Caregiver & family guidance
CPT 97157 — Multiple-family group adaptive behavior treatment guidance
Multiple-family group adaptive behavior treatment guidance, administered by a physician or other qualified health care professional, without the patients present, billed in 15-minute units.
- Billed by
- A BCBA or BCaBA (QHP) leading a multi-family caregiver group.
- Unit structure
- Time-based, billed in 15-minute units, for multiple families.
- Patient present
- Delivered without the patients present — caregivers only.
What it covers
The service behind the code.
- Group caregiver training across multiple families
- Shared instruction on treatment and behavior strategies
- Group discussion and problem-solving among caregivers
Documentation requirements
What the note has to show.
- A note in each family's record — group format does not mean a shared note
- The group composition and the content delivered
- The strategies that family's caregiver was trained on and their participation
- Start and end times supporting the units billed
Denials & downcoding
Why 97157 claims get rejected.
- One shared note instead of documentation in each family's record
- Notes that describe the group but not the individual family's training
- 97157 billed where individual 97156 guidance was actually delivered
Clinically reviewed by BxScribe Clinical Team
BxScribe's clinical content is reviewed against current BACB ethics and documentation standards, CPT code descriptors, and common commercial and Medicaid payer requirements before publication. Last reviewed May 1, 2026. This page is educational and does not replace your payer contract or clinical judgment.
Documentation help
Draft 97157 notes faster.
Related codes
Codes often billed alongside 97157.
Glossary
Terms behind this code.
Related guides
Go deeper.
FAQ
CPT 97157 questions.
Draft a 97157 note that holds up.
BxScribe structures notes around what each code's documentation has to show. Free tier includes 10 notes per month.