Please read thoroughly!

A $250 deposit is required to reserve a spot in each intensive session. This deposit secures your child’s spot and the therapist’s time, and is separate from payment for therapy services.

Deposit Amount

• A $250 deposit is required per intensive session (ex. Fall, Winter, Spring, etc. are all separate intensive sessions).

• This amount will be applied as a credit to the patient’s account. After applicable fees are deducted and insurance claims are processed and paid, any remaining balance will be refunded once the intensive is complete.

• Deposits must be paid using a debit or credit card and cannot be made using HSA or FSA cards.

  • If you plan to use an HSA or FSA card to pay for treatment, we can arrange to charge that card separately for the cost of services. Any applicable fees will still be deducted from the deposit credit on your account if needed, and any remaining credit from the deposit will be refunded.

Refund Policy

Deposits will not be refunded in the following cases:

• Canceling two or more days of the intensive within 21 days of the start date, regardless of reason (including illness, emergency, etc.).

• Missing two or more days of the intensive, with or without planned notice.

• Arriving 10+ minutes late to any session will cause a $20 late fee to be applied, and $20 will be deducted from your deposit refund to pay that fee.

​If a therapist becomes unavailable (due to illness, etc.) and any portion of your child’s intensive is canceled due to the therapist being unavailable, the deposit will be refunded in full after any applicable fees or insurance claims are processed, unless we are able to reschedule any missed session(s) within the week of the missed session(s).

Deposit & Paperwork Deadline: 30 Days Prior

• The deposit must be paid in full by or before the due date for that session. The paperwork is also due within this timeframe.

• Intensive spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If the deposit and paperwork is not received by the deadline, the spot may be released to another family.

• Intake paperwork will be sent via OceanFriends EMR. New patients are required to complete intake forms, and current or returning patients may also be asked to do so. Forms can be submitted through our Patient Portal.

Reserving Without Immediate Payment

• Families may apply for multiple open sessions in advance without paying all deposits at once.

• While we will try to hold your child’s spot without a deposit, unpaid spots may be released to other families if deposit is not received in a timely manner.

  • If signing up within after the due date of the session, the deposit is due as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

  • If booked far in advance, you may submit the deposit anytime before the deadline.

• We encourage families to submit deposits as early as possible to secure their child’s placement and ensure a smooth scheduling process.

Important: If your child is ill or showing symptoms, you must cancel in accordance with First Step’s sick policy to protect our therapists and medically vulnerable patients.

Please note: this will still result in a non-refundable deposit, as outlined above.