How do I make an appointment?

Prior to scheduling your initial appointment, you will need to complete a short form. This is to help determine whether the level of care you require can be provided in a small private practice and/or telemedicine setting. New patient information can be found here along with the form link. You can also directly access the form here to request an appointment, though we recommend reading through the new patient information to familiarize yourself with our practice.

What happens during my initial evaluation appointment?

The initial evaluation appointment is a comprehensive assessment that begins with the reason why you made an appointment, and then reviews your current symptoms and your psychiatric, medical, and social history. This appointment generally lasts about 60 minutes. At the end of your evaluation an initial diagnosis will be discussed (if appropriate) and a treatment plan will be decided upon if patient and provider both find they are good fit. A treatment plan may not be finalized during this visit alone, sometimes multiple visits are required for a full evaluation to be completed, and an accurate working diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan to be formulated and agreed upon. Records from previous providers or additional information may be needed.

Treatment plans can include prescription medication (if appropriate), supplements, lifestyle modifications, therapy, and always include follow-up care as needed and appropriate.

All intake paperwork is required to be completed within 72 hours of your appointment being confirmed. If it is not completed by that time your appointment will be cancelled. You will be able to reschedule after submitting all forms and consents.

An initial evaluation does not guarantee a formal patient-provider arrangement or guarantee treatment.

How often will I need to come in for appointments?

The frequency of appointments is determined by both the severity of your symptoms and the need to change medications or adjust doses.

When first starting on a medication you may need to be seen every 1-3 weeks. This is to assess the effectiveness of the medication, monitor, and make adjustments as needed. There may be times you will need to be seen this frequently even without medication adjustments with more severe symptoms. 

Patients who are stable on their medication are generally seen every 1-3 months depending on the diagnosis, medications, treatment plan, and individual needs.  

How long will I be in treatment?

Treatment length varies between individuals and diagnosis. Treatment for depression and anxiety disorders can range from nine months through several years or longer, depending on the type and if it is acute or chronic in nature. Some conditions, such as ADHD, tend to require life-long treatment, though this varies depending on symptom presentation and severity as well as lifestyle factors. Treatment length is always individual and will be determined based on your own individual needs in conjunction with your providers assessment. 

How long will it take before the medication is working and I feel better? 

There is no standard answer for how long it will take for a medication to be effective. The reason for this is that medication response is different for all patients, as everyone absorbs and metabolizes medications differently. Individual metabolism of medications depends on many factors including your age, weight, health conditions, diet, alcohol/nicotine usage, genetics, and more. Other factors include the time between starting the medication and when symptoms began, prior medication trials you’ve had, and if you take the medication as prescribed (forgetting doses can significantly lower effectiveness). 

Each class of medication has a different response time. SSRIs and SNRIs are commonly prescribed medication classes for depression and anxiety disorders, and some patients may begin to respond to these medication within 2-3 weeks. However, it often takes 4-6 weeks before the medication reaches a therapeutic level of response and dose adjustments are usually needed for symptom improvement. Many ADHD medications work sooner with improvements seen in days instead of weeks. 

Do you prescribe benzodiazepines or sedative/hypnotics?

Controlled substances are never prescribed through telehealth appointments and very rarely for in-person appointments.

For in-person patients, benzodiazapines (e.g., Ativan/Lorazepam, Klonopin/Clonazepam) are very rarely prescribed and only in small amounts to be used as-needed for a short period of time. This is because these medications are only indicated for short term use (2-4 weeks). Longer use can cause tolerance, physical dependence, depression, and cognitive impairment. Benzodiazepines are also contraindicated in trauma as they can actually impair therapeutic effects of treatment and prolong emotional distress through emotional blunting and inhibiting cognitive processing..

Do you prescribe stimulants?

Stimulants are prescribed at the discretion of the prescriber for patients with ADHD. There are many conditions that can mimic the inattentiveness seen in ADHD including depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, stress, some medications, substance use, and medical conditions. If you are diagnosed with ADHD after your initial evaluation at Willow Bend Psychiatric Care your provider will discuss treatment options that include medications. Stimulants are one type of medication used but there are also other medication classes that can also be effective that your provider may feel are the best choice for you. If a stimulant is prescribed a maximum of a 30 day supply will be given with no early refills for lost or stolen medications. 

How do I get refills for my medication?

Medication refills are given during scheduled appointment times. Generally you will be given a refill that will last until your next scheduled appointment. Should you request a refill outside of appointment time you will be charged a $25 refill fee. You may receive a prescription for up to a 90-day supply of medication should your insurance require this and it is indicated (except where prohibited or is contraindicated for safety reasons such as with benzodiazepines). 

What if I need a prior authorization?

Prior authorizations will take between 5 – 10 business days to complete and return to your insurance company. Calling your insurance company to check if your medication is covered by their medication formulary is highly recommended. If your insurance company will not pay for the suggested/prescribed medication, you may choose to pay for it as an out-of-pocket expense. The Good RX app is free and can provide you with the cost at all local pharmacies. Alternatively, you can discuss different medication options with your provider during your next scheduled appointment. 

What should I do in emergency situations? Is my provider available?

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or are unable to stay safe otherwise. 

You can also call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, they are available 24-hours a day. It’s free and confidential support. You can find out more or engage in live chat through their website.

If you or a family member in Massachusetts is experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis, the Emergency Services Program/Mobile Crisis Intervention is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 877-382-1609 for help.

In the Tyngsboro area you may contact Lahey/Northeast Behavioral Health at their 24-hour access number: 800-988-1111 for help. A directory of local crisis programs throughout Massachusetts can be found here.

Willow Bend Psychiatric Care is unable to schedule emergency appointments and has no on-call clinicians. There is no after-hours monitoring of email or phone calls/messages. As such you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room or the local crisis team if that is what is necessary for you to maintain safety.

Can I text or call my provider directly?

Calling and texting are used only to schedule or reschedule appointments. Calls and texts aren’t monitored outside of business hours.

Please note that any refill requests, messages through the portal, phone calls, and emails may take up to 72 business hours to receive a response.

Any other matters such as needing a medication refill, medication side effects, or questions should be discussed during your scheduled appointment time. If you have any questions regarding medications, please discuss these during your appointment. If for any reason you feel that medication needs to be adjusted or changed, please contact your provider and schedule an appointment. Medication changes and/or medical advice requires you be evaluated and only occurs during appointments.

If you are having between-visit side effects that require a "quick communication" this can sometimes be accomplished via the patient portal or with a five minutes or less phone call. Otherwise you will be asked to make an appointment to be seen.

You will be given enough of your prescription to last until your next scheduled appointment. Medication refills will be addressed during appointments. Should unforeseen circumstances occur and you need a refill outside of your appointment, this will only be addressed during regular office hours and may take 72 business hours for a prescription to be refilled if your provider deems the request appropriate. A $25 refill fee is charged for refills outside of scheduled appointment times.

Do you accept my insurance?

Massachusetts & New Hampshire residents: Willow Bend Psychiatric Care now accepts the following insurances in Massachusetts: Cigna, Aetna, Allied Benefit Systems - Aetna, and Optum (including UnitedHealthcare, Oxford Health Plans, Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts Health Plan, UMR, Oscar, UHC Student Resources, AllSavers UHC, Meritain, Nippon, United Healthcare Shared Services, Surest (Formerly Bind), Health Plans Inc., and UnitedHealthcare Global). We now also accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. We do not accept any MassHealth, Medicare, or Medicaid insurance plans at this time.

What if you don’t accept my insurance?

If you do not have an accepted insurance plan, then we are Out of Network with your insurance. Please check with your insurance company for Out of Network coverage for mental health services. Out of Network benefits are different in every health care plan so don’t assume that you have them. The best way to do this is to call the number on the back of your insurance card and request information about reimbursement before to making your appointment. Upon request you will be provided an itemized receipt of payment that can be submitted for reimbursement if you have out-of-network coverage.

What is the cost of an appointment?

For self-pay patients the fees are as follows:

Initial evaluations: (typically 60 minutes) $300

Standard follow-up: (20-30 minutes) $150

Extended follow-up: (50-60 minutes) $300

All other fees and fee policies are detailed in the policies and administrative forms you receive upon being accepted to the practice.

How do I pay with insurance?

HelloAlma does insurance verification and billing for all insurance plans we accept (except Blue Cross Blue Shield). Once you’re accepted into the practice we will direct you to their site so they can verify your insurance and handle billing for services.

I’m not using insurance, how can I pay my bill/balance?

All clients are required to have a credit card on file in the electronic medical record, this can be a HSA/FSA card. Your credit card information is safeguarded here and protected from security breaches. Willow Bend Psychiatric Care does not have access to the information, though we may extract payment according to the terms of our agreement. Payment can be made by cash or check (in office), through your credit card, HSA/FSA card, Venmo, or PayPal. For self-pay patients the fee for the initial appointment must be paid in full at the time of booking. For existing patients, payment is due at the time of your scheduled appointment. 

Where are you located?

Our office is located at 269 Middlesex Rd in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.

Do I need to live in Massachusetts to make an appointment?

No, we serve residents of both Massachusetts and New Hampshire with both office visits and virtual/telehealth visits available.

What ages do you treat?

We treat patients aged 18 years and older. 

What services do you provide?

We primarily focus on psychiatric care through medication management, though we use a holistic approach to treatment. This includes incorporating supplements, therapeutic and lifestyle interventions into the treatment plan.

What conditions do you treat?

Conditions treated include depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma/PTSD, OCD, alcohol use disorder, and sleep disturbance (within scope). Your provider may recommend a more specialized setting or higher level of care should they assess that you require this.

Are there conditions you don’t treat?

Yes. There are some conditions that are better treated in specialty settings to achieve optimal results. These include, but may not be limited to, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, severe eating disorders, bipolar disorder, dementia, court-ordered psychiatric treatment, disability evaluations, Methadone/Suboxone/Vivitrol SUD management, return to work evaluations, and service animal evaluations.

Intake Forms

All patients are required to complete all initial forms/paperwork prior to being seen for their initial evaluation. This includes your medical and psychiatric history, office policies, HIPAA forms, and payment forms. Your appointment will be cancelled if all paperwork is not completed within 72 hours of your appointment being confirmed. You can reschedule after all forms and consents have been completed.

Cancellations and “No-shows”

Please be aware that there are charges for late cancelations and no-shows (100% of appointment will be charged to account). Arriving more than 10 minutes late to an appointment is considered a “no-show”, you will be charged the full appointment fee and will need to reschedule your appointment. To avoid a fee, please allow 24 hours for all cancellations and reschedule requests.

Missing your initial evaluation appointment or more than two (2) follow-up appointments in a calendar year will result in discharge from the practice. If you are an established patient at the time of discharge you may be given a 30 day supply of your medications, if safe and appropriate. 

Lost or Stolen Controlled Substances

There will be no early refills for any controlled substances regardless of the reason. 

Forms may be completed at the discretion of your provider for established patients who have been seen routinely for at least 6 months. Disability paperwork is not completed for new patients. There is a fee of $50 for up to 3 pages and an additional $15/page thereafter.