Understanding Mental Health Services
Before you start...
If you are looking for mental health care for yourself or your child, there are different types of mental health care that you or your child can receive. Explore the tabs below to learn more about different types of care and steps to accessing these services.
Talk to your doctor to determine which option is the best fit.
I would like to learn more about...
Primary Care-Based Mental Health Services
This is short-term, individual therapy or medication management available at your doctor's office. This may also be called "integrated behavioral health". Ask your doctor for more information about what is available at your clinic.
Specialty Mental Health - Outpatient Care
This can include longer-term therapy or counseling, assessment, and psychiatric medication management. Services can be individual or group-based. Specialty mental health outpatient services can be helpful if you tried primary care-based mental health services and still need more help. Ask your doctor about what might be a good fit for you or your child.
There are a lot of different types of mental health care. Talk to your doctor to figure out what type of care your child needs.
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You may be looking for:
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Therapy with a Therapist or a Counselor: Talk to your doctor about what type of therapy may be most helpful for you or your child.
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Assessment to Get a Diagnosis: Ask your doctor if this is something they could do or if they have a referral list for you to use.
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Medication: Sometimes your doctor can manage psychiatric medication. However, it can also be helpful to get a medication consultation from a Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (Psychiatric NP).
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Make sure you or your parent calls the phone number on your insurance card to find out what mental health services are covered. Some helpful questions to ask:
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What kind and how many mental health sessions are covered?
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Are mental health services delivered over telehealth covered?
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What coverage do I have for outpatient mental health services? IOP? PHP? Inpatient?
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Note: Some providers do not contract with insurance but will give you a “superbill” to get reimbursed by your insurance.
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Finding an available mental health provider can be tough. For a lot of people, it may take a long time to find someone who is a good fit for their needs, insurance, and schedule. However, there are resources that can help you connect with a provider to get the care you or your child needs.
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Find providers by:
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Asking your/your child’s doctor. They may be able to provide you with a list of recommendations.
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Looking through your insurance. Your insurance website can offer the option to search for providers in your network.
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Using provider search engines/directories. These allow you to filter by things like insurance and location. Check out this page for some common search engines/directories.
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Using the Washington Mental Health Referral Service. This is a free resource for people ages 17 and under living in Washington state that connects them to a therapist with availability and takes their insurance. You can access more information here or call 833-303-5437.
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Many providers will ask to schedule an initial intake to learn more about you/your child's needs. This could be a phone call or clinic visit and typically takes up to 1-2 hours.
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Finding an available provider can be tough. Here are some ways to make the process easier:
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Providers are often reachable via phone or email. Create a template that you can both send by email and read over the phone. Include your/your child’s age, what type of service(s) you are looking for, times you are available, and your preferred contact method(s).
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For example, “Hello, I am looking for an individual therapist for myself/my 10 year old son for depression. I/We are available after 3pm Monday to Friday or anytime on weekends. Please give me a call at XXX-XXX-XXXX or email me at XXX. Thank you.”
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Create a document to keep track of who you have reached out to so far and their responses.
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Try to be as flexible as possible. It may be difficult to get an appointment at your preferred time, but if you're willing to start at a less convenient time, you may be able to switch to what you want later.
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It may take some time for you/your child to develop a relationship with your provider. We recommend going to 3-4 appointments before deciding if they are a good fit.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
IOPs and PHPs offer more support than traditional outpatient services. During these programs, patients live at home and attend program sessions anywhere between 2-5 days per week. Programs vary and often target specific ages and mental health concerns. Most programs include individual, group, and/or family therapy sessions. This may be a good fit if you've tried outpatient care and need more help.
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​​These programs are often recommended by a doctor. You can also learn more about them by asking your doctor or therapist if you think you/your child would benefit from this type of care.
Visiting websites of IOPs or PHPs to learn more about them is a great first step. You can often contact programs by email or phone if you have any questions. Here are some things to consider when determining if the program is a good fit:
Distance: How far is it from you? Is there travel support provided?
Finances: How much does it cost? Is it covered by insurance? Are there other options for financial support?
School: What strategies does the program have to ensure you/your child does not fall behind in school?
Virtual vs. in-person: Consider what would best fit your/your child's needs.
Each program will have its own intake and scheduling process. If you think the program may be a good fit, ask to schedule an intake.
At the intake, you can share information about what's going on and what kind of help you're looking for. You can also ask more questions about the program, such as the days/hours and how long it would last.
After the intake, the program will let you know if they would like you to start at IOP or PHP.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment may be a good fit if someone can't be safe at home. This usually involves a short-term stay (usually up to 1-week) aimed at managing an immediate crisis. Your healthcare provider will let you know if they think inpatient treatment would be helpful. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about this type of program.
The most common way to seek inpatient admission is through visiting a psychiatric urgent care clinic or Emergency Department and asking for a mental health evaluation to assess safety risk and determine if inpatient treatment would be beneficial.
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment offers longer-term support (usually between a few months and 1 year) where patients live at a home-like setting to receive ongoing treatment as well as 24-hour care and support. This may be a good fit if you've received inpatient care and need more help. Your healthcare provider will let you know if they think residential treatment would be helpful. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about this type of program.