New patients
Everything between deciding to call and sitting down with a clinician, written out so there are no surprises. Five steps, one short list of things to bring, and the office policies you would otherwise find out by accident.
From first call
to first appointment
No portal to set up and no forms to print before you are seen. A person handles each of these steps.
Send the request, or call
Use the form on the contact page or call the office at (860) 838-8799. Either reaches the same people. The form asks for scheduling details only, so keep symptoms and medication names out of it and save them for the appointment.
If you are a referring provider, say so on the form and send the clinical detail by fax instead.
We call you back
The office confirms what you are looking for, answers questions about how the practice works, and checks that an evaluation here is the right starting point. If it is not, you will be told then rather than after you have taken a morning off work.
Benefits get verified before you are scheduled
We check your coverage, find out whether your plan needs a referral or a prior authorization, and tell you your expected cost in writing. For Spravato this step is longer, because the authorization has to document the antidepressants you have already tried.
You get an appointment and a short list
You are given a time, the address, and what to bring. Nothing else is required of you in advance.
If paperwork is needed before the first visit, it is sent to you with enough time to read it carefully.
The first visit is an evaluation
Sixty minutes or so with your clinician: what brought you in, how long it has been going on, what you have tried, your medical and family history, and what you want to be different. It ends with a plan you have agreed to.
Nothing is prescribed and no course of treatment is started before that conversation happens.
What to bring,
what to expect
The list on the left saves the most time. The panel on the right depends on which service you are coming in for.
Bring with you
If something on this list is missing, come anyway. Nobody is turned away over a missing card.
- A photo ID
- Your insurance card, front and back
- A list of every medication you take now, including doses, plus vitamins and supplements
- The names of psychiatric medications you have tried before, roughly what dose and for how long
- The name and phone number of your primary care provider
- The name of your current therapist or prescriber, if you have one
- Any records or discharge paperwork you already have in hand
- Your questions, written down. People forget them in the room, every time.
What the first visit looks like
All three services start with an evaluation. What follows differs.
- Therapy. History, current difficulties, and goals. Your clinician explains which approach they are recommending and roughly how long they expect it to take.
- Medication management. A full psychiatric evaluation including every medication you have tried. If something is prescribed, you leave knowing what it is for, how long it takes, and what to watch for.
- Spravato®. The first visit decides candidacy, not dosing. No medication is given that day. If you are approved, dosing sessions are scheduled afterwards, and you will need a ride home from each one.
Office policies
worth knowing early
The things that most often catch new patients out at other practices.
Payment and insurance
Benefits are verified before you are scheduled and your expected cost is given to you in writing. Bring your card to the first visit so we can confirm what the plan told us. Prior authorizations are filed by our office, not by you.
Cancellations
Give the office as much notice as you can. Slots in behavioral health are scarce, and an empty one helps nobody.
Running late
Call. Depending on the schedule we will either use the time remaining or move you rather than rushing an evaluation that needs the full hour.
Messages between visits
The office answers messages during business hours. Nothing here is monitored overnight or on weekends, so anything urgent goes to 988 or 911 rather than to voicemail.
Refills
Ask your pharmacy to send the request and allow a couple of business days. Prescriptions are deliberately written to run out around the time your next visit is due.
Records and privacy
Your record is protected under HIPAA and Connecticut law. What that means in practice, and what rights you have over it, is set out in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Common first questions
Asked by nearly everyone who calls the office for the first time.
How soon can I be seen?
It depends on what you need and which clinician fits. The office will give you a realistic answer on the call rather than a hopeful one.
Do I need a referral?
Not to be seen here. Some insurance plans require one for coverage, which we check during benefits verification before you are scheduled.
What if I have never done any of this before?
Then say so at the start of the first appointment. A first evaluation is a conversation, not a test, and there is no preparation you were supposed to have done.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. Many people bring a partner or family member to the first visit, and for Spravato you will need someone to drive you home anyway. Whether they join the session or wait outside is your call.
What if I need to cancel?
Call the office as early as you can so the slot can go to someone else waiting.
Will you talk to my other providers?
With your written authorization, yes, and we prefer to. Coordinated care is most of why this practice exists.
Ready to start
Send the request and the office takes it from there, or call if you would rather talk to a person first.