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Common Questions
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What can a Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner do for me?
A Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is a board certified masters prepared nurse that specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental illness and psychological problems. A Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner has completed an accredited Masters Degree Program and in Nebraska is required to be board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are not only trained to diagnose and manage mental illness, but are also adept at providing psychotherapy.
What can a Psychologist do for me?
A psychologist has extensive training at the doctoral level to include psychotherapy and psychological testing. A psychologist in the state of Nebraska must graduate from an approved program to practice.
What will happen during my first appointment?
We will meet with you for an extensive interview and psychiatric evaluation in which we will gather some information such as your history, symptoms, and family dynamics. Within this first session together, we will then determine the best plan of action to move forward.
What will happen if I miss my appointment?
It is important to keep your appointments as recommended by your provider. Our office requires a 24 hour notice to reschedule your appointment. This notice of cancellation may allow another patient to schedule in your absence. Medication refills will not be authorized if you are not attending your appointments at recommended times. Frequent cancellations as well as not showing up for your appointment will lead to discontinuation of services from our office.
Will my treatment be kept confidential?
We will not reveal any information regarding what happens within the work that we do together unless you have signed the Authorization to Disclose Information form. Exceptions to confidentiality include if we believe you to be a danger to yourself or others, or in the case of sexual or physical abuse of a child, then we are obligated by law to notify the authorities of this. Specific information for minors surround sexual activity and substance abuse have specific protections for privacy under Nebraska law even from a parent and/or legal guardian.
Will the cost of my treatment be covered by my insurance plan?
Depending on what type of insurance provider you are currently using, coverage for our services will vary. Many insurance companies reimburse anywhere from 50-80% of the total cost of services. To be absolutely sure, you will need to contact your insurance provider to determine benefits. We take payments at the beginning of each session, and take cash, checks, and all major credit cards. If deductible and co-insurance can be determined at time of service those payments will be collected as well. Please refer to financial policy on the helpful forms section for more information on this.
How long will my treatment last?
There are no precise determinations that we can make regarding the length of your treatment. Generally speaking, the longer you have had your mental illness not medically acknowledged, the longer the treatment will take. Certain conditions do not require a lot of time to treat, and others considerably more. Certain mental illnesses require just a couple of visits, and others require life long maintenance. We believe that you should seek treatment as soon as possible, for the best outcome.
How can I prevent my symptoms from coming back?
We give you guidance and protocols to adhere to both inside and outside of our office. Follow the treatment regimen and plan of action that we prescribe. Make sure that you follow the medication regimen, attend the psychotherapy and counseling sessions, and keep your life as balanced as you can. It is very important to try and avoid stressful situations, let your loved ones help you whenever possible, and seek help the moment you feel like your mental illness is coming back or getting worse.
What determines if my symptoms will come back?
There are a few components that play a part in the recurrence of mental illness.
Coexisting stresses in life: often times, a mental illness will recur if there are additional life stressors (family or marital problems, starting a new job, losing someone close to you and/or a medical condition).
Age: more often than not, if someone is diagnosed with a mental illness earlier than later in life, there is a higher likelihood of the illness recurring.
Diagnosis: Some mental illnesses are more common to recur than others. Some of the ones on the list that are more likely to come back are: OCD, drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders, Schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
What if my symptoms worsen between appointments?
All appointment follow up recommendations are qualified with the option to return sooner if needed. Only in rare circumstances should patients be advised of changes in their care on the phone as a thorough assessment is not possible in this fashion. My experience is this results in suboptimal care. You may be asked to come in or schedule a telepsychiatry visit the same day of the concern arising. Special time frames are allotted for just these instances. Some may feel it inconvenient to come into the office for unanticipated appointments. This is not to inconvenience you and essentially enhances your treatment outcomes. Please evaluate if this is an aspect of your care you feel you may not be able to participate in.
What if I have an emergency or an urgent situation come up?
If you find yourself in the midst of an emergency, please immediately call 9-1-1. Our office does not provide emergency services. If you have an urgent situation, call our office, and we will see you as soon as we can.
What if I want a copy of my treatment record?
Mental health and substance abuse information is considered very especially sensitive with it comes to privacy. Your health care provider may limit certain aspects of your clinical record if it's deamed in your best interest according to privacy laws. Request for medical information by the patient will be provided in a summary fashion. Copies of records include a $20 handling charge and $0.50 per page subject to written request to our office and approval by the provider. Transfer of records to another provider is provided free of charge.
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