Procedure for charging of a Referral Fee for clients referred to Bowlby Centre therapist by the Referrals Committee

As many of you are aware, The Bowlby Centre charges a Referral Fee to those Member Therapists and Psychotherapists-in-Training who receive Low-Cost and Full-Fee client Referrals through our Referrals Committee, as a contribution to the costs of running the Referrals Service. There is no fee charged for Blues Project clients (once-or twice-weekly therapy).

The Referral Fee for Low Cost and Full Fee referrals is set as the charge made by the therapist to the client for one week’s session fees, and is payable for Referrals where the client has attended for more than 3 sessions. This applies to all clinical work –individual, couple work, child therapy, supervision etc.

From Autumn 2017,we are changing how we collect the Referral Fee:the aim being to make the Bowlby Centre Admin aspect more straightforward. It now will work as follows:

The therapist will be sent an invoice for the Referral Fee by Bowlby Centre Admin once the client’s contact details have been sent to the therapist by the assessor. Therefore the invoice may arrive before the therapist has met the client. If the actual fee charged to the client for one week’s session fees is different from the fee or fee bracket that is on the assessment form OR the client does not engage beyond 3 sessions then the therapist needs to inform Admin,and the invoice will be corrected or cancelled by Admin as appropriate.If a fee range(rather than an exact fee)is agreed between assessor and therapist then a fee equal to the top of this range will be invoiced for unless the therapist contacts Admin,in which case the invoice can be cancelled or corrected.

We will not be able to refer further clients to a therapist if there are outstanding Referral Fees or other fees to be paid by the therapist to the Bowlby Centre.

On occasion this system may result in an invoice being sent out that is more or less than one week’s session fees. As soon as the therapist contacts Admin this can be corrected and if necessary any monies can be refunded to the therapist or an additional invoice provided. It is the therapist’s responsibility to inform Admin of any corrections needed.

Best wishes, Referrals Committee

Approved by Executive Committee –July 2017. Updated from June 2014 policy