Information for Current Patients
- Vacation Coverage Information
- Vacation Schedule 2012
- Cancellation Policy
- Payment Policy
- Psychiatric Emergencies
Vacation Schedule and Vacation Coverage
Vacation Coverage Information
Whenever I go on vacation, I leave instructions on my office telephone (734-663-2485) on how to deal with emergencies and with urgent care problems. The emergency instructions are the same as those listed on this page under Psychiatric Emergencies. I always arrange for a colleague of mine in Ann Arbor to be available on an urgent care basis (i.e. an appointment usually within 48 hours) if you have a problem that cannot wait until I return. The name and phone number of that covering therapist will be on my office telephone message and will be listed below on the Vacation Schedule just prior to the vacation. In addition, I invite you to call me on my cell phone for any urgent care problem when I am on vacation in this country. For security reasons, I do not list my cell phone on this WEB site, but it appears on your monthly bill. Always feel free to ask me for my cell phone number if you have lost it or do not recall it. When this urgent care cell phone option is not available, I will say so on my telephone message and I will note it below on my vacation schedule.
Vacation Schedule for 2012
2012 Winter Vacation: To Be Announced
URGENT CARE COVERAGE:
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY: SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Friday, March 30, 2012 : I will be away all this day and will resume appointments on Monday. Anyone whose appointment is canceled on this day will have the opportunity to re-schedule.
Spring Vacation: Thursday May 10, 2012- Sunday, May 20, 2012
First day for resuming appointments: Monday May 21, 2012
URGENT CARE COVERAGE: Arthur Brickman, PhD (734) 662-2255; Irv Leon, PhD. (734) 662-2055. Please note that Dr. Erman will be checking his emails regularly but will be out of cellphone range.
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY: SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Memorial Day: Monday, May 28, 2012
July 4/Independence Day: Observed on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Summer Vacation
1. August 13-26, 2012
First day for resuming appointments: Monday August 27, 2012
URGENT CARE COVERAGE: to be arranged.
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY: SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
2. To Be Announced
First day for resuming appointments:
URGENT CARE COVERAGE: to be arranged.
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY: SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Labor Day: Monday September 3 , 2012
Columbus Day: Monday October 8, 2012
Thanksgiving: Thursday and Friday, November 22-23, 2012
I will make extra times available earlier in the week for patients who wish to re-schedule these canceled appointments
Autumn Week Vacation: To Be Announced
*First day for resuming appointments:
URGENT CARE COVERAGE: Irv Leon, PhD at (734) 662-2255 (Please note that Dr. Erman will not be available by cell phone during this time away but will be checking emails on a regular basis).
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY: SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Christmas Week Vacation: to be announced
In 2012, Christmas,, Dec. 25, is on a Tuesday and New Years Day is on the following Tuesday
First day for resuming appointments: TBA
URGENT CARE COVERAGE:To Be Announced
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY: SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
*On these occasions marked by an asterisk I cannot be reached on my cell phone; urgent care situations must be handled through the therapist providing urgent care-back up. On all other occasions, you may call me on my cell phone.
Cancellation Policy
I bill if sessions are canceled with less than forty-eight hour notice. (Exception: if we meet regularly on a two or three times a week basis and you tell me in your session that you are canceling your next session, I will not bill for it even if the canceled session is less than forty-eight hours away). If you call before the missed session, I will make a good-faith effort to find a make-up time that occurs in the following day or two and that works for both of us; I will then only bill for the make-up session and not the missed session. If I cannot find a suitable make-up session time or if you do not call before your missed session, I then bill for the missed session. Please note that insurance companies do not pay for missed sessions, so if you rely on your insurance, you will now face a full fee bill. If you any questions about how this policy works or why I have it, please feel free to ask me. (See also Question 7 on the FAQ page for a general comment on cancellation policies in therapy).
Payment Policy
I bill all my regular patients on a once a month basis. At our last session of the month, I will hand you the bill for the month. Payment is due at the next session, our first of the next month. If you are absent from this first session of the next month, please mail in your payment. If you have Blue Cross insurance, I will bill them directly and you will only pay your co-pay and/or your deductible. Finally, if you are planning to seek reimbursement from another insurance or from a medical savings account, a master medical plan, etc., please let me know and I will present you a bill formatted for those needs.
Psychiatric Emergencies
Psychiatric emergencies are extremely rare events. A psychiatric emergency is a situation where you think you can no longer keep yourself or others safe from your own actions or a situation where you are unable to care for yourself in the most basic, minimal ways. First try to call me on my cell phone. If I am not immediately available and you are not safe go immediately and directly to the nearest hospital emergency room, which will provide safe and timely treatment.
