Transferring Psychiatric Care

Transferring care from a previous provider outside of Health Services

Requests for transfers in the psychiatric service can be made:

Transfers will be granted based on patient acuity, provider availability, and other service utilization factors, and may not be scheduled until the following semester.

As the process of transferring care may take up to four weeks, or longer, patients should obtain at least a month’s supply of medication from their current provider and make arrangements for additional refills to prevent running out of meds before care has been established.

Often, if a patient has an established relationship with an off-campus clinician at home or locally, it may make more sense to continue receiving treatment from that provider rather than transferring care. When a patient transfers care to Psychiatry Services, they undergo a new evaluation.  Previous treatment will be taken into consideration, but there is no guarantee that the same treatment will be continued.

Psychiatric medication

Patients will receive the best care from Psychiatry Services if they get all their psychiatric medication from them. Our psychiatrists are available throughout the year and can usually continue prescriptions over breaks and the summer by sending refills to pharmacies near a patient’s home or place of travel in the US. 

Unless previously discussed with their psychiatrist, if a patient obtains their psychiatric prescription and care elsewhere during the summer or other times away, Psychiatry Services may require documentation of ongoing treatment with those providers prior to resuming treatment. Additionally, it is possible that patients may not be able to resume care with Psychiatry Services and would need to continue care with that other provider.

Transferring providers within Psychiatry Services

If a patient wishes to transfer to a different psychiatrist within Health Services (i.e. they do not plan to go into the community for care), it is essential they communicate this during an appointment or meeting with their current provider. If at that time the patient and provider decide the patient is better served with a different clinician, transfers can be accommodated on a case-by-case basis.

Requests for transfers can be made:

Transfers will be granted based on patient acuity, provider availability, and other service utilization factors, and may not be scheduled until the following semester.