Private Pay Fee-For-Service Paitents

Private, fee-for-service patients can be seen.  You must be a resident of and reside in the state of California (other states are available; please see list below), and your primary care doctor must be willing to work closely with your psychiatrist so that you have a local, non-virtual contact in case of emergencies and in case of the need for physical examination for physical conditions related to your psychiatric medication or your psychiatric condition.  You can have your primary care physician contact us directly to refer you for treatment, or you can provide your PCP's name and contact information, and we will provide you with a release of information form to complete so that we may dicrectly contact your Primary Care Physician to coordinate care.

This service is available only as fee-for-service (meaning no insurance billing will be done by California Telepsychiatrists--though a superbill can be provided to you for submission to your insurance carrier for any possible reimbursement), and you must pay for your psychiatric evaluation or medication follow-up appointment in advance at the time you book the appointment.  Contact us for current rates/fees and available schedule.

NOTE: 

1.  We do NOT do Disability Evaluatioins of any kind.

2.  We do not do Workers Comp Evaluations of any kind.

3.  In most cases, we do not prescribe narcotics (and certainly not in the first few visits).

If you need any of the above services, please contact your PCP or a local psychiatrist, disability evaluator, or Workers Comp doctor associated with your particular employer (talk to your HR department).

Am I a Good Candidate for Telepsychiatry?

1.  If you are actively suicidal, then telemedicine is NOT the place to start.  You need immediate and intensive care from a local provider who can monitor you closely.  If you are actively suicidal, then call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department for immediate evaluation and treatment.

2.  We do NOT do Disability Evaluations of any kind.

3.  We do not do Workers Comp Evaluations of any kind.

4.  In most cases, we do not prescribe narcotics (and certainly not in the first few visits).

If you need disability, Workers Comp, or narcotics, please contact your PCP or a local psychiatrist, a disability evaluator, or a Workers Comp doctor associated with your particular employer (talk to your HR department).

Besides California, in what other states do you have licensed psychiatrists?

United States:

California

Florida

Hawaii

Illinois

New Mexico

New York

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Washington

China



What Kind of Equipment do I need?

You will need a computer with a Windows Based Operating System, a webcam, and a speaker/microphone.  Most modern laptops come with built in webcams and a microphone and speakers.  You must also have an email address.  You will receive an appointment time via email.  This email will contain a link that will allow you to download the software necessary to join the teleconference. 

Specifics:

• Windows 2000, XP or later; for premium visual experience, Windows
• Vista & 7 are preferred
• Pentium 4 or newer
• 512MB RAM available
• Broadband Internet access (DSL, Cable Modem, T1, etc.)
• DirectShow 8.1 or later compatible webcam
• DirectSound compatible audio input and headset or speakers

Drs Schaeffer, Blumenfield and Chofla can also see patients on a Mac equiped with a webcam and a speaker/microphone.

How do I request an appointment?

The initial appointment is free and consists of approximately five to ten minutes.  The first few mintues are simply to check for technical difficulties with the telconferencing interface.  Then you have a few minutes to ask the doctor questions about training and experience, and the doctor has a  few minutes to ask you about your mental health needs.  Then you and the doctor can decide if you think there could be a good "fit" and the decision can be made to either proceed with booking a full intake evaluation or to refer you to other resources.  At present, the majority of our doctors restrict themselves to managing medication and providing brief supportive psychotherapy. 

Drs Schaeffer and Blumenfield have extensive experience in psychotherapy and do take non-medication patients.  However, psychiatrists have more training and therefore charge more for services than would a family therapist or a psychologist.  It is our goal to help you in the best way possible, and therefore, if during the initial converstation it is determined that you can have your needs met through a less expensive means, then that will be the recommendation. 

You can look through our providers' homepages on this website and pick one whom you think might best meet your needs, and then you can request the initial free consultation by completing the form below.

You will then be contacted by a staff member who will ask you (for legal reasons) to provide proof if your identity (a copy of a government issue photo ID) and your proof of residency (a copy of a utility bill or lease or car registration showing your full name and current address). 

On the form below, please provide the days and times that work best for you for appointments and the best times to call you to set up an appointment.  In the "Purpose of the Appointment" section, please provide a brief summary of the reason you are seeking psychiatric care and also provide the full name and phone number of your Primary Care Physician.  You must indicate if you will be using a PC or a Mac computer to do the teleconferencing.  For an appointment, you can also contact us toll free at 1-888-542-2103 (staff is available 24/7/365).