CMS Therapy Group, LLC

Child, Adolescent and Adult Mental Health Services

501 Kings Hwy E, Ste 104A Fairfield, CT 06825

referrals@cmstherapygroup.com

203-244-8357

Who We Are

At CMS Therapy Group, we see each ​client as a unique individual - with all of ​their strengths and frailties - and work ​with each individual from a client-​centered, strength's based perspective.


We believe in transparency and co-​construction in our approach as we move ​with you through your journey to better ​mental health.

What We Do

CMS Therapy Group provides a safe and ​empathic environment for children, ​adolescents, and adults to work through ​their mental illness, trauma, behavioral ​challenges, relationship and attachment ​issues.


We are here to help our clients process, ​heal and learn how to make positive ​changes in their lives.

What To Expect

Our clients can expect to be treated ​with respect - free from judgement and ​prejudice when they walk through our ​doors. Several different therapy ​methods are utilized to promote ​success in treatment, such as DBT, CBT, ​Trauma-Informed Therapy, Art Therapy, ​Mindfulness, and Play Therapy.


We will work diligently to provide the ​best possible outcomes for client ​success.



Services We Offer

CMS Therapy Group offers individual, couples, family and group therapy

to support growth and mental health wellness.

Mental Health Illustration

We specialize in and employ several different therapeutic approaches to help our clients ​reach their goals in treatment, such as:

  • Art Therapy - therapeutic approach using creative expression to promote healing and ​mental well-being
  • Play Therapy - utilization of play to process difficult feelings, develop coping and social skills, ​and to build insight, executive functioning skills, and self-esteem
  • Relational Therapy - focuses on recognizing the role relationships play in the shaping of ​everyday experiences
  • Schema Therapy - aims to help people identify and replace unhealthy thought patterns, or ​schemas, with more balanced ones
  • Trauma-Informed Therapy - an approach that recognizes the complex impact of trauma on ​an individual's ability to cope

Specializing in treating the following issues:

  • Depression


  • Anxiety


  • Complex Trauma


  • PTSD


  • Thought Disorders


Mental health concept. Creative plaster vase head-shape with col
  • Behavioral Issues


  • Mood Disorders

  • Eating Disorder


  • Relationship Issues


  • BPD


Meet Our Team

Seeking mental health treatment can feel like an overwhelming first step towards recovery. It is important for you to find that ​right therapist who you can connect to, and who has the experience and the expertise to meet your mental health needs.


Our group is comprised of mental health professionals with different backgrounds, areas of expertise and therapy approaches in ​an effort to meet the needs of our community.

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Camilla M. Schnaitmann, LCSW

Founder, Psychotherapist (she/her)

203-418-7651

camillas@cmstherapygroup.com

Camilla has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with children, adolescents, parents, families and young adults with ​mental illness, trauma, behavioral and attachment issues. She engages with her clients from a strength-based, client-centered ​approach and believes strongly in collaboration and transparency in her work.


She graduated with her MSW from UCONN - School of Social Work. She received her training at the Yale Child Study Center ​working with children and adolescents with acute mental health and/or behavioral issues, before moving on to private ​practice. Camilla has been trained in Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, Dialectical Behavioral ​Therapy, Collaborative Problem-Solving, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness Techniques.


Scott Trefny, LPC

Senior Psychotherapist (he/him)

475-295-1967

scottlpc@cmstherapygroup.com

Scott believes that by learning how to build a healthier relationship with ourselves, we can build stronger, happier relationships with our families, friends and coworkers. He ​works with his clients from a relational, and gentle but direct approach to help them find clarity, healing and peace. Scott has been trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, ​Trauma-Focused CBT, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.


He earned a Master's in Psychology from City University New York, and a Master's in Community Mental Health from Western Connecticut State University. Scott began his career ​at New York Presbyterian Hospital providing counseling to individuals and families with mood disorders or substance abuse issue. He then transitioned to private practice where ​he expanded his skill set working with adolescents and adults struggling with social, emotional, and relationship issues.



Micki Carver, LMSW

Psychotherapist (she/they)

475-277-2906

mickic@cmstherapygroup.com

Micki's philosophy in her work is to approach each client as the "expert" of themselves while providing guidance, support and informed psychotherapeutic interventions to help ​them navigate their way to better mental health. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, and started her ​career working with adults who struggled with trauma, anger management and substance abuse issues. She has experience with trauma-informed therapy models, CBT, DBT, ​received certification in Borderline Personality Disorder interventions, and is a Shoden and Okuden certified Reiki practitioner.


Before joining the mental health field, Micki worked as an animal trainer and foster for Guiding Eyes for the Blind service dogs, and as a teacher's aid for Pre-K through fifth ​grade special education students in Firenze, Italy.


Kendra Carlson, ATR-BC, CLAT

Art Therapist (she/her)

Green Park

203-747-8361

kendrac@cmstherapygroup.com

Kendra graduated with her Master of Art in Art Therapy from Albertus Magnus College. Before joining CMS Therapy Group, Kendra worked with children, adolescents and ​families at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, and within Intensive Outpatient Program settings at Bridgeport Hospital and at a residential treatment facility. Kendra is an ​Adjunct Professor at Springfield College and is the Curriculum Chair and board member at Sawubona – a community-based initiative to support the mental health and resiliency ​of children, adolescents and their families through creative expression. Her work has been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.


Kendra has experience working with clients who struggle with behavioral issues, trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, and depression. She enjoys working with client in individual, ​family, and group settings.


Gina Minutella, LMSW

Psychotherapist (she/her)

203-208-8799

ginam@cmstherapygroup.com

Gina is committed to fostering a safe and empathetic space where clients can explore their inner world, address challenges, and work towards positive change. She utilizes ​elements of Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Play Therapy to guide treatment, and specializes in working ​with children, adolescents and young adults who struggle with emotional dysregulation, ADHD, anxiety and mood disorders, and those with executive function and social skills ​deficits.


Gina is a Licensed Master Social Worker originally from New York where she earned her master's degree from Columbia University in the Advanced Clinical Social Work track. She ​gained her experience by working with children and families in various settings including schools, therapeutic milieus, and shelters.


Scheduling and Rates

To request an appointment:

203-244-8357

Referrals@cmstherapygroup.com


Initial assessment: $240.00

45 - 60 min session: $210.00

Group session: $40.00 - $75.00

No Show/Late Cancel fee: $125.00

Insurance Plans

We are in-network with Cigna/Evernorth and Husky


We are more than happy to provide our out-of-network clients with a ​"Superbill" for insurance reimbursement


Please call or email for more information


Location

501 Kings Highway East, Ste 104A

Fairfield, CT 06825

Office Hours

Monday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Tuesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Wednesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Thursday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm


* Appointments may be scheduled outside of normal ​business hours based on client need and therapist ​availability


Connections

Follow CMS Therapy Group on social media

CMS Therapy Group, LLC

501 Kings Highway East

Suite 104A

Fairfield, CT

203-244-8357

referrals@cmstherapygroup.com

If this is a mental health emergency,

please dial 988 or go to your nearest emergency room

211 / EMPS and 911 are also available in times of mental health crisis

No Surprises Act:

Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills

What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-​pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may ​have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a ​health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.

“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract ​with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for ​the difference between your health plan's contract rate and the full amount ​charged for a service. This is called balance billing. “Surprise billing” is an ​unexpected balance bill.

Under the new No Surprises Act, you are protected from balance billing for:

  • Emergency services - If you have a medical emergency and get emergency ​services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or ​facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. You cannot ​be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may ​get after you are in stable condition, unless you have given written consent ​and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-​stabilization services.
  • Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center. When ​you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, ​certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those ​providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. These ​providers cannot balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your ​protections not to be balance billed. If you get other services at these in-​network facilities, out-of-network providers cannot balance bill you unless you ​have given written consent and give up your protections. You are never ​required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also are not ​required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in ​your plan’s network.


When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:

  • You are only responsible for paying your plan’s in-network cost-sharing ​amount. Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities ​directly.
  • Your health plan generally must cover emergency services without requiring ​you to get approval for services in advance, cover emergency services by out-​of-network providers, base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) ​on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount ​in your explanation of benefits, and count any amount you pay for emergency ​services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket ​limit.


Visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information about your rights under ​federal law.


www.cms.gov/nosurprises, 2021


NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

This notice describes how health information may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to this information. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.


CMS Therapy Group, LLC is committed to protecting health information about you. Your therapist will create a record of the care and services you receive from them. This record is necessary to provide you with quality care and ​to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which CMS Therapy Group and/or your ​therapist may use and disclose health information about you. It also describes your rights to the health information that is kept about you, and describes certain obligations your therapist has regarding the use and disclosure ​of your health information.

CMS Therapy Group is required by law to:

  1. Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.
  2. Give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.
  3. Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.


HOW CMS THERAPY GROUP MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:

For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the client to use or disclose the client’s personal health information ​without the client's written authorization in order to carry out the health care provider’s treatment, payment or health care operations. Your therapist may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment ​activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if your therapist were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, they would be ​permitted to use and disclose your person health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist them in the diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.

Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard because your therapist and other health care providers may need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order ​to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient ​for health care from one health care provider to another.

Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, your therapist may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. Your therapist may also disclose health information about your child in ​response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only after efforts have been made to inform you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the ​information requested.


USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

  1. Psychotherapy Notes. As defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your authorization unless the use or disclosure is:
    1. For use in providing treatment to you
    2. For use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skillset
    3. For use in defending CMS Therapy Group and/or its employees in legal proceedings instituted by you
    4. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my compliance with HIPPA
    5. As required by law ant he use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law
    6. As required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes
    7. As required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law
    8. As required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others
  2. Marketing Purposes. As a psychotherapy group, we are not permitted to use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes
  3. Sale of PHI. As a psychotherapy group, we are not permitted to sell your PHI in the regular course of our business


USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

Subject to certain limitations in the law, CMS Therapy Group and/or your therapist can use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following reasons:

  1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law
  2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health or safety
  3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations
  4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order
  5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on CMS Therapy Group premises
  6. To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law
  7. For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy to treat the same mental health condition
  8. Specialized government functions, including ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or helping to ensure ​the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions
  9. For workers' compensation purposes. CMS Therapy Group may provide your PHI in order to comply with worker's compensation laws
  10. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. CMS Therapy Group may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you of your appointment(s), or to inform you about treatment alternatives or ​other health care services or benefits that are offered by CMS Therapy Group


USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT:

  1. Disclosures to family, friends, or others. CMS Therapy Group may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care, or the payment for your health care, unless you ​object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.


YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:

  1. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask CMS Therapy Group/your therapist not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. ​However, your therapist is not required to agree to your request, if it is believed to negatively affect your health care.
  2. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI ​pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
  3. The Right to Choose How Your PHI is Sent to You. You have the right to ask your therapist to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. Your therapist will agree ​to all reasonable requests.
  4. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that CMS Therapy Group has about you. ​CMS Therapy Group will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it (if you agree to receive a summary), within 30 days of receiving your written request, and may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for ​doing so.
  5. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures Your Therapist Has Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which your therapist has disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care ​operations, or for which you provided a Release of Information Authorization. Your therapist will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list provided will ​include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time frame. CMS Therapy Group will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each request.
  6. The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request a correction to the existing ​information or addition of the missing information. CMS Therapy Group/your therapist may say “no” to your request, but will inform you of the reason for the denial in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
  7. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper and/or email copy of this Notice.