Marriage & family therapist charged upwards of $5,000 per month for services?!?

December 1, 2011

On March 2, 2011, the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Service Professionals revoked the license of marriage & family therapist Jene Radcliffe-Birch for unprofessional conduct, gross misconduct, gross incompetence and negligence, among other things.

According to the Board’s document, in 1981, Radcliffe-Birch was licensed as a clinical social worker in the state of Massachusetts. From approximately 1997 to 2008, she provided mental health services to client “P.P.” In her treatment of P.P., she failed to create adequate clinical treatment records for him; failed to create adequate bills for services rendered and charged P.P. excessive and/or unreasonable fees.

The Board’s document states that Radcliffe-Birch charged P.P. $2,545 per month and $5,170 per month for her services; between $50 and $200 per hour for therapy and approximately $200 per hour for consultation with P.P.’s other treatment providers, among other things. She did not encourage P.P. to seek therapy from a provider approved by his health insurance; she did not offer him a reduction in fees, a sliding scale or other accommodations for her services and she did not respond to correspondence and/or phone message from P.P.’s children seeking information about her services, fees and/or bills.

Radcliffe-Birch voluntarily surrendered her social worker license on February 26, 2010, following the investigation and conclusion of a complaint filed against her by P.P.’s family. It is that action against her that forms the basis of the revocation of her marriage & family therapist license.

Source:  Final Decision and Order by Default in the Matter of Jene Radcliff-Birch, License Number 715, Docket No. MH-10-023, Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health Professions.