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I have been an openly gay psychotherapist in private practice, serving the community since 1975. Unfortunately in March, 2006 I was diagnosed with a life threatening illness and had to retire from active practice, and am no longer seeing patients.
If you would like to obtain a referral to another therapist in the NYC area write to mshernoff@aol.com
CONFIDENTIALITY
The confidentiality of data relating to individual patients and visitors to this web site, including identity, is respected by this web site. The web site owner undertakes to honor or exceed the legal requirements of medical/health information privacy that apply in the country and state where the Web site and mirror sites are located.
This site is individually and personally funded by the owner, Michael Shernoff, MSW. There are no commercial or non-commercial organizations that contribute funding, services or material to this site. This web site does not carry any advertisements.
The information provided on this site is designed to support not replace the relationship that exists between a visitor to this site and his/her existing physician and/or mental health professional.
In addition, I have expertise in working with men and women in the leather and s/m communities, as well as creative individuals in the arts and theater.
I offered gay-affirmative counseling, psychotherapy and gay couples counseling.This means that instead of viewing homosexuality, bisexuality, and other variations in sexual orientation as problems, your sexual identity is supported. I also believe that consensual sexual, emotional and love relationships are an important part of a person's whole life and do not constitute a problem just because they may be between two or more people of the same sex. I consider a person's sexuality important. It is neither focused on as a problem, nor is it ignored.
I received my MSW from the School of Social Welfare at State University of New York StonyBrook in 1977. Since 1979 I have been a New York State Certified Social Worker. In September, 2004 when New York State began to license clinical social workers, I was grandparented into qualifying for the new credential of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, (license # PR019951-1). This means that if your insurance company covers outpatient mental health services, it may reimburse for my services. I am, also certifed by the Academy of Certified Social Workers, (ACSW), which is a unit of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS, (NASW), as a social worker qualified for self-regulated or independent practice. I am also a Diplomat (certificate # PR019951-1)in Clinical Social Work, which is an advanced credential also offered by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of SOCIAL WORKERS for indivdiuals whose specialty is providing mental health services to individuals, couples or families. Additionally I have also earned the designation of a Qualified Clinical Social Worker, (QCSW) which is also an advanced credential offered by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS.
Until retiring, I was on the faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work, and was the online mental health expert at TheBody.com, the world's most comprehensive HIV/AIDS web site from 1997 until January 2004. I have written extensively on the subject of mental health issues pertaining to gay men, and have international recognition as a well respected expert in the field of psychotherapy and counseling with gay men. My articles are attached to this site and are listed to the left. Feel free to read or download them.
I have served in a variety of local and national leadership positions regarding mental health services to lesbian/gay and bisexual people as well as HIV/AIDS. These include: the boards of The National Social Work AIDS Network,(NSWAN); the National Lesbian/Gay Health Foundation; the NASW National Committee on Lesbian/Gay Issues; the NYC Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services Lesbian and Gay Advisory Committee; and co-chaired The AIDS Task Forces for The American OrthoPsychiatric Association and The Society for the Scientific Study of Sex.
My most recent book is Without Condoms: Unprotected Sex, Gay Men & Barebacking, published by Routledge in November, 2005. Prior to this book, my last book was: HIV Treatment: Mental Health aspects of Antiviral Therapy, published by University of California San Francisco AIDS Health Project, (co-authored with Raymond Smith). I have edited: AIDS and Mental Health Practice: Clinical and Policy Issues; Gay Widowers: Life After the Death of a Partner; The Sourcebook on Lesbian/Gay Health Care, Volumes 1 and 2; Counseling Chemically Dependant People With HIV Illness; Human Services For Gay People: Clinical and Community Practice; and co-edited with Walt Odets The Second Decade of AIDS: A Mental Health Practice Handbook. I am a Senior Consulting Editor for The Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, and a Contributing Editor for In The Family magazine. I co-authored two brochures on AIDS that are widely used throughout the world, (When a Friend Has AIDS & Saying Goodbye to Someone You Love) as well as the earliest AIDS prevention intervention for Gay and Bisexual men on Eroticizing Safer Sex that was also used world wide.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, otherwise know as HIPAA, has generated several new sets of federal regulations applicable to health care practitioners, including social workers. These regulations go into effect on 14 April, 2003.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.
Your health record contains personal information about you and your health. This information about you that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future health care or mental health or condition and related health care services is referred to as Protected Health Information ("PHI"). This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how I may use and disclose your PHI in accordance with applicable law and the National Association of Social Workers (my professional association) Code of Ethics. It also describes your rights regarding how you may gain access to and control your PHI.
I am required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI and to provide you with notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI. I am required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. If the terms of my Notice of Privacy Practices changes, any new Notice of Privacy Practices will be effective for all PHI that I maintain at that time. I will provide you with a copy of the revised Notice of Privacy Practices by posting a copy on my Website, sending a copy to you in the mail upon request or providing one to you at your next appointment.
HOW I MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
For Treatment. Your PHI may be used and disclosed by those who are involved in your care for the purpose of providing, coordinating, or managing your health care treatment and related services. This includes consultation with clinical supervisors or other treatment team members. I may disclose PHI to any other consultant only with your authorization.
For Payment. I may use and disclose PHI so that I can receive payment for the treatment services provided to you. This will only be done with your authorization. Examples of payment-related activities are: making a determination of eligibility or coverage for insurance benefits, processing claims with your insurance company, reviewing services provided to you to determine medical necessity, or undertaking utilization review activities. If it becomes necessary to use collection processes due to lack of payment for services, I will only disclose the minimum amount of PHI necessary for purposes of collection.
For Health Care Operations. I may use or disclose, as needed, your PHI in order to support my business activities including, but not limited to, licensing, and conducting or arranging for other business activities. For example, I may share your PHI with third parties that perform various business activities (e.g., billing services) provided I have a written contract with the business that requires it to safeguard the privacy of your PHI. For training or teaching purposes PHI will be disclosed only with your authorization.
Required by Law. Under the law, I must make disclosures of your PHI to you upon your request. In addition, I must make disclosures to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of investigating or determining my compliance with the requirements of the Privacy Rule.
Without Authorization
Applicable law and ethical standards permit me to disclose information about you without your authorization only in a limited number of other situations. The types of uses and disclosures that may be made without your authorization are those that are:
Required by Law, such as the mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect or mandatory government agency audits or investigations (such as the social work licensing board or the health department)
Required by Court Order
Necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public. If information is disclosed to prevent or lessen a serious threat it will be disclosed to a person or persons reasonably able to prevent or lessen the threat, including the target of the threat.
With Authorization
I may disclose your information to family members that are directly involved in your treatment only with your written permission.
Uses and disclosures not specifically permitted by applicable law will be made only with your written authorization, which may be revoked.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI
You have the following rights regarding PHI I maintain about you. To exercise any of these rights, please submit your request in writing:
Right of Access to Inspect and Copy. You have the right, which may be restricted only in exceptional circumstances, to inspect and copy PHI that may be used to make decisions about your care. Your right to inspect and copy PHI will be restricted only in those situations where there is compelling evidence that access would cause serious harm to you. I may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies.
Right to Amend. If you feel that the PHI I have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask me to amend the information although I am not required to agree to the amendment.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request an accounting of certain of the disclosures that I make of your PHI. I may charge you a reasonable fee if you request more than one accounting in any 12-month period.
Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. I am not required to agree to your request.
Right to Request Confidential Communication. You have the right to request that I communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location.
Right to a Copy of this Notice. You have the right to a copy of this notice.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe I have violated your privacy rights, you have the right to file a complaint in writing with the Secretary of Health and Human Services at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 or by calling (202) 619-0257. I will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
The information provided on gaypsychotherapy.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician or licensed mental health professional. This site does not offer online psychotherapy or counseling.