reason to support your request for an amendment. We may deny your request if it is not in writing or if it does not include a reason supporting the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:
• Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
• Is not part of the medical information kept by or for the agency;
• Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
• Is accurate and complete.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures (Request for Accounting of Disclosure of Individual Served Protected Health Information FMTRT0202) You have the right to request an "accounting of disclosures", a list of the disclosures made by the agency of your medical/health information. To request an accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to this agency’s Privacy Officer or designee. Your request must state a time period which may not go back more than six years. Your request should indicate in what form you want the list (for example, on paper or electronically). The first list you request within a twelve-month period will be free. For additional lists in a twelve-month period, we may charge you for the cost of providing the list. We will notify you what that cost will be and give you an opportunity to withdraw or modify your request before you are charged. There are some disclosures that we do not have to track. For example, when you give us an authorization to disclose some information, we do not have to track that disclosure.

Right to Request Restrictions (Request to Restrict Protected Health Information FMTRT0201). You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical/health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about your family history to a particular community provider. We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. To request a restrictions on the use or disclosure of your medical/health information for treatment, payment or health care operations, you must make your request in writing to the agency’s Privacy Officer or designee. In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply (for example, disclosures to your spouse).

Right to Request Confidential Communications (Authorization to Disclose/Receive Individual Medical/Health Information FMTRT0039). You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to the agency’s Privacy Officer or designee. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will not ask you the reason for your request and will accommodate all reasonable requests.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice You have the right to a paper copy of this notice even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time by contacting the agency’s Privacy Officer or designee. You may also obtain a copy of this notice at our website, www.comtrea.org.

Right to Notification of a Breach of Your Information
If your information is disclosed improperly by COMTREA, a business associate of COMTREA, or a vendor of a business associate, you will be notified in writing.

Changes To This Notice
We reserve the right to change this notice. We may make the revised notice effective for medical/health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice in the agency offices/clinics waiting area. The notice will contain on the first page, in the top right-hand corner, the effective date. In addition, each time you register at or are admitted or apply for services to the agency for treatment or services, we will offer you a copy of the current notice in effect. If you want to request any revised Notice of Privacy Practice, you may access it at our website, www.comtrea.org.

Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, there are several avenues for submitting a complaint. You may:
• File a complaint with the agency, contact Privacy Officer or Designee, at the following telephone number.

HIPAA Privacy Officer, (636) 321-0114
HIPAA Official Designee, (636) 931-2700 Ext 1047

All complaints must then be submitted in writing (Privacy Complaint Form, FMMSC0071).

You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
• File a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights by completing the OCR complaint and consent forms by mail, fax or email to:

Office for Civil Rights (Regional
Office for Missouri)
U.S. Depart of HHS
601 East 12th Street - Room 353
Kansas City, MO 64106

Customer Response Center:
(800) 368-1019 Call for forms.
Fax: (202) 619-3818
TDD: (800) 537-7697
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• You may also file a complaint online at the HHS complaint portal: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf.
• You can submit your complaint in any written format and send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

If you require an answer regarding a general health information privacy question, please view OCR’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). If you still need assistance, you may call OCR (toll-free) at: 1-866-627-7748. Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa.

Other Uses Or Disclosures Of Medical/Health Information.
Uses or disclosures not covered in this Notice of Privacy Practices will not be made without your written authorization.
Revocation: If you provide us written authorization to use or disclose information, you can change your mind and revoke your authorization at any time, as long as it is in writing, however if time is important, a verbal request may be made to provider, office associate who know you or HIPAA Privacy Officer or designee. If you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose the information. However, we will not be able to take back any disclosures that we have made pursuant to your previous authorization.
Health Information Exchange: We may share information that we obtain or create about you with other healthcare providers or other health care entities, such as your health plan or health insurer, as permitted by law, through electronic Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) in which we participate. For example, information about your past medical care and current medical conditions can be available to us or to your non-COMTREA providers, if they participate in the HIE as well. HIEs allows health care providers and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient’s vital medical information electronically—improving the speed, quality, safety and cost of patient care. COMTREA is a participating provider with Midwest Health Connection (MHC), the Carequality Network, and Commonwell. COMTREA will share your health information with MHC, Carequality or Commonwell unless you specifically request to opt-out of participation. Information on treatment within our Substance Use programs (CSTAR) will only be shared with your specific consent.

Notice Effective Date: 11/1/2022

We are required by law to follow the practices described. This is a summary of our Privacy Practices, but does not replace the full version. This notice applies to personal medical/ health information that we have about you, and which are kept in or by this agency. With some exceptions, we must obtain your authorization to disclose (or release) your health care information. There are some situations in which we do not have to obtain your authorization. We can use your protected health information and share it with members of our organized health care arrangement (like a community provider). Neither this pamphlet nor the full Notice of Privacy Practices covers every possible use or disclosure. If you have any questions, please contact the Privacy Officer or Official designee for this agency.

Who has access to your personal information?

Medical/health information about you can be used to:
• Plan your treatment and services. This includes releasing information to qualified professionals who work at our agency and are involved in your care or treatment. It may also include provider agencies whom we pay to provide services for you. We will only release as little as possible for them to do their jobs.
• Submit bills to your insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or third party payers.
• Obtain approval in advance from your insurance company.
• Exchange information with Social Security, Employment Security, or Social Services.
• Measure our quality of services.
• Decide if we should offer more or fewer services to consumers.

Without your permission, we may use your personal information:
• To exchange information with other State agencies as required by law.
• To treat you in an emergency.
• To treat you when there is something that prevents us from communicating with you.
• To send you appointment reminders.
• To inform you about possible treatment options.
• To agencies involved in a disaster situation.
• To study health care without revealing who you are.
• When there is a serious public health or safety threat to you or others.

Without your permission, we may use your personal information:
• As required by State, Federal, or local law. This includes investigations, audits, inspections, and licensure.
• When ordered to do so by a court.
• To communicate with law enforcement if you are a victim of a crime, involved in a crime at our agency, or you have threatened to commit a crime.
• To communicate with coroners, medical examiners, and funeral homes when necessary for them to do their jobs.
• To communicate with federal officials involved in security activities authorized by law.
• To communicate with a correctional agency if you are an inmate.

What are your rights?

• To see and get a copy of your record (with some exceptions).
• To appeal if we decide not to let you see all or some parts of your record.
• To ask for the record to be changed if you believe you see a mistake or something that is not complete. You must make this request in writing. We may deny your request if: We did not create the entry that is wrong; or the information is not part of the file we keep; or the information is not part of the file that we would let you see; or we believe the record is accurate and complete.
• To know to whom we have sent information about you for up to the last six years. The first request in a 12 month period is free. We may charge you for additional requests.
• To limit how we use or disclose information about you. For example - not to release information to your spouse or a particular provider agency. This must be made in writing, and we are not required to agree to the request.
• To ask that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. This must be made in writing.
• To have a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices.
• To tell us (authorize) other releases of your personal information not described above. You may change your mind and remove the authorization at any time (in writing).
• To file a complaint if you believe any of your rights have been violated. All complaints must be in writing. You will not be penalized if you file a complaint.
• To authorize being used for marketing.
• To opt out of receiving fundraising communications..
• To authorize uses and disclosures of your psychotherapy notes.
• To restrict disclosures of PHI to your health plan if you paid for service.
• To be notified following a breach of unsecured PHI.
• To authorize any other uses and disclosures not described in the NPP.
• To opt out of participation in any Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) in which we participate.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights or to file a complaint, the request must be made in writing (forms are available at all offices). If you have any question you may contact the Privacy Officer of this Agency or it’s HIPAA Official Designee.

HIPAA Privacy Officer
636-321-0114

HIPAA Official Designee
636-931-2700 ext 1047

Telehealth Policy

Notice Effective Date: 7/21/2020

To better serve the needs of people in the community, COMTREA healthcare services including counseling, psychiatry, primary care and dental care are now available by interactive video communications and/or by the electronic transmission of information. This may assist in the evaluation, diagnosis, management and treatment of a number of health care concerns. This process is referred to as “telemedicine”, “telehealth”, or "teledent". This means that individuals served may be evaluated and treated by a health care provider or specialist from a distant location. Since this may be different than the type of service delivery with which individuals are familiar, it is important that all individuals served understand the following statements.

1. The provider will be at a different location from the individual served, which may be at another COMTREA location or working remotely. If the service is provided in the office, another health care provider or assistant may be present with the individual served in the room to assist in the service and provide support with video, direct to follow up care and/or other needs as appropriate.

2. Other members of the treatment team may share information with the provider who is at a different location to support service delivery, diagnostics and or other health related information.

3. The provider will be in a private location at the time of the visit and will notify the individual served if any other members of the treatment team are present during the visit. The individual served can also give verbal permission or refusal prior to the entry of the additional staff joining in the visit. The individual served is encouraged to complete the visit in a private location and will notify the provider if anyone else is in the room or able to hear the conversation. If participating in a group, privacy cannot be guaranteed as the facilitator cannot control for the environment of all participants or ensure no recording devices are used by participants.

4. The individual served will be informed if any additional staff are to be present during the visit.

5. The provider will be responsible to keep a record of the service in the medical record for the individual served. This documentation will be made by the treating provider directly into the agency electronic medical record, along with any other labs, tests and medication orders.

6. Individuals served voluntarily consent to health care services provided by the provider or a designee, which may include diagnostic tests, images, medications, examinations, and medical or surgical treatments considered necessary to treat the individual's health problem. The individual served will be educated regarding the outcomes, follow ups and or recommendations from the visit.

7. All individuals served have the option to refuse telehealth service at any time without affecting the right to current, future care or treatment and without risk of losing federal, state or other insurance health plan benefits.(ie. Medicaid, Medicare, Managed Medicaid and or commercial insurance plan coverage). This could possibly limit available services.

8. COMTREA authorizations to receive/release information is a separate form to be completed, as appropriate, for each individual served receiving the telehealth service alone or in combination with other services being received.

9. When connecting to a telehealth visit from a personal device, information on the appointment, including the link and/or call in number to join the visit, will be sent to the email address on file. Providing an email address and indicating it is a preferred method of communication allows for COMTREA to share the telehealth visit connection information to that email address.

10. If there are difficulties connecting with a provider during a telehealth visit, the appointment may be rescheduled and the individual served may contact the office for additional assistance. The provider may also call the individual served directly to complete the visit utilizing only the phone if appropriate. The individual served and/or the provider may decline to complete a visit in this manner.

11. Some telehealth services, including dental services, may be asynchronous, which means the provider for the visit may review information gathered, including images, at a later time after your visit and may not be present during the visit. When this is used, a member of the treatment team will follow up with the individual served after the provider's review.

12. There are risks and benefits to telehealth. Potential benefits of telehealth (which are not guaranteed or assured) include access to medical care if the individual is unable to travel to a COMTREA location office, more efficient access to services, and during theCOVID-19 pandemic, reduced exposure to other patients, medical staff and other individuals at a physical location. Potential risks of telehealth may include limited or no availability of diagnostic laboratory, x-ray, EKG, and other testing to assist the provider in diagnosis and treatment, the provider’s inability to conduct a hands-on or in-person physical examination of the individual and their condition when needed, and possible delays in evaluation and treatment due to technical difficulties or interruptions, distortion of diagnostic images, or loss of information due to technical failures. COMTREA is not responsible for lost information due to technological failures.

Assignment of Benefits: The full Welcome Packet/Reception Information includes information on any costs for telehealth services and
if insurance may or may not will pay. If there are costs that the individual served will be responsible for and if there is a need for financial
support, the individual may contact the Finance Department at COMTREA.

Individuals are encouraged to direct any additional questions regarding telehealth services to their COMTREA provider. Individuals
served can choose to not receive a telehealth service and be referred back to an office based provider.

Appointment Policy

Notice Effective Date: 5/12/2022

Purpose: To ensure that patients/clients understand what to do in the event they need to cancel an appointment at COMTREA. For the purpose of this policy, “you” refers to the patients/clients.

Our number one priority is providing the highest quality care at the most affordable costs in a safe and comfortable environment. We want to make sure that you have access to this care when you need it. Your help in keeping your appointments enables us to provide better and timelier care for all our patients/clients.

Notification: We will make sure to review this policy with you during the intake process and we request a signature of understanding at that time.

Appointment Confirmation: We will make at least one attempt to confirm your appointment 48 hours in advance. If we cannot reach you, we kindly ask that you call us to confirm your appointment.

Cancellations: If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment for any reason, we ask that you notify us at least 24 hours before your appointment and we will be happy to reschedule it. Your cooperation is sincerely appreciated and the sooner you call us to cancel and reschedule, the greater our chances are of providing a time that is most convenient for you.

Missed Appointments: We understand that extenuating circumstances such as illness, emergencies, transportation issues, and bad weather happen and you may not be able to cancel your appointment within 24 hours. In these cases, we ask that you call us as soon as possible. A missed appointment is when you do not show for that appointment without notifying us, or you cancel a scheduled appointment without a 24 hour notice. If you have repeated missed/late appointments (3 within a 6 month period), you may be temporarily placed on a “no schedule” list for three months. This means you may not be able to schedule an appointment in advance during that time; however, you are ALWAYS welcome to use our services.

Late Arrivals: We ask that you plan to arrive on time for your appointments. We operate on a schedule and do not wish to keep you or others waiting. However, if you are running late, we ask that you call us to let us know you are on your way, whenever possible. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your scheduled appointment, we will do our best to still see you if time allows. Please understand that we may need to reschedule your appointment for another date depending on the provider’s schedule. Repeated lateness may be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Exceptions: We understand that special circumstances call for special consideration. If you feel there are extenuating circumstances for your missed/late appointment, you may request it not be counted as a missed/late appointment. Your request will be considered by the appropriate personnel in collaboration with you in order to come to a final resolution. Any exceptions to this policy will always be documented in your clinical record.

How to Receive Agency Services When Placed on the “No Schedule” List

Following a missed/late appointment, our staff will attempt to reach you so that you can work together and identify what may be getting in the way of you not coming to your appointment. Together you and our staff will try to resolve any issues so that you can get your medical needs met.

For Dental Services
•Call any of our clinics after 8:00AM for a “same day appointment” – we often have cancellations or openings if you can come in the same day.
•Open Access is available at our MAP Clinic on Tuesday and Thursday mornings by calling 636-321-0135;patients are seen on a first come, first served or priority of need basis. There is no guarantee that you will be seen but we always do our best to accommodate patients.
•Call any of our clinics for any urgent dental issues including injury or pain.

For Primary Care Services
•Call any of our clinics after 8:00 AM for a “same day appointment.”
•Open Access/ Same Day appointments are available within the primary care department each day based on provider availability. It is best to call the office to find out time and location.
•Call any of our clinics for any urgent medical issues or concerns.

For Psychiatry Services
•Call the office you are receiving services at after 8:30 AM for a possible “same day appointment” with your provider.
•Same Day appointments are based on provider availability.
•Call any of our clinics for any urgent medical issues or concerns.

For Behavioral Health Services
•Screenings/Assessments are provided Monday through Friday from 7:30 and 11:00 am, within allotted slots, to persons based on need and priority population-those persons with suicidal ideations/plan; danger to self/others; heroin/narcotic dependence; Emergency Department (ED) or inpatient discharge; Department of Corrections(DOC) high risk, and pregnant women. Call the Welcome Center at 636-220-5397 for a screening/eligibility determination.
•Upon completion of screening, referrals are made for services appropriate to level of care, both in agency and with community based providers.

*If you have been discharged from Behavioral Health services in the past and are interested in restarting services, please call (636) 220-5397.

Welcome Center
222 North Mill St. Festus MO 63028
Phone: 636-220-5397

COMTREA’s services are state and federally funded and provided on a sliding fee scale.

If you have any questions about this policy, please ask for the Office Manager at any of our offices.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us provide the best care possible to you and others!

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