Frequently Asked Questions
Current Patients
How do current patients request a medication refill?
Prescription refills are given during your appointment and should last until your next visit. Please check with the pharmacy to make sure a refill is not already on file.
Should you require a refill before your next scheduled appointment text the following information to 732-655-4568:
- Name and dose of medication
- Pharmacy name and address
- Doctor’s name
All stimulant medications need to be requested monthly.
We do not process refill requests sent directly from pharmacies on behalf of patients.
Allow 3 business days for all refill requests.
Refills will only be provided if you have a future appointment scheduled. For patients who haven’t had an appointment in more than four months, an appointment with the doctor must be scheduled before any new prescriptions can be written.
What if a current patient needs to contact their doctor/therapist after business hours?
Patients with psychiatric emergencies should go to the nearest emergency room or call the crisis hotline (877-652-7624.)
Patients unable to wait until the next business day can also go to the behavioral health urgent care at Hackensack Meridian in Neptune. Hackensack Meridian Urgent Care
Phone calls will be returned by office staff the next business day. If it is determined that an appointment is required, the patient will be given priority for any openings in their doctor’s schedule, but same-day or same-week appointments can’t be guaranteed.
New Patients
What happens in an initial evaluation with a psychiatrist?
The initial evaluation is typically a one-hour session where the doctor will ask you questions about your current symptoms, history, and other necessary information to make a diagnosis. After your doctor explains the diagnosis to you, he/she will develop a personalized treatment plan that may or may not include medication. If medication is indicated, the doctor will e-prescribe to your pharmacy at the end of the appointment.
Do the doctors prescribe medication?
Yes, we have licensed psychiatrists who can prescribe medication if they determine it’s necessary and beneficial for your treatment.
How frequent are follow-up appointments?
The frequency of appointments is determined by the severity of symptoms and the medication titration schedule. Initially, appointments are every 2-4 weeks, but as a patient’s symptoms stabilize, their appointments can be moved to every 3 months. In rare situations, appointments may be spread out further.
Any patient who has not been seen within 6 months of the last appointment will be automatically discharged from the practice and will need to schedule an appointment to re-establish a therapeutic relationship with their assigned provider.
What if an appointment takes less or more time than allotted?
Your doctor determines which Level (1-3) follow-up appointment is needed when he/she schedules patients. When a patient requires more time than allotted, the Level of the appointment is changed to better reflect the time spent and is charged as such.
All follow-up appointments are scheduled for up to a scheduled amount of time and indicate the upper limit of the time allotted. Sometimes, a patient doesn’t require all the allotted time. The appointment will be charged for the time that was set aside in the schedule. The minimum charge for any appointment is a Level 1 at $180.
My child needs therapy, do I accompany them? How does that work?
A parent or guardian must accompany a child under 18 to all initial sessions with the doctor or our therapists. Beyond that, you, your child, and the therapist will determine how the therapy will be structured. Parents are generally included in the sessions of younger children and are invited to come in at the end of sessions with teens. Clients working with our therapists will collaborate on what extent a parent or guardian will be involved.
How are parents kept informed of what occurs in their child’s session?
We offer separate sessions for parents as often as needed. We will not discuss the child’s specific issues but can talk in general terms. It is important that the child knows that we will maintain confidentiality with their information, even with their parents, so that the child will feel comfortable opening up to the therapist. One caveat: we will always be specific with parents if we think the child’s life or serious well-being is at risk (i.e., if they are suicidal, homicidal, being sexually or physically abused, etc.).
What if I am out of state and need to make an appointment?
Currently, we are only able to see clients that are residents of and living in New Jersey.
