Within SimplePractice, there are two types of Paperless Intake documents you can share with a client through the Client Portal to receive an electronic response. You can find each type below: 

• Consent documents
• Intake forms 

Consent documents

A consent document, also known as a practice document, is any text document that you want your client to sign and agree to. These are documents that only require an electronic signature from a client to acknowledge that they've read and agreed to the terms. 

Setting up your consent documents is an essential part of managing your practice well. To find your consent documents:

• Navigate to Settings > Client Portal > Shared Documents and Files 

Here, you'll find these consent documents that are included in your SimplePractice account. You can also find the default text of these documents below:

• Default Notice of Privacy Practices Document
• Default Informed Consent for Psychotherapy Document 
• Default Practice Policies Document
• Default Consent for Telehealth Consultation Document
• Default Credit Card Authorization Form

Important: It’s your responsibility to review and update these consent document templates to make sure that they reflect the legal requirements of your state, as well as the way you choose to run your practice. If you have any questions, we recommend consulting your local regulatory body.

To make changes to an existing consent document:

• Navigate to Settings > Client Portal > Shared Documents and Files
• Click Edit next to the consent document in question

• Make edits to the text
• Click Save

If you’d like to add a new document, click + Consent Document. 

Note: For additional details, see: Customizing and adding new practice documents.

Intake forms

An intake form allows you to collect responses from a client in different formats within the Client Portal, such as multiple choice and short answer.

To create your own custom intake forms:

• Navigate to Settings > Notes and Forms
• On the My Notes and Forms tab, click Create New Template
• Use the dropdown menu to select for Intake Forms

• Select Add New to add a new item or question to the form
• Click Save

Note: For a detailed walkthrough of creating your own custom templates, see: Creating customized templates in My Notes and Forms.

You can also find premade templates in the Template Library. To access the library: 

• Navigate to Settings > Notes and Forms > Template Library

Note: You can check the status of intake paperwork that has already been shared with a client in the Shared with Client section of their Overview page. To learn more, see: Sending intake forms and documents to clients.

You also have the ability to enable or disable any form listed on the My Notes and Forms page. We recommend disabling a form, instead of deleting it entirely, as this lets you save it on your My Notes and Forms page for later use. To disable a form:

• Navigate to Settings > Notes and Forms
• On the My Notes & Forms tab, uncheck the box next to each form to disable it
  • Note: Check the box again to re-enable it, if desired

Note: Disabled forms can’t be sent to clients.