Office policies for new patients

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Hi former patients and families!

Thank you for considering becoming a patient of Knox Psychiatry. This document contains some

important information about my policies with former Orama patients (who are the only new patients that I am currently taking).

1. Options: Knox Psychiatry is a separate outpatient practice and not associated with Orama - you are under no obligation to continue care with me and may opt for any psychiatric clinician of their choosing. You have choices!

2. Frequency - I do request frequent follow-up appointments (at least initially) for patients who are

stepping down from Orama. Regular appointments once you are home helps to ensure that we can

intervene quickly if your teen starts struggling, with the hope of continuing the progress they may have

made at Orama.

Recommended Post-Orama step-down schedule:

- - Months 1-2 after discharge: Meet every other week if doing well (or weekly if patient is struggling)

- - Months 2-6 after discharge: Meet monthly if patient is doing well (or more often struggling)

- - Months 6+: Can meet less frequently (if your child is doing super well, you may even want to

consider transfer to a different provider - including someone who may take your insurance.)

If your teen is struggling and we are actively making medication changes - I may ask to meet with them

weekly until things stabilize.

3. Scheduling - In order to balance my other clinical obligations, as well as ensure consistency and

predictability of care on discharge - I have reserved Tuesday afternoons on my schedule for dedicated

outpatient appointment time specifically for Orama alumni. I ask that you make your appointments during this time if possible. (If this is absolutely not doable, please let me know and we can schedule a different time - but I am going to ask whatever that time is be consistent from week to week, every other week, etc)

4. Costs - Knox Psychiatry is cash-pay and I do not take insurance in my private practice. My fees are $250 for a 45 minute appointment. As I have previously seen your child, I do not perform a longer (and more expensive) intake - but instead perform a 45 minute intake, and then subsequent 45 minute followups. Same-day cancellations are charged 25% of their appointment fee ($62.50) and "no-shows" (cancellations with no notice) are charged 50% of their appointment fee ($125). I do have patients (or their families) leave a card on file that the appointments (and late-cancellation/no-show fees) are automatically charged to on the day of the appointment. I do require that a card is left on file for an appointment to be made, so please provide the card info of the card you want charged.

5. Emergency contact - Before at Orama, there was a large clinical team that could assist me in caring for your teen in psychiatric crises - at Knox Psychiatry, it's just me (who is working here part-time) and a

medical assistant. Psychiatric crises and emergencies are just that - crises and emergencies - and require intervention from crisis and emergency services, including crisis lines, emergency rooms, and 9-1-1. 

In case of a psychiatric emergency - do not delay getting care for your teen to contact me - get

help immediately via 9-1-1 or going to the emergency room, and contact me once the situation

is more stable. 

There may be situations in which I recommend a higher level of care (IOP, PHP, inpatient) to best support your teen’s safety and recovery. When this occurs, it is important that families take these recommendations seriously and follow through, or work collaboratively with me to establish a

safe and appropriate alternative plan.

6. "Stepping down" from Knox Psychiatry" : Some patients enter treatment with an established community psychiatrist who knows them well and has a relationship with Orama. In these

situations, I'm happy to serve as a transitional provider to the outpatient setting - but I may encourage you to return to your previous provider once your child has been stable for a number of months. This supports continuity of care, respects existing therapeutic relationships, and helps maintain strong collaboration among treating clinicians. If in the future a one-time consultation, periodic check-in, or re-evaluation would be helpful, I am happy to offer those services as clinically appropriate.

7. Contacting our office:

For non-urgent matters, please send us a message in the patient portal which is read by our medical

assistant, and typically dealt with in 1-2 business days. (Examples of appropriate requests for the patient portal include non-urgent medication issues including requesting refills, requesting a letter for missing

school or work, etc).

For urgent matters, you can text or leave a voicemail on our Spruce line - 972-382-5603.  We are typically able to address these issues within a few hours during business hours. 

(Examples of appropriate phone calls include letting us know you are running late to an appointment, more urgent issues with refilling a medication at the pharmacy, etc.)

(Again, for emergencies, please contact 9-1-1 or go to ER first before trying to contact us)

8. Telehealth: All outpatient visits with Knox Psychiatry are performed via telehealth.

9. Additional information: The remainder of our practice's policies will be sent to you if you do book an intake appointment. Please review these as they are a more comprehensive description of all of the policies that apply to our practice.

If you feel I'm the right fit, then I look forward to seeing you soon. If not, I wish you and your teen the best :D 

Eleanore Knox, MD