PsychLink: Nashville Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Consortium, Erin Hardiman, child psychiatry

What is PsychLink and why should I choose a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner?
What services does PsychLink provide?
Why can't I just see my pediatrician or primary care provider (PCP) for treatment?
Why are PsychLink's services the best?
How do I set up an appointment?
What is the typical wait time for an appointment?
What insurance plans are accepted?
Do I even want to file with my insurance and what are the advantages of paying out of pocket for my services?
What are PsychLink's fees for services if I am not covered by insurance or I choose to pay out of pocket?
What is PsychLink's payment policy?

What is PsychLink and why should I choose a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner?
PsychLink is comprised of a group of nurse practitioners specifically trained to address the psychiatric/mental health needs of their clients. The nurse practitioners of PsychLink are not only well trained, but are also highly experienced in diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners are a valuable asset to any health care team. They provide individualized care, focusing not only on mental health problems, but also on the effects mental health problems have on people and their families. They take the time to explain the details of psychiatric disorders, medications, and other topics to help people fully understand how to take care of themselves and emphasize wellness and self care by giving people the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices and health care decisions. Nurse Practitioners are clinically supervised by Board Certified Psychiatrists, resulting in their patients receiving the expertise of a psychiatrist and the best care available at a much lower cost.
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What services does PsychLink provide?
PsychLink provides services that are usually provided by psychiatrists. We perform psychiatric evaluations used to diagnose psychiatric disorders and develop treatment plans. Treatment with medications can be initiated and managed by PsychLink. Typically, therapy is not a service that PsychLink provides. However, PsychLink does have a relationship with various therapists throughout Nashville and its surrounding counties and would be more than happy to provide appropriate referrals for therapy/counseling services.
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Why can't I just see my pediatrician or primary care provider (PCP) for treatment?
Primary care doctors are often forced to treat mental illnesses because referrals sources are frequently limited and they feel they have no choice. HOWEVER, most have no training beyond a psychiatry rotation in medical school. Even though they may see several patient's with a psychiatric diagnosis each week, this doesn't compare to the experience and expertise that results from treating 20+ patients with various diagnoses and complexities each day. Primary care providers are often unable to accurately determine when co-morbid conditions are present and often have difficulty with hard to treat cases. Asking your primary care doctor to treat your psychiatric symptoms is the equivalent of asking your dermatologist to treat your asthma. As well, primary care doctors are typically unable to invest the time that quality psychiatric assessements and follow-up care require. A complete and thorough evaluation of a patient's psychiatric symptoms, including in-depth reviews of social, medical, psychiatric, birth, educational, legal and trauma histories are vital to establish an accurate diagnosis and successful treatment plan.
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Why are PsychLink's services the best?
Have you ever called a health care provider only to leave a message and never receive a return call? PsychLink prides itself on personal patient care. With our services you receive personal attention from your provider. There is no middle-man. You are able to contact your provider directly, either by phone or through email. Intimate collaboration with your other care providers, especially your primary medical doctor, is at the core of our mission. We truly believe you get the highest quality care when all of your health providers are a part of a unified treatment team, working to help you achieve optimal health. Finally, we also work hard to make sure our services are more affordable than any other private provider. In fact, you will pay less for our services than for those same services at most area community mental health centers AND you will receive more personalized care.
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How do I set up an appointment?
If you are seeking evaluation and medication services for a child, adolescent or young adult between the ages of 5-25, complete the "Child and Adolescent Appointments" form located just under the main menu of this page or contact our office at 596-5494. If you are an adult, age 25 and older, please note that adult services are unavailable at this time. Please keep checking back. We have every intention of providing adult services in the near future.
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What is the typical wait time for an appointment?
Typically, less than one week. Unbelievable, isn't it!
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What insurance plans are accepted?
Please see the "Insurance Info" page for further information on plans for which PsychLink is an In-Network Provider. If your plan is not listed, you may still have out-of-network mental health benefits. Complete the "Child and Adolescent Appointments" form located just under the main menu of this page or contact our office at 596-5494 and we will verify your benefits on your behalf. If you do not have insurance or PsychLink's services are not covered by your plan, don't worry. We offer some of the lowest rates in Middle Tennessee for self-pay patients.
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Do I even want to file with my insurance and what are the advantages of paying out of pocket for my services?
This is completely a personal choice. Many people choose not to use their mental health benefits through their insurance provider because they want to be able to choose the services that will be most beneficial to them. Managed care does exactly what their name implies. They decide what care you are allowed to receive and what they will pay for those services. This often limits providers in giving you the best care possible and greatly limits the types and frequency of services you can receive. By paying out of pocket, you are able to receive the services you need. You manage your care. As well, many people prefer to not have their mental health care officially documented for various reasons. Certain diagnoses can result in a person being unable to qualify for life insurance, disability insurance or private health insurance or if they are not deemed uninsurable, the documented mental health diagnosis may result in extremely high premiums. PsychLink prides itself on keeping fees for services low, so that you can take advantage of this option.
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What are PsychLink's fees for services if I am not covered by insurance or I choose to pay out of pocket?
The initial psychiatric evaluation typically lasts one hour and is billed at $165.00. Each medication management appointment is scheduled for 20 minutes and is billed at $55.00. PsychLink accepts cash, check, and most major credit/debit cards. At first, these fees may seem expensive, but are actually less than most private providers or community mental health centers charge for the same services. Follow-up appointments are typically only $15.00 more than most copays. The amount you pay for PsychLink to coordinate and manage your care each month is comparable to the cost of a meal out for an average size family and we believe the improved quality of life as a result of treatment will far outweigh any cost.
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What is PsychLink's payment policy?
Payment is due at the time of service and may be paid in the form of cash, check or credit/debit card. For more information, see PsychLink's Practice Policies under the "Forms" section of this page.
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