A photo ID
A driver's licence, a state ID, a military ID, a passport. Anything with your face and your name on it.
Reading the clock
The walk-in clinic
Why it exists
The biggest mental health problem in this region is not a shortage of opinions about mental health. It is that when a person finally decides to see a psychiatrist, there is no psychiatrist to see.
The wait runs one to two months. In that time the crisis passes, or it deepens, or it lands somebody in a hospital who did not need to be there. So we hold time open every weekday for people who did not plan this.
That is also why we do not book new patients over the phone. The clinic is the front door, and holding it open is only possible if it is not spoken for in advance.
Bring three things
That is all. If you cannot find one of them, come anyway and tell us at the desk.
Your insurance card
We are in network with more than fifty carriers including Tricare, Medicare, and both Georgia and Alabama Medicaid. We check it while you are here so there is no surprise later.
Your medication bottles
The actual bottles, if you take anything at all, including things another doctor prescribed and things you buy without a prescription. Knowing exactly what is already in your system is the difference between a careful plan and a guess.
The questions people actually ask
How long will I wait?
Plan on one to two hours. That covers the paperwork, checking your insurance, and the assessment itself. People are seen in the order they signed in, not by who seems worst, because that is the only fair way to do it.
Is there a chance I will not be seen?
Yes, and we would rather say so here than let you find out after two hours. If the day fills we will tell you plainly and get you the soonest appointment we have. We do our best to take everyone who comes.
Who will I see?
A board certified psychiatrist, or a board certified child and family psychiatric nurse practitioner. Someone who can diagnose you and treat you, in the same visit.
Can I bring my child?
Yes. We see children, teenagers, adults and older adults, and several of our clinicians are board certified specifically in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Will you just put me on medication?
No. We use a bio-psycho-social model, which in plain words means we look at your body, your mind and your life before we reach for a prescription. We manage medication conservatively and at the lowest dose that works, and many of our patients get better on very little or none at all.
What if I cannot get there during the day?
Telepsychiatry. Fill in the form, we call to set a time that suits you, you click a link from a phone or a computer, and anything you are prescribed goes electronically to your pharmacy.
What if something is wrong with how I was treated?
Ask for the office manager while you are still in the building. We would rather fix it in front of you than read about it later.
Monday to Friday, eight to four
No appointment. No referral. Come to Columbus and sign in.