The Speech Language Network (SLN) Clinic Policies

BOOKING POLICY

All services are by appointment only. Please give us a call directly during our business hours to book an appointment, so that we can provide you with our real-time availability.  We do not use an online booking portal. Before coming to your appointment, all case history forms, and previous reports/assessments must be sent in ahead of time to ensure that the therapists can review them beforehand.  If this has not been completed ahead of time, it may need to be done when you arrive which will take time away from your scheduled session.

Please note that it is your responsibility to keep track of your scheduled appointments. Once sessions are scheduled, clients will receive appointment reminders as follows; email reminder 48-hours prior to the session, and text reminders 24-hours prior to the session. It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you attend your session. Failure to do so will incur a late cancellation/no-show fee (see below). 

In the event that you lose track of your scheduled appointments, please contact the clinic at 306-933-3222 and ask when you are scheduled. If you require or request a written/typed copy of your scheduled sessions (i.e. in the form of an emailed schedule, printed calendar, etc.), this is considered to be an administrative request, and a $25.00 administration fee will be charged (see payment and billing policy below). 

LATE CANCELLATION AND NO-SHOW POLICY

We are dedicated to the therapy / training process and are committed to supporting our clients through their communication journey. Clients who do not show up or miss their appointments will be charged a corresponding fee. This policy is in place to ensure the appropriate utilization of therapists and clinic resources. 

Please understand that appointment times are limited and if you must cancel your appointment, we require 24-hours notice. All sessions cancelled with less than 24-hours notice will incur a late cancellation fee of $70.00. All missed sessions are considered a “no-show” and will incur a no-show fee equal to 100% of the scheduled session fee.

If you are running late to your appointment, we request that you inform us ahead of time. We will do our best to provide services, however, if you are more than 10 minutes late to your scheduled time, the appointment will be treated as a late cancellation, and a fee will incur. This policy is in place due to the high demand for services and limited appointment times available each day.

To cancel any appointments, we require that you notify our administrative staff during our scheduled clinic hours by calling the clinic at 306-933-3222. In the event that our administrative staff is away from the phone, please leave us a brief message. We do not accept cancellation requests via email. Therapist emails are not monitored for cancellation requests.

Clients are required to maintain a minimum attendance rating of 70%. If attendance drops below this, future services may be paused.

Any outstanding fees (i.e. session fees, late cancellation fees, no-show fees, etc.) must be paid prior to booking/attending your next session. If payment is not received prior to the next scheduled session, that session will be cancelled.

GROUP THERAPY CANCELLATIONS

All groups that are offered at the Speech Language Network, are offered in a block of lessons each term. The SLN must receive a completed registration form before a client is able to attend any group programming. Group fees are due one week prior to the start of the group and can be paid with any of the payment options listed below (see Payment and Billing Policy). If you have any questions regarding group fees please reach out to Amanda our Clinic Manager either by phone 306-933-9222 or by emailing her at amanda@thesln.com).

Group work is dependent on all group members attending each lesson. Your group will be most effective when everyone attends consistently. It is disruptive in a group environment for time to be taken to coach clients who have missed lessons to get them “up to speed” and is disrespectful to those clients who attend consistently. Therapists prepare and purchase materials for these groups ahead of time based on registered group members. For these reasons, we offer our groups on a prepaid program basis, and group fees are non-refundable.

PAYMENT AND BILLING POLICY

Payments for the sessions can be made prior to, or upon the completion of your appointment with debit or credit (5% processing fee applicable to all credit card transactions), or by e-transfer to accounting@thesln.com. Receipts will be directly emailed to you after your payment has been processed. If you require a printed copy, please make arrangements with our office staff. Due to the high volume of clients the SLN services, it may take up to 3 business days to process payments and issue receipts.

We do not provide direct billing; however, the required documentation will be provided to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. We recommend that you contact your insurance provider to clarify if they will cover speech therapy or occupational therapy services. We recognize that obtaining insurance coverage may be a difficult process and we wish to do what we can to make this process easier. If you are pre-approved for therapy with the following agencies, we are able to direct bill: Jordan’s Principle, Cognitive Disability Services, Family Services Saskatoon and Saskatchewan Government Insurance. Please talk to us about pre-approved coverage for any insurance agencies not mentioned above.

Please understand that as a busy private clinic, it takes a large amount of time to process administrative requests (i.e. producing copies of previous invoices, receipts, reports, therapy handouts, gathering further information for insurance claims, etc.). A $25.00 administrative fee will be issued for these requests.

Please do not ask us to amend invoices for insurance claims that change the nature of the service provided.  We recognize that some insurance companies are willing to cover some services and not others. Under no circumstances will the SLN indicate the false provision of services (i.e. indicating a future session has already occurred, “burying” charges that are not therapy related, providing services to clients yet billing out the session under a different individual’s name, etc.)

CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY

The SLN is committed to ensuring that our clinic is a positive, safe, and welcoming environment for everyone who enters the building.  We expect all individuals (staff, clients & family members) to be respectful towards each person they encounter.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for any verbal, written or physical abuse. This includes any inappropriate language, any behaviours infringing on the dignity and wellbeing of another person, any violent behavior, etc. Those who do not act in compliance with our code of conduct will be discharged from the clinic and any further services will be terminated immediately.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

The SLN is committed to providing a safe environment for the provision of services, both for the client and for the therapist(s). Our commitments extend throughout our practice. From first contact, we take pride in ensuring a clean environment with enhanced health protocols, assessing individual client risk, and maintaining post-procedure health and safety processes.

The client or client’s primary caregiver must keep us informed of any changes in health conditions. We require clients to be in good health and free of nits, lice, respiratory, or contagious illnesses or infections. If any of these are present, service provision is to be deferred or administered remotely, and the client is to be advised to seek medical treatment.

If we detect a contagious health condition during service, we maintain the right as a private pay clinic to cease services, but will do so with maximum regard for the safety, privacy, and dignity of our clients.

If you have any questions regarding any of our policies, please feel free to contact us at 306-933-3222, or email Amanda Thomas, Clinic Manager, at amanda@thesln.com.

Have Coverage for Therapy Services?

Many insurance providers offer coverage for speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy. We encourage you to inquire with your insurance provider to determine if your private insurance plan has coverage for these services. Receipts will be provided to you with the required documentation for reimbursement purposes. The Speech Language Network is an approved service provider for the following: