FAQ

An Emergency Department treats life- or limb-threatening health conditions in people of all ages. It is the best option when you require immediate medical attention. Urgent Care is the middle ground between your primary care provider and the Emergency Department. If you have a minor illness or injury that can’t wait until you see your provider Urgent Care is the way to go.

Because we are designed as a brief and temporary service to fill the gap in mental health care, we are not set up to take insurance. Our receipts have insurance billing codes for individuals with out of network benefits to submit for reimbursement subject to their insurance policy benefits . Unfortunately, Medicaid or Medicare do not provide out of network coverage.

If you need to be seen immediately, but have not made an appointment, you can wait in the queue to see a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner if meds are needed or a crisis therapist. You also can schedule the first available appointment through our website if you don’t want to wait on line for a provider. If this is an emergency where someone is a danger to themselves or others, please call 911 immediately or go to your nearest emergency room.

Not every crisis requires a medical solution and some people need a counselor to walk them through skills, strategies, and support to process a pressing issue. Simply book an appointment with one of our crisis counselors or put yourself in the queue for the next available crisis counselor.

While the urgent care model allows individuals to see a board certified clinician or psychiatrist/psychiatric nurse practitioner on a first come first serve basis, we also have appointments with real time availability on our website.

Waiting can be incredibly difficult when you’re in a crisis and that wait could unnecessarily escalate to an emergency room visit or hospitalization if you don’t get the support quickly. Some of the people who see us have regular providers who are unavailable when they are needed. We welcome the opportunity to bridge care until your next appointment with your long term provider.

Yes, after your visit, you can sign a release of information for us to send the notes from your visit directly to your providers. Please call the receptionist to have a release of information sent to your email so you can complete and return it to us.

Our board certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners prescribe many different psychiatric medications. Because UCMH provides short-term care we are unable to prescribe any medications which are DEA-controlled substances (ex: Adderall, Xanax, pain killers, etc.). We also do not prescribe refills on these specific DEA-controlled substances.

The people who come to us struggle with a variety of mental health disorders and concerns, including anxiety/ worry, depression/ low mood, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, postpartum concerns, grief and loss, PTSD, addictions, eating disorders, self-harming behaviors, and more. If you are unsure whether UMHC would be a good fit for addressing your specific concern, please call us at 865.408.8264 or send an email inquiry to [email protected]. When you’re not sure what is happening, but you know you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, we can provide an evaluation, develop a personalized treatment plan, prescribe any necessary medications, and get you back to your home and life as quickly as possible. If you choose, we can also coordinate any referrals or additional care with your provider(s) of choice.

Please call our receptionist if you’re unable to log onto the app and we will send you a zoom link or figure out another temporary solution until the problems with the app can be resolved.