Connecting your client to psychiatric services

The Rula Care Coordination team can assist therapists when their clients need a psychiatric medical evaluation. This article provides an overview of which clients are eligible to see psychiatric providers at Rula and which clients will be referred outside of Rula for psychiatric services. It also provides steps for how to make requests to refer clients to psychiatric services for each of these groups.

Psychiatric services at Rula

Clients eligible to see a psychiatric provider at Rula for psychiatric medication services include clients 13 and older in the following states:

Note: For clients outside of these states, you can use the Provider Care Coordination Form under the Resources tab in the Rula provider portal to initiate the request for psych services. The Care Coordination team will email the client a psychiatric resource and direct the client to their insurance for in-network psychiatric care.

Connecting your client to Rula’s psychiatric services

There are two ways to help your clients connect to a psychiatric provider:

Provider-led process

If your client is ready to meet with a psychiatric provider at Rula, you can schedule an appointment on their behalf by following these steps during your next session:

1. • Fill out the Provider Referral Form using their name, chart number, birthdate and location
   • Select “Psychiatry Scheduling” as the type of Care Coordination
   • If your patient would like help scheduling an appointment in-session:
     • Select “Yes” when asked if you would like to book an appointment for your client
     • Work with your client to choose an available provider and schedule an appointment
     • They will receive an email from Rula containing their appointment details once Rula has confirmed the appointment
   • If your patient would prefer to schedule an appointment independently:
     • Select “No” when asked if you would like to book an appointment for your client
     • Your client will receive an automated email containing a scheduling link to book with a psychiatric provider.

Alternatively, you can instruct your clients to follow the client-led process below.

Client-led process

Your client can quickly and easily schedule an initial appointment for a psychiatric evaluation through the Rula patient portal by following these step-by-step instructions.

Insurance Exemptions

Kaiser SoCal clients

Clients in SoCal covered by Kaiser insurance have a different process for psychiatric medication evaluation referrals. Clients covered by Kaiser must be referred for a psychiatric medication evaluation by you, their therapist. Clients cannot contact Kaiser directly to request a psychiatric medication evaluation.

To refer Kaiser clients:

• Use the Provider Referral Form to initiate the request
• The Rula Care Coordination team will complete the necessary paperwork based on the information included in the care coordination request form and submit the request to Kaiser. If approved, Kaiser will contact the client directly to schedule.

Cedars-Sinai Medicare Advantage clients with Blue Cross Blue Shield

Rula has expanded therapy and psych care to patients in California with Cedars-Sinai Medicare Advantage (MA) insurance through a Blue Shield plan. Inform your patients who are seeking to add psych that they must make an additional request for a psych referral from Cedars-Sinai.

All other Medicare Advantage clients with other insurance plans can only participate in therapy at Rula at this time.

Continuing therapy with clients you refer for psychiatry services

Many clients benefit from receiving psychiatric care in combination with therapy services. You can continue seeing your client during the psychiatry referral process. 

If you would like to have your client only receive psychiatric care, please process a therapy discharge for the client. Make sure to communicate to your client that they are being discharged from therapy services in your session with the client.

Referring Non-Rula clients to Rula's psychiatry services

Your non-Rula clients can get connected to a psychiatric provider at Rula by signing up on our website here.