Clinic Addresses, Phone Numbers, and Hours of Operation

Contact the clinic by e-mail (both offices)

ocmhwwtr@co.ontario.ny.us

Canandaigua (main office)

Ontario County Mental Health Center
3019 County Complex Drive
Canandaigua, NY 14424
(585) 396-4363 - Fax (585) 396-4993
Open Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm, and Monday evenings until 8:00

Geneva

Ontario County Mental Health Center
83 Seneca Street
Geneva, NY 14456
(315) 789-6706 - Fax (315) 789-7761
Open Thursday and Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm

Emergency Procedures

Most people who receive services from the Ontario County Mental Health Center do not need emergency services and do not experience any untoward events connected with their services. However, as a state-certified clinic, we are required to have a plan for emergencies and to provide you with the information on this form. Please speak to your therapist if you have any questions about this.

• During regular office hours: Call the clinic, tell the receptionist that this is an emergency, and ask to speak to your therapist. If your therapist is not available, another therapist will speak with you.
• After hours: Call the Finger Lakes Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) at Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic at 315-462-0425 or 315-462-9561. Or call 911 and stay on the line until 911 answers.

Patient Rights

Patients admitted to the Ontario County Mental Health Center are entitled to the rights defined below.

• The confidentiality of patients' clinical records shall be maintained in accordance with Section 33.13 of the Mental Hygiene Law.
  Note: The Mental Health Center will make every effort to protect the confidentiality of your records. Usually we do not release any information without your permission. In some situations, the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) or a court may require that records be released without your permission. We will attempt to notify you before we do this. We are required to report suspicions of child abuse and neglect. We will release confidential information in an emergency, if we believe this is necessary to protect you or someone else from physical harm. We are required to report certain accidents, injuries, or crimes to OMH. If Medicaid is paying for your services, the Department of Social Services may require a copy of your record during financial audits.
• Patients have the right to an individualized plan of treatment and a right to participate, to the fullest extent consistent with the patient's capacity, in the establishment and revision of that plan.
• Patients have the right to a full explanation of the services provided, and these services shall be described in the treatment plan.
• Participation in treatment at the Ontario County Mental Health Center is voluntary, and patients are presumed to have the capacity to consent to such treatment. The right to participate voluntarily in, and to consent to, treatment shall be limited only to the extent provided by law, or to the extent that a patient engages in conduct which poses a risk of physical harm to the patient or to others.
• While full participation in treatment is important, a patient's objection to any part of the treatment plan shall not, in and of itself, result in the patient's termination from the program, unless such objection renders the patient's continued participation in the program clinically inappropriate or would endanger the safety of the patient or others.
• Patients shall be assured access to their clinical records, consistent with Section 33.16 of the Mental Hygiene Law.
• Patients have the right to receive clinically appropriate care and treatment that is suited to their needs and that is skillfully, safely, and humanely administered, with full respect for their dignity and personal integrity.
• Patients have the right to receive services in a manner that will assure non-discrimination.
• Patients have the right to be treated in a way that acknowledges and respects their cultural environment.
• Patients have the right to a maximum amount of privacy consistent with the effective delivery of services.
• Patients have the right to freedom from abuse and mistreatment by employees.
• Patients have the right to be informed of the provider's patient grievance policies and procedures, and to initiate any question, complaint, or objection accordingly. (See Grievance Procedure, below.)
• Patients have the right to access any of the advocacy groups listed below:

Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled
1-800-624-4143

Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Program
1-716-847-0650

NAMI - New York State
1-800-950-3228

New York State Office of Mental Health
1-800-597-8481

Fee and Payment Plan Explanation

Can I use my health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid to pay for my services?

Yes. Medicare and Medicaid pay for part or all of your service costs. If you have private health insurance that covers your mental health services, the Ontario County Mental Health Center is obligated by law to seek payment from your insurance company. We are prepared to assist you in the billing procedures.

What if I cannot afford to pay the full cost of services, or my insurance benefits do not cover the services?

The Ontario County Mental Health Center has a sliding fee scale based on the total income of your household and the number of individuals dependent on that income. You will be assessed a scale fee at your first visit.

How much do I pay toward my services?

You pay the amount of your scale fee or the amount of your insurance co-payment.When do I pay?You are expected to pay your scale fee or your co-payment at each visit, or pay previously agreed upon installments at each visit.

How does the Ontario County Mental Health Center receive payment from my insurance company?

After the insurance company is billed by Ontario County, most companies pay us directly, and notify you in the Explanation of Benefits form of how much they paid toward your services. Other companies pay you directly. In this case, you must provide us with the Explanation of Benefits form showing how much you were paid. You must then either sign over the insurance check to Ontario County Mental Health Center or provide a check or money order for the amount that you were paid by the insurance company.

If my fee and any insurance payment do not cover the full cost of the service, how are the rest of the costs covered?

The Mental Health Center receives support from New York State and Ontario County tax revenue when other sources of payment do not cover the full cost.
If you have any other questions about the cost or payment of your services, please do not hesitate to ask.

Grievance Procedures

Patients who object to their treatment, or who have grievances with program policies, procedures, staff, or facilities, shall have the opportunity to communicate their concerns without being in jeopardy of reprisal. You are encouraged, but not required, to first discuss any complaints with your primary therapist. You have the right to speak to your therapist's supervisor or to the Director, whether or not you have spoken to your therapist first.

The supervisor or the Director must offer to meet with you within five working days of your request. If the grievance cannot be resolved by the therapist's supervisor, you may choose to take your grievance to the Director. If your grievance is not resolved to your satisfaction, or if for any reason the Mental Health Center does not offer you a face-to-face meeting, you may contact any of the advocacy groups listed under item #13 in the statement of "Patient Rights."

Grievances may be initiated by current and past patients. You may initiate grievances by phone, in person, or in writing. You will not be required to put your complaint in writing. You have the right to have an interested adult accompany you to any meetings with a therapist, a supervisor, or the Director.

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