What is psychiatric care?

Psychiatric care involves assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions by a licensed psychiatrist. Treatment may include psychotherapy, psychiatric medications, or a combination of both, with the goal of improving emotional health and daily functioning.

What is a psychiatrist?

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor trained in mental health who evaluates symptoms, provides diagnoses, prescribes medications, and delivers or coordinates psychotherapy. Psychiatrists work across levels of care and collaborate with other professionals such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists.

What does psychiatric care include?

Care typically includes a formal assessment and diagnosis, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, continued monitoring and support, and crisis intervention if necessary.

What types of psychiatric care are available?

Levels of care include residential inpatient programs with 24/7 support, Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), and standard outpatient care.

How effective is psychiatric care?

The content describes psychiatric care as highly effective for serious conditions and crises, especially with early intervention and consistent follow-up. Engagement in the treatment plan supports better outcomes.

Does health insurance cover psychiatric care?

Yes. Insurance plans commonly cover evaluations, psychotherapy, and medication management, though benefits, prior authorizations, and out-of-pocket costs vary by plan.

How much does psychiatric care cost without insurance?

Costs depend on the services and setting. Examples cited include psychiatric assessments at about $250–$300 and individual therapy sessions averaging $100–$200.

Psychiatric Care

Published: 10/11/2024 | Updated: 04/29/2026

Authored by: Zachary Ehrmann, MSc

Edited by: Jemma Strain, BSc Psychology, PhD

Psychiatric Care only goes as deep as the clinical support behind it – and A Mission For Michael treats all your needs at the same time in a structured, thoughtful manner. Each of our clients receives a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation at the time of admission. And those who need it will also be given consistent weekly contact with a prescriber and ongoing medication management.

We never use a one-size-fits-all approach. AMFM is committed to refining our approach as your needs change over time, advocating for all your needs as things progress. So your treatment plan is always a collaborative endeavor, matched with psychiatric support that’s available around the clock.

Read on to learn more about what psychiatric care looks like at AMFM.

Our Approach to Psychiatric Care

Integrated psychiatric care and therapy at AMFM always affirms that no one is beyond help or recovery. We effectively treat a wide range of mental health concerns, including psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression, to help you heal in a way that speaks to you.

We also build dedicated weekly sessions with your psychiatric prescriber into your schedule from the jump. This allows us to review your needs and progress in collaborative meetings that bring together medical, mental health, and operations teams. Therefore, we’re given the best possible picture of how things are changing and how we can best support you.

Our medical team operates 24 hours a day, seven days per week, with a full-time psychiatrist available throughout your stay in residential care. And medication management, administration, and education all run in parallel with your other programming as integrated components of your unique plan.

What to Expect From Psychiatric Care at A Mission For Michael

Integrated psychiatric care and therapy at AMFM follow a clear, well-thought-out process that’s built into your treatment from the first day you arrive. The following is an outline of what you can expect in treatment:

Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluations

Each of our clients receives a full psychiatric evaluation at admission. Your initial diagnoses are established within your first 24 hours – but this isn’t a label. Think of it as the working clinical foundation that allows us to work closely with you to refine as time moves along.

Weekly Diagnostic Reviews

Your initial diagnosis is reviewed every week in our collaborative advocacy meetings, pulling all your providers together for holistic integration. We work hard to make sure your full picture stays accurate as treatment progresses, reflecting how you’re actually responding to treatment.

Ongoing Psychiatric Sessions

From day one, clients in our adult residential program receive a dedicated individual session with a psychiatric prescriber each week. In our outpatient-based programs, mental health medication management is delivered on a bi-weekly basis.

Either way, regular psychiatric contact is a regular part of your treatment schedule. And we’re always available to respond to any moments of crisis to ensure your safety and overall well-being.

Medication Management

You get to self-administer your medications in inpatient treatment, under observation from staff. But the medical team will manage your full medication protocol, including long-acting injectables when applicable.

Medication Education

Alongside your other clinical sessions, you will participate in an eight-part medication education module, with groups covering everything from understanding antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. We’ll also cover how to track your symptoms, manage side effects effectively, and use as-needed medications responsibly.

Find out about our free assessment & admissions process

We accept most major insurance providers and can check your coverage levels for you.

If we are not an appropriate provider for care, we will assist in finding a care provider that can help.

Program Structure and Weekly Schedule

Inpatient psychiatric care at AMFM runs on a schedule that’s designed to meet your needs – it’s not based on a cookie-cutter approach to treatment.

In our program, you’ll have access to:

A psychiatric prescriber appointment once per week
Two weekly individual therapy sessions
Weekly case management appointments
Several group therapy sessions per week
Collaborative meetings with your whole team to assess your ongoing progress and make any necessary changes

In our outpatient programs, outpatient psychiatric services are delivered on a bi-weekly basis with dedicated medication management appointments.

Beyond your weekly schedule, we can also arrange non-routine psychiatric evaluations for adults and testing onsite at most of our California and Virginia locations. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is also available in our California-based adult residential programs and requires an additional doctor’s recommendation before proceeding.

As mentioned, an eight-part medication education curriculum will be a part of your treatment programming during the residential phase. This gives you an opportunity each week to increase your knowledge and understanding of your own psychiatric care and needs.

Find Mental Health Treatment Programs

A Mission For Michael (AMFM) provides treatment for adults experiencing various conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-478-4383 to learn about our current treatment options.

California Locations

See our residences in Southern California’s Orange County & San Diego County.

Fallbrook - Peony

Female identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Secluded area with library, large backyard, and pool with beautiful views.

Carlsbad - Goldenbush

Female identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features large rooms, updated interior, & covered seating in backyard.

Carlsbad - Hoover

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms for our clients with beautiful ocean views, large rooms and relaxng atmosphere.

Dana Point - Blue Lantern

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features calming large rooms, updated interior, and outdoor pool.

Dana Point - Crystal Lantern

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Includes large rooms, updated interior, and private treatment rooms.

Fallbrook - North Ridge

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Featured amenties include tennis court, pool, and game area.

Laguna Hills - Waterwheel

Female identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features large rooms, updated interior, and large backyard.

Laguna Niguel - Campeon

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features large rooms, updated interior, and covered seating in backyard.

Lake Forest - Grayston

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features large rooms, relaxing spaces, & covered seating in backyard.

Lake Forest - Sunnybrook

Female identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Newly remodeled interior with large rooms and backyard with garden.

San Juan Capistrano - Banderas

Male identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features updated, modern interior with relaxing outdoor space to unwind.

San Juan Capistrano - Valencia

Female identifying house with double occupancy rooms. Features large rooms, updated interior, & covered seating in backyard.

Mission Viejo - Michelle's House

Residential treatment center just for women who’ve experienced trauma, domestic violence, or overwhelming life challenges

Minnesota Locations

Take a look at our homes on the east side of the Metro area in Washington County.

Stillwater - Arcola

Male residential house with double and single occupancy rooms. Secluded area with large backyard many dedicated spaces for therapy.

Stillwater - Dellwood

Female mental health residential house with double and single occupancy rooms. Beautifully appointed, relaxing atmosphere for healing.

Virginia Locations

View our facilities in Fairfax County, VA within the DC metro area.

Annandale - Rebel Rose

Female identifying house with single and double occupancy rooms. Secluded area with movie theater, on a large property.

Fairfax Station - Derbyshire

Male only house with double occupancy rooms. Secluded area with large rooms, gorgeous interior, and music/game room.

Great Falls - Kellie Jean

Gender inclusive house with double and single occupancy rooms. Secluded area with movie theater, game room, and large property.

Vienna - Browns Mill

Gender inclusive property with double and single occupancy rooms providing compassionate care in a peaceful setting for adults.

Vienna - Corsica

Gender inclusive house with double & single occupancy rooms. Secluded area with large backyard, movie theater, & dedicated therapy spaces.

Vienna - Lawyers

Male identifying house with double and single occupancy rooms. Secluded area with large backyard many dedicated spaces for therapy.

McLean - Lewinsville

Female house with double occupancy rooms. Featuring modern living spaces, comfortable meeting rooms, & well-appointed bedrooms.

Treatment Modalities We Use

Integrating psychiatric care and therapy has been proven to create better outcomes than either approach used alone. In fact, studies consistently show that combining psychopharmacology with evidence-based therapy leads to faster symptom reduction and more resilient recovery.^[1]

This is why, at AMFM, our psychiatric team works directly alongside therapists, case managers, and holistic practitioners within your comprehensive treatment plan. And what your psychiatrist sees in a weekly session can inform what you work on in individual therapy, and vice versa.

Additionally, treatment modalities like mindfulness, yoga therapy, music therapy, and art therapy are all targeted to address the physiological and emotional aspects of mental health challenges that medication alone can’t reach.^[2] This supports our whole-person approach to providing care.

We also lean on several evidence-based therapy interventions to work in tandem with any prescribed medications, including:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Psychodynamic therapy

Why Choose Us?

Psychiatric medications take time to calibrate as your symptoms shift or get better, or as new diagnoses or issues come to the forefront.^[3] A Mission For Michael works hard to make sure your needs are at the forefront and empathically addressed with our suite of psychiatric prescriber and medication management services. And these are available in both inpatient and outpatient formats.

It’s important to learn about how your medications affect you and why they’re vital to your care. This is why our medication curriculum gives you a better understanding of what to watch for and how to advocate for yourself and your needs.

For clients whose conditions call for it, TMS is available at our California residential locations, and psychiatric testing can be arranged at most of our California and Virginia locations.

Our behavioral health psychiatry services are just one part of a full continuum of care that supports you every step of the way in the recovery process. Call us today to find out how we can partner with you to become part of the solution.

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