Policy: Client Support During Provider Vacation or Leave (Therapists & Psychiatric Nurse Practitione
Purpose
To ensure continuity of care, protect client safety, and maintain clear communication when a client’s assigned therapist or psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP) is temporarily unavailable.
1. General Policy
l Clients cannot be scheduled with a different provider during their therapist/Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner’s vacation unless:
Coverage is pre-arranged, and
Approved by the Clinical Director
l If no coverage is arranged:
Clients must wait for their provider’s return for ongoing care
l Urgent needs will be escalated to the Clinical Director or on-call provider for evaluation
2. Proactive Communication Prior to Leave
Providers must:
l Notify admin of planned leave minimum 2 weeks in advance
l Ensure clients are informed with:
Leave dates
Next scheduled appointment (encouraged before departure)
Instructions for emergency/urgent needs
l For leave longer than 3 weeks:
A full coverage plan must be approved by the Clinical Director
Warm hand-offs may be required for high-need cases
3. Medication Management (Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners)
To prevent medication lapses:
l Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners must ensure prescriptions will last throughout their leave
l If a client reports needing medication while Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners is away:
CSR contacts Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners to confirm availability to process refill remotely
If Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners is unavailable or non-responsive:
Escalate to Clinical Director for coverage assignment
Client may be scheduled with covering Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
4. Criteria for Urgent Escalation
Escalate immediately if client reports:
1. Suicidal thoughts or safety concerns
2. Possible medication withdrawal/abrupt discontinuation risk
3. Acute trauma or crisis event
4. Significant inability to function day-to-day
These cases must be reviewed by Clinical Director or on-call clinical support.
5. CSR Guidance: How to Respond to Client Requests
When a client asks to be seen while provider is away:
1. Acknowledge the request
2. Inform them of the provider’s absence
3. Offer next available session after return
Script:
“Your provider is currently out of the office. I can schedule your next session when they return.
If you are feeling distressed or need support sooner, I can notify our clinical team to follow up with you.”
If crisis/urgent → escalate immediately. 6. Coverage Protocol
If coverage has been arranged:
l Schedule only for:
Brief check-ins
Crisis stabilization
l No new treatment plans or major changes to be made
Coverage must not be offered simply due to client preference.
7. Documentation Requirements
All requests must be documented in TherapyNotes, including:
âś” Date & time of request
✔ Client’s stated concern or need
âś” Provider return date
âś” Escalation actions, if any
âś” Covering provider assigned (if applicable)
Documentation type:
Client Contact note on Therapy Notes
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