The psychiatric assessment is dedicated to the evaluation of current symptoms and review of past mental health, medical, social, academic, substance use, and family mental health histories. The process is thorough and intended to review current and historic symptoms while also clarifying the presence of any other medical or psychiatric comorbidities. Assessments of minors will include a meeting with the parents to gain collateral information.

Because a thorough review of history will be triggering to some individuals - especially those with a history of trauma- all patients are invited to decline to discuss information at any time and for any reason. This point will be revisited at the beginning of the assessment and the patient will be invited to name any aspects of their history that they would like to skip. Please note that certain information may be needed to arrive at a diagnosis or deliver a certain treatment.

Keep in mind that clients are not prescribed medication or given treatment recommendations until after the assessment is complete.

The treatment planning appointment will allow us time to discuss diagnoses, treatment recommendations, and to create a treatment plan. Although I am a prescriber, we will review all interventions that are evidence-based to address your concerns. This can include medical care, functional medicine testing, lab testing, nutritional psychiatry, psychotherapeutic modalities, medications, integrative treatments, and personal health habits. If supplements, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), or medications are indicated, we will review the rationale, risks and benefits, and discuss prescribing. This is your process and your body. You will be in charge of whether you start any medication and what the treatment plan looks like.

We are not contracted with any insurance carriers. Patients are welcome to submit a “superbill” or statement for insurance reimbursement, please see the section below, “Insurance Reimbursement”, if you would like more information. If you have Medicaid (Medi-Cal or Health First Colorado) please see note above under “Getting Started.”

Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation: $675 per 75-minute appointment:

• The assessment often takes two 75-minute appointments depending on age, history, and complexity.

• Please submit all requested forms two business days prior to the appointment

• Medications are not prescribed during the assessment

• Additional time may be required for late arrival, incomplete forms, or complex cases.

• The assessment fee is time-based and not a flat fee. Additional time dedicated towards the assessment will be billed at the rate $450 per 50-minutes.

Treatment Planning: $675 per 75-minute appointment:

• review of diagnoses and treatment goals

• discussion of recommendations for treatment and creation of treatment plan

• if indicated, discussion of medications, medication consent and prescribing

Follow-up appointments:

25-minute follow-up appointment: $225

• designed to allow us to discuss your process, experience and satisfaction with medications and treatment.

• frequency of these appointments is clinically determined and will be more frequent early in treatment.

• not available for functional psychiatry

50-minute follow-up appointment: $450

• These appointments are ideal for:

• patients who would like to bring a family member or partner who has questions or concerns about treatment.

• changing the treatment course

• complex cases requiring more time

• to allow additional time for psychotherapy

45-minute Functional Psychiatry Appointments; $500

• these appointments are appropriate for clients engaging in testing and management of functional care

Administrative time and other clinical work:

• I do not bill patients for brief phone calls, emails, or texts. In the event that a patient requires clinical services that are more than 15 minutes of time, the card on file will be charged.

• Refills without an appointment do not set the stage for ideal care. Please be aware that as a policy and matter of practice, refills occur during appointments. In the event that you cancel or miss an appointment and need a refill there will be a $100 charge. We will make a plan to meet before you need a refill. The furthest time between appointments is 3 months and recommended only when patients are very satisfied with their medications and symptoms are none to mild.

• Patients agree to have an appointment scheduled at all times if they are in treatment with Mountain Psychiatry. The office will reach out to discuss scheduling and the patient’s or guardian’s interest in continuing treatment after a no-show or cancellation. After two months of inactivity, the treating relationship will be terminated. If the office has not received a response from the patient or guardian the office will mail a letter of termination via certified mail and the patient will be billed for 30 minutes of administrative time.

In accordance with the No Surprises Act of 2022, we will happily furnish you an estimate of your expected financial responsibilities.

During a telemedicine or telehealth appointment, we will meet via a secure and HIPAA-complaint video link on your computer, phone or tablet. The link you use will be sent to you in the email reminder three days before your appointment. You can also find the link under ‘appointments’ in the patient portal. Please click on the link and test it out before our appointment time to make sure you are all set and ready to go when we meet. Selecting the link on a desktop or laptop computer will open a new tab or window; on tablets and phones you will be prompted to download the Simple Practice Telehealth App. Here is a list of tips for successful telemedicine appointments:

• Test out the telemedicine link when you receive your email and download the app if you plan to use your phone or tablet during our appointment.

• Please plan to be somewhere comfortable, private, and quiet for our appointment. To increase privacy, use head phones and download a white noise app on your phone and place it near the door during our appointment.

• Please have the phone or computer stationary. You can prop it up against a wall or another object.

• We will need download speeds of at least 10 MPS. If you have limited bandwidth, ask your house mates to limit their use of data if you are sharing wifi.

• Please quit other applications like email and SMS and silence notifications on your devices to limit distractions.

• Headphones or earbuds will improve our ability to hear each other and increase privacy.

• Additional requirements: you need to be sober, clothed, and not driving.

LOCATION: although these are virtual appointments, medical licensing laws prohibit a practitioner from meeting with patients located in states where the practitioner is not licensed. Please be located in Colorado, Virginia, or California.

Cancellations and rescheduling need to be completed at least two (2) full business days prior to appointment time. For example, an appointment on Monday at 2:00 pm needs to be cancelled by 2:00 pm the Thursday before.

The full appointment fee ($675 for the assessment, $225 - $450 for follow-up appointments) will be charged for cancellations with less than two business days notice from the appointment time.

Many, but not all, follow-up appointments can be switched to a telemedicine appointment with advanced notice. Please email the front office (info@mountainpsychiatry.com) if you would like to change to a telemedicine appointment.

I am not contracted with any insurance carries but many patients submit a “superbill” or statement for insurance reimbursement for services. Mountain Psychiatry does not offer any guarantee that fees will be reimbursed. I recommend that you contact your insurance to learn of the rates for reimbursement. The billing codes used are 90792 for an assessment, 99215 for treatment planning, and 99214 for most follow-up appointments. Our tax ID number is #84-1879781. Statements for insurance reimbursement are found in the patient portal and are generated on a monthly basis on the 15th day of each month. If you need a statement for insurance reimbursement pushed through early, please email the front office at info@mountainpsychiatry.com. Please note that invoices are also available but do not list diagnoses and will not be adequate for insurance reimbursement.

Mountain Psychiatry does not engage with or communicate with insurance companies on behalf or our clients.

Please be aware that I am not a contracted provider with any insurance and that I am not able to accept private pay from Medicaid (Medi-Cal or Health First Colorado) patients.

Sliding scale care has limited availability, certain stipulations, and requires direct referral from the therapist. Requirements include:

• client has been in weekly therapy for the past year or more

• the client is not on controlled medications, such as benzodiazepines or stimulants

• if there is a history of substance use, self-harm, or disordered eating, the client has had at least one year of remission

• Functional Psychiatry is not an option for sliding scale

• Late cancellations and no-shows will be charged at the full clinic rate

If you would like to be added to the wait list for sliding scale, please ask your therapist to send an email to info@mountainpsychiatry.com

Parents of minors: in working with children and families, I hope to understand the concerns and the treatment goals of both the parents ,or guardians, and the child. Please know that interventions in addition to medication are typically recommended and may be required for me to start or continue treatment. Virginia law states that children 14 years and older hold the right to consent for and terminate treatment. In order to start treatment, prescribe medications, or terminate care, I must have the patient’s informed consent.

Parents, spouses, and loved ones of adults: HIPAA and other protections are in place to protect the private health information of patients. If you would like to be involved in the treatment or gain any information, please ask the patient to sign a release of information with our clinic. Without a release of information in place, we cannot and will not acknowledge a treating relationship, answer any questions, or share billing information - even if you are the payor. If you need a “super bill” for reimbursement, please see the insurance reimbursement information above and discuss the process with the patient.

Please go back up if you are looking for information on fees or what to expect.

Please use the clinic phone number and email to communicate once care is established. We respond to emails and messages within one business day. Unless we have made specific arrangements, the clinic will not respond to communication outside of business hours.

Refills are sent electronically during appointments with a supply to match the time until your next appointment. In the event that you need a refill, please call or email our office. Pharmacy refill requests sent by fax from pharmacies are often automated and may not reflect a patient’s needs. Please call or email our office instead of requesting a refill through your pharmacy.

I complete forms and write letters for patients who are established in ongoing treatment when clinically indicated. Please know that I do not complete state disability forms. Occasionally, patients or parents may need accommodations or leave from school or work. To support this documentation, please keep me abreast of symptoms and missed work, school, or other impairment to function in real time via emails or weekly appointments.

Information shared with Mountain Psychiatry is kept private and confidential. You may use the release of information form to request records for yourself or to be sent to another provider or entity. To protect your privacy I recommend that you use the Spruce Health App to text rather than SMS. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of my patients, I do not “friend” patients on social media platforms.

I am obligated to disclose information in the following cases:

• a client presents a serious danger to self or others

• abuse or neglect of children, elders, or intellectually disabled individuals

• loss of consciousness while driving

• in the event I am issued a court order

• actions are necessary to collect payment

• an insurance company requests information for reimbursement of services

More information can be found at: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy.