Involving clinicians in fee collections: implications for improving clinical practice and increasing fee income in a community mental health center.

This paper examines the relationship between a client's payment or non-payment of fees and treatment outcome, diagnosis, and training of the therapist. Clients who pay regularly are more satisfied and have higher goal attainment regardless of diagnosis. A statistical study and clinical case examples are presented which demonstrate that the failure to pay is clinically significant information and that involving clinicians in the fee collection process can improve clinical treatment and increase the agency's fee income.