Most patients in psychiatric treatment are seeing more than one clinician, and most of those clinicians have never spoken to each other. The result is a therapist working on something the psychiatrist does not know about, and a primary care physician prescribing something the psychiatrist has not seen.
Who we coordinate with
- Your therapist or counsellor. The most frequent and most valuable collaboration. Therapy and medication work better when both clinicians know what the other is seeing.
- Your primary care provider. For laboratory work, medical contributors and interaction review.
- Your other specialists — neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, OB-GYN, sleep medicine — where their treatment intersects with yours here.
- Your previous psychiatrist, where you are transferring care and want continuity rather than a fresh start from zero.
How it works in practice
Coordination happens only with your written consent, and you decide its scope: which clinicians, and what may be shared. You can narrow it or withdraw it at any time.
In practice it usually means a summary of the diagnostic impression and treatment plan sent to your therapist and referring physician after the initial evaluation, notification of significant medication changes, and direct clinician-to-clinician conversation when a case warrants it.
Why this practice can do it
Coordination of care is unpaid work in most insured settings, which is precisely why it so rarely happens. Here it is a published, billable service for anything beyond fifteen minutes — which means it actually gets done rather than being squeezed into gaps that do not exist.
If you do not have a therapist
For many conditions the combination of medication and psychotherapy outperforms either on its own. This practice provides medication management with brief supportive intervention as part of follow-up appointments, and can point you toward therapists in your area or offering telehealth — including Spanish-speaking therapists.
This service
| Consent | Always required |
| Scope | You define it |
| Included | Referral summary |
| Beyond 15 min | [$XX] / 15 min |
| Format | Phone, secure fax, portal |
Related
Frequently asked
Do I have to consent to coordination?
No. It is entirely optional, you choose which clinicians are included, and you can withdraw consent at any time. Care is not conditional on agreeing to it.
Is there a charge?
Communication with your referring provider around the initial evaluation is included in the evaluation fee. Extended coordination beyond fifteen minutes is billed as published on the fees page.
Can you talk to my employer or school?
Only with your specific written authorisation, and this practice does not provide fitness-for-duty or disability evaluations. Routine brief forms are completed at no charge; extended or complex forms and letters are billed as published.
What if my therapist and you disagree?
That happens, and it is usually productive. Disagreement gets discussed between clinicians and, where relevant, with you — rather than leaving you to carry two contradictory plans.