FAQs
General Questions
Get answers to your questions with ease – check out our FAQ section.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners assess, diagnose, and treat illness (medication management) and promote wellness. They facilitate patient participation in self-care. Advanced Practice Nurses in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing are a rich resource as providers of Psychiatric Mental Health services due to their broad background in biological sciences as well as behavioral sciences. They advocate and partner with the consumers of their services. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners provide a full range of primary mental health care services to individuals, families, groups, and communities. They function as psychotherapists, educators, and clinical managers.
Qualified to practice independently, Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Nurses offer direct care services, including health promotion, disease prevention, and rehabilitation in a variety of settings.
Although your primary care physician may be able to provide this service, you may find that in a purely medical setting, you do not have the chance to explore your difficulties in much depth. The medical model often stresses intermittent follow-up visits, which focus more on a checklist of symptoms rather than the larger picture of overall well-being. Research shows that treatment of some issues, such as depression, works best when psychotherapy is used in addition to medication; this is something that most primary care doctors cannot provide. Finally, many people simply want the additional expertise that a psychiatric nurse practitioner can bring into medication management, whether for efficiency, improved effectiveness, minimization of side effects, or safety.
Accepted Insurance Plans
Out of Network (PPO)
Call us for other insurance accepted.
Please call to review your insurance benefits with our office staff. Our office currently accepts some insurance plans and we can help with confirming your Behavioral Health Benefits.
Not necessarily. After a consultation, we will discuss therapeutic approaches with you, and there may be non-medication interventions that are as effective as medication in a specific case. We often tell our patients that therapy is a “given” recommendation for most situations, while medication may or may not be. Each unique person’s situation and history are taken into careful consideration when deciding on the best treatment course.
Any past evaluation or testing would be helpful but not essential. Generally, recent lab work and prescriptions can provide valuable information. For adolescents, copies of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), recent report cards, and any school notes are also useful.
The bottom line is really whether or not you feel the provider listens to you and is doing everything they can to help you. It would be best if you trusted your instincts.
Asking yourself the following questions may be helpful:
- Do I feel the provider is listening to me?
- Do I feel the provider is compassionate?
- Does the provider give me a chance to ask questions?
- Do I feel comfortable with the provider?
- Does the provider explain to me in a simple, understandable manner what they think is wrong
- Does the provider explain the rationale why a certain treatment is chosen?
- Does the provider take the time to explain the benefits and risks of medications?
- Does the provider promptly return my calls?
