Services
Psychiatric medication and treatment evaluations
Psychiatric medication management
Brief supportive and interpersonal psychotherapy at each visit for established patients
Please note that I do not provide:
Neuropsychological testing;
Treatment services for children or adolescents under age 20 years;
Legal advice, opinions or legal consultation. This includes child custody, worker’s compensation claims or criminal cases;
Court-mandated psychiatric evaluations or forensic reports on your mental status or return to work evaluations;
Family Medical Leave Act, short-term or long-term disability assessments or endorsements, on a first visit or with new patients.
Appointments: Your first few appointments are used to identify a mental health diagnosis and collaborate on a treatment and wellness plan. These early appointments allow us to build a therapeutic partnership and see if we are a good fit for your ongoing treatment goals.
Initial Evaluation: This is a comprehensive psychiatric intake and evaluation lasting up to 90 minutes depending on complexity. At the first visit, I also review or request past records and order pertinent lab work. Please bring all of your prescriptions (including ones you may take for non-psychiatric conditions) in their bottles so that I can see exactly how they were prescribed.
Medication Management Follow-up appointments range between 20 to 30 minutes. They include symptom review and assessment, a review of plan and treatment goals, and brief counseling. Initial prescription or medication refills may also be written at this time.
Extended Follow-up appointments range between 45 to 55 minutes depending on medical and psychiatric complexity. The extended time is used to discuss significant medication adjustments and specific psychotherapy.
Follow-up Intervals: Medication management appointments are more frequent in the beginning or during times of dose adjustment. After starting a new medication, we meet more frequently depending on the nature of the treatment and your individual needs; this could be weekly, biweekly or monthly. Once stable or in remission, follow-up appointments will occur at least every 12 weeks. Individual therapy, with or without medication management, usually involves regularly scheduled weekly or bi-weekly appointments.
Cancellation and Late Arrival Policy: Once an appointment is scheduled, it is reserved especially for you, and I plan for our anticipated work together. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, I ask that you provide two business days (48 hours) notice. If you cancel your appointment with less than two business days (48 hours) before it is scheduled to take place, you will be responsible for a cancellation charge of 50% of your appointment fee. For example, if you have a 1:00 p.m. appointment on Monday, you would need to cancel by 1:00 p.m. the previous Thursday to avoid a cancellation charge.
Late arrival: Your appointment will be considered cancelled if you arrive later than 15 minutes from the start of your appointment without notice. In this situation, you are responsible for the full appointment fee. Note that insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for cancelled appointment fees; thus, you will be responsible for the charge.
If you arrive late for a scheduled appointment (with notice), the remainder amount of time in your appointment will be available. If I run late with a prior appointment, you will receive the full appointment time. To cancel or reschedule your appointment please use the patient portal link at www.littleriverpsychiatry.com or call 703-595-8764.
Prescriptions and Refills: Psychiatric medications may or may not be clinically appropriate for your needs. A maximum of a ninety-day supply will be prescribed. Refills: Typically, I refill medications in sufficient quantity (usually a 30 day supply) to last until your next appointment date. In the unusual circumstance where you need a refill between visits, it’s best to contact your pharmacy first as they may have your refill on file already. If they cannot resolve your request, send me a message via the patient portal or call the office at 703-595-8074. Please allow 48 hours for refills. Additionally, I do not always recommend, prescribe, refill or make adjustments to medications on your first visit.
Provider Communication: When I am with a patient or unavailable, your call will be directed to a confidential voicemail that I monitor frequently during business hours. I make every effort to return messages within 24 hours, with the exception of weekends and holidays. Little River Psychiatry, PLLC does NOT have 24 hour telephone coverage and you will reach voicemail when calling after hours.
Emergency and After Hours Care: In the event you are suffering a psychiatric emergency or crisis, or are in danger of self-injury or injury to others, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. I cannot guarantee that messages sent to me will be returned within a safe timeframe to assist you in such a crisis.
If you believe you may be suffering severe negative effects of a medication such as an allergic reaction, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room, as I will not be able to assess you quickly enough to determine the cause of your symptoms.
If it is an immediate, life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest urgent care, clinic or hospital emergency department for evaluation and treatment.