Wiki Family Therapy

[ccosta]

Need help in the proper definition of family therapy. I seem to be in a battle with the director/doctor of a mental health facility that I am overseeing. The contention is that family therapy is not just having a family member present and interacting in the session, family therapy is a completely different process and therefore they don't code family therapy. Another comment was we as MD's don't do family therapy, that is why we have therapists, well to me this is incorrect, if a family member is actively involved in the session then it is family therapy. Can anyone else lend some assistance.
Thanks
Carl W Costa RHIT

 

[dragonflye]

Family therapy is when the patient comes in with one or more members of the family into a therapy or med managment session. It can also be if one of the family members have an issue about the patient they can go in and see the therapist under the patients name and that is still considered family therapy. When family is involved with the patients recovery it doesn't matter whether the family is present or not as long as they show up a few times and keep in contact with the family. Use codes 90846 or 90847.