Client Contacts

Client contacts let you link family members, legal guardians, partners, or payors to a client's chart to assist with portal access, billing, or appointment reminders.

In this article:

• Adding a Contact
• Updating or Removing Contacts
• Managing Portal Access & Permissions
• Managing Contact Profiles & Statuses
• Working with Minor Clients
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Resources

Adding a Contact

To add a contact, open the client's chart and choose one of two starting points:

• Select + on the Portal tab, or
• Select Add in the Contacts section on the right-hand panel.

In the Add Contact window, complete the steps below.

In the Add Contact window, complete the following steps:

1. Choose New or Existing Contact:
   • New Contact: Enter their First Name and Last Name; optionally add an Email and Phone Number.
   • Existing Contact: Select the Existing Contact tab and search for someone already in your account.
2. Configure Contact Settings:
   • Emergency Contact: Check this box to flag them as the primary emergency contact.
   • Billing Contact: Check this box to make them responsible for payments and invoices (only 1 billing contact is allowed per client).
   • Receive appointment reminders: Check this box to send them automated text, email, or voice appointment reminders.
   • Receive session bridging questionnaires: Check this box to route pre-session questionnaires directly to them.
   • Relationship to Client: Select a role (e.g., Parent, Spouse / Partner, Legal Guardian, Family Member, Physician, Unspecified, or Other). Choosing Other opens a box to type a custom description.
   • Additional Information: Add any internal practice notes about this contact.
3. Select Save to add the contact to the client's chart.

Updating or Removing Contacts

If you need to adjust a contact's settings or detach them from a client's chart later:

1. Locate the Contacts section in the right-hand panel of the client's chart.

2. Select the "..." icon next to the contact's name.

   Choose one of the following:

   • Edit: Reopens the contact window so you can update their details, notification settings, or billing role. Select Save when finished.
   • Remove: Detaches the contact from the client's chart.

Managing Portal Access & Permissions

To grant a contact access to view or complete items for the client on the Client Portal:

1. On the client's Portal tab, select the contact's sub-tab.
2. Toggle portal access to Yes.
3. Select Invite to Portal and choose any initial consent, intake, or assessment forms you wish for them to fill out on behalf of the client.
4. Select Send Invitation.
5. Select portal permissions:
   • View Appointments: Allows the contact to see the client's past and upcoming appointments in the Client Portal.
   • Manage Information: Allows the contact to view and update client details (such as demographics or intake information) on the client's behalf.

Managing Contact Profiles & Statuses

Selecting a contact's name anywhere in Sessions Health opens their profile (labeled Contact for: [Client Name]). From their chart's Details tab, you can edit their standalone email address, name, or custom reminder settings.

Understanding Statuses

Their status tag indicates their account type:

• Client Contact: Listed purely as a contact; receives no therapy services.

  

• Active: Receives their own individual therapy services while serving as a contact.

  

• Inactive: An archived former client or imported record serving as a contact.

  

Activating a Contact for Individual Therapy

If a contact decides to begin receiving individual therapy services at your practice:

1. Open the contact's chart.
2. Select "..." in the top-right corner.
3. Select Make Active.

Working with Minor Clients

When setting up a minor's chart, use contacts to grant parents or legal guardians the necessary permissions to manage care on the child's behalf.

Key setup guidelines for minors:

• Parent/Guardian Portal Access: Enable Manage Information on the parent's Portal sub-tab so they can complete intake forms, sign consent documents, and view records for the minor.
• Appointment Reminders: Select Receive appointment reminders on the parent's contact card to route text, email, or voice reminders directly to them.
• Multiple Parents or Guardians: Add each parent as an individual contact with their own unique email address. This allows both parents to have separate Client Portal logins and access.
• Billing Responsibility: Designate one parent as the Billing Contact on their contact card to handle payments, invoices, and superbills.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a contact share an email address with the primary client?

No. Every contact must have a unique email address to ensure secure Client Portal access and separate notification delivery.

Can one contact be linked to multiple family members (e.g., siblings)?

Yes. When adding a contact to a second client's chart, choose the Existing Contact tab in the Add Contact window to link their existing profile without creating a duplicate record.

How do I change who is responsible for billing?

Edit the contact card of the person who should receive invoices and check Billing Contact. Since only one billing contact can be designated per client, checking this on a new contact will automatically update the role.

Related Resources

For more information about client setup and contacts, see our other articles:

• Manage Client Information
• Creating a Client
• Managing Minor Client Records and Parent Access in Sessions
• Inviting Clients and Sharing Documents in the Client Portal