Psychiatric Services - Adult

Sometimes persistent worry or depressed moods that won’t go away make it hard for people to concentrate at work, take care of family or manage other activities of daily living. For many, referral to community based outpatient counseling – perhaps with short-term medication therapy – can bring a quick improvement.

For others, a more serious mental illness, substance abuse problem or developmental disability may require more intensive services. These services may include long-term treatment, help with independent living skills or assistance with employment or housing. For these clients, referral to a multidisciplinary team will coordinate a comprehensive plan of care, including case management or rehabilitation and vocational support if needed.

Whatever the problem, help is just one phone call away. Call our 24-hour ACCESS line any time day or night – 1.800.853.5163 – to get help. After an initial evaluation over the phone with a mental health professional, you may be referred to one of our programs. If we don’t have services available to address your specific needs, you will be referred to another more appropriate resource in your community.

What To Expect

Our fees
If you come to the Guilford Center for services, one of the first steps you will take at our agency is fee-setting. This process helps us determine the fairest fee based on your family’s ability to pay. No one is denied service based on an inability to pay. Your fee is set on a sliding scale according to family income and ability to pay. Your fee may also be covered by third-party payers such as Medicaid or Medicare. To help us set the fairest fee, please bring the following with you to your first appointment:

• Recent pay stub.
• Your insurance cards.
• Proof of outstanding medical or other expenses your family has.

If you are unemployed, the fee setter will meet with you to determine your income and ability to pay.

Meeting with Intake Clinician
After you have met with the fee setter, you will meet with an intake clinician. (This occurs for most clients, with a few exceptions). At this meeting, the clinician will ask you about your medical and mental health history and ask questions about the problems you’re now facing. You will also be asked to complete consent forms for your treatment here. This process can take one to one and a half hours.

During the intake meeting, our clinician will work with you to determine the type of care that will best meet your treatment needs. The clinician will also screen to determine if your level of need qualifies you to be among the target populations defined by the State for publicly funded mental health services. If so, you may receive treatment at the Guilford Center or you may be referred to one of our contracted care providers. If you do not meet the criteria for one of State’s target populations, our clinician will assist you in locating appropriate supportive services to address your specific needs.

Meeting your unique needs
After seeing the intake clinician, you may be assigned to a treatment team or other service to meet your unique needs. You may work with case managers, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers and other professional staff. It is very important to be on time for your appointment. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please give 24 hours notice. It is important to make every effort to attend your appointment to help you meet your treatment goals. For more information, call the ACCESS line at 1.800.853.5163.