Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric providers can help you manage mental health condition(s) through medication management and evaluation. To work with a CMHS psychiatric provider, you must be concurrently working with an on- or off-campus therapist and receive a referral.
How to Initiate Psychiatry Treatment at CMHS
If you are interested in seeing a CMHS psychiatry clinician for evaluation and consideration of medication treatment OR if you are currently receiving psychiatric services and would like to transfer your care to a CMHS psychiatric clinician, you must:
- Be in concurrent counseling with either a CMHS therapist or with a therapist in the community
- Your therapist will need to refer you for the psychiatric evaluation
- If you are working with a therapist at CMHS, discuss making a referral with them
- If you are working with an off-campus therapist, please have them fill out the Referral Form and fax (617-627-3019) or mail it to us. Once we receive and review the form, we will contact you to schedule an appointment.
At your initial psychiatric evaluation appointment, your provider will obtain a thorough history and talk with you about your mental health concerns. Together, you and the clinician will discuss treatment options which may include medication treatment. You will have the opportunity to learn about any recommended medications, including their potential risks, benefits, and side effects. Sometimes the evaluation requires more than one meeting before treatment recommendations can be provided.
ADHD diagnosis and medication management requires some additional steps. Please see below for more details.
Prescription Refills and Renewals
My psychiatric provider is at CMHS: check your medication bottle to see if any refills are authorized. If so, you can contact your pharmacy directly to request the refill. If you have no authorized refills, reach out to your provider on the secure portal. The portal is not monitored when CMHS is closed, so make sure to make requests during business hours. NOTE: We recommend you make the request at least 2 business days before you run out of your current prescription.
My psychiatric provider is in the community/from my home state: you will need to reach out to the clinician who prescribed the medication to obtain prescription renewals. CMHS providers cannot renew prescriptions that have been prescribed by a non-CMHS provider.
Leaving Massachusetts? If you will be in another state during breaks, be aware that there are some restrictions for the prescribing of certain medications across state lines. Discuss with your provider how best to manage this before leaving for breaks.
ADHD Evaluation and Treatment
ADHD Evaluation and Diagnosis
Diagnosing ADHD requires a specialized evaluation that CMHS does not offer, but we can help you find a provider in the community who offers testing.
ADHD Treatment at CMHS
To receive medication management of your existing or newly diagnosed ADHD at CMHS, you must:
- Provide documentation of a complete and recent ADHD evaluation.
- Provide records of ADHD medication treatment (if applicable)
- Keep regularly scheduled psychiatry appointments
- Complete medical assessments as required (vital signs, weight, EKG)
- Complete the Psychostimulant Medication Informed Consent and Treatment Agreement
- Concurrently attend counseling with a therapist (may be a CMHS clinician or an off-campus clinician) if you are being treated for mental health issues in addition to ADHD.
More details can be found here
Fees for Psychiatric Services at CMHS
Students with the Tufts Student Health Insurance Plan (UHCSR)
- Initial evaluation: fully covered by student health fee
- Medication follow-up visits: fully covered by student health insurance
- Prescribed medications may require a co-payment
Students with private health insurance (not with the Tufts Student Health Insurance Plan)
- Initial evaluation: fully covered by student health fee
- Medication follow-up visits (20-30 minutes): $100
- Prescribed medications may require a co-payment.
CMHS cannot bill your health insurance directly. Some private insurance companies will reimburse for all or some of the fee. An itemized receipt will be available on the secure portal, which you can submit to your insurance company to request reimbursement. It is advised that you check with your health insurance company in advance to find out if reimbursement is an option. If reimbursement is not an option, CMHS can assist with a referral to a community provider offering care within your insurance network.
Psychiatry charges will go on your SIS account and will be listed simply as a Health Service charge to protect your confidentiality. You can also pay directly at the Bursar's Office.
For questions about your insurance coverage, contact the Health Services Business Office at 617-627-3350 or email studenthealthinsurance@tufts.edu
Concerns about payment should not be a barrier to seeking services. Please let your referring counselor know if the fee would make treatment inaccessible