1. How often do I need to be seen for psychiatric services?
Our first step is an initial evaluation. At that point, we will decide if and what psychiatric medications and/or additional services will be appropriate for you. If you begin on a medication regime, we will then meet in four to eight weeks to evaluate how the medication is working for you. Once you are stable on your medication, you will only need to be seen every three to six months, unless you choose to be seen earlier. If you are receiving controlled medications, California State law may require that you be seen every 3 or 4 months, depending on the control level of the substance. Appointments will always be available to you, within reason, as you need them.
2. Do I have to come to an office in-person for appointments?
No, you may receive tele-services in the comfort of your home.
3. I noticed you do not accept insurance. Is there a way for me to obtain reimbursement from my insurance company for services?
We are an out-of-network provider. We require payment in full at time of service and we do not bill insurance companies. If requested, we will provide you with a superbill and if your insurance offers you benefits for out-of-network provider costs, you can subsequently submit the superbill to your insurance company for potential partial reimbursement. Please note, you will not be able to obtain reimbursement from Medi-care for our services (we are an opt-out of medi-care practice)
4. I noticed you also have Marriage and Family Services and Board Certified Coaching (Life Coaching) available. How do I access those services?
You are able to schedule an initial appointment with Petra Schoning, MA, LMFT, BCC, directly through her online scheduler. There is no charge for the initial appointment. This session provides you with a no-risk opportunity, with Petra's explanations and insights, to accurately assess the potential benefits her services would offer you.
5. If I need to be prescribed controlled substances, do I need to come to an office for all of my appointments?
No. As a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, certain laws related to controlled substances have changed. You are now able to schedule teleservices for all appointments.
6. How long do psychiatric sessions generally last?
For initial evaluations of up to 50 minutes is usually sufficient to form a concept about what is going on and to begin to explore treatment options. Occasionally a second visit is needed before beginning medication and this is more likely when the patient is a child or adolescent.
7. As a psychiatrist do you provide psychotherapy?
Although I rarely provide 45-50 minute psychotherapy sessions, I believe that many people who are taking medications are likely to do better if they are also in psychotherapy. If you wish, I am happy to refer you to an appropriate therapist.
8. How long is my treatment with medication likely to last?
The answer to this question can only be discussed following a complete psychiatric evaluation and there are a number of determining factors. Generally, the longer you have suffered from your symptoms, especially if they have been untreated, the longer your treatment will require. a mild problem might only require a couple visits, while more severe issues may require long-term, ongoing maintenance.
9. What is your cancellation/rescheduling policy?
Once we schedule your
appointment, we hold that time specially for you. For cancellations or
rescheduling ongoing appointments, please contact us at least 24 hours prior to your appointment, so that we have
sufficient time to reschedule someone else who may be in need. If you do not provide 24 hours notice, you will be responsible for the full session fee. Emergency cancellations are considered on a case-by-case basis.
For Initial Psychiatric Evaluation Appointments: If you need to cancel an initial psychiatric evaluation appointment we request that you do so 48 hours prior to the appointment. If you no-show to an initial psychiatric evaluation appointment with Dr. Jackson, we will be happy to re-schedule that appointment for you. However, you will need to pay the full $300 fee for the missed appointment before we can schedule a new initial psychiatric evaluation appointment for you. You will still be responsible to pay for the new initial psychiatric evaluation in addition to the missed initial psychiatric appointment fee.
10. How can I request prescription refills?
Medication
prescriptions should be discussed and handled during our scheduled appointment
visits. Sufficient medication will be prescribed at each appointment to last
until the next planned follow-up appointment. Medication prescription requests
outside of sessions will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If a refill or change in medications is
needed before your next regularly scheduled appointment, please schedule an appointment as soon as possible for us to meet. If the medication problem has been caused by a pharmacy error, leave me a detailed message regarding the issue and it will be corrected as soon as I have time to contact the pharmacy (or send a new prescription), and there is, of course, no charge to you. I have designated 15 minute emergency appointment times at the end of the day on Wednesdays or Thursdays (please call the office if you need this type of appointment) and the fee is $250. If none of these alternatives meet your needs, you can call the office and leave a message on my emergency voicemail (which is forwarded to my cell phone). I will call you back and we can set up a time for an emergency medication appointment at a time that is convenient for both of us later that day. The fee for these appointments, outside of my regular working hours, is $300. Please be aware I do not respond to
pharmacy requests for medications, without also hearing from patients directly, because pharmacies frequently fax automatic requests.
11. Is what I share with you confidential?
Unless you provide us with written authorization to disclose information to another individual or agency, anything that you share with us is completely confidential with the exception of incidental necessary information required by other Desert View Health staff (who are also held to strict confidentiality guidelines}. Under California State Law, the following additional exceptions exist: 1) a client presents a danger to self or others, 2) an incident of suspected child abuse or neglect occurs, 3) an incident of suspected elder abuse or neglect occurs, 4) a court order is issued. There are some additional legal situations where we are required or may break confidentiality, that would be extremely unusual. These situations are detailed in the document titled: Desert View Health Notice of Privacy Practices, which you will receive and need to sign prior to you first scheduled appointment.
12. How quickly do I need to complete requested paperwork for my initial psychiatric evaluation appointment with Dr. Jackson?
All initial evaluation psychiatric evaluation paperwork is due to be completed Friday by 6:00 PM prior to the upcoming week of your appointment. If you are not able to do so, your appointment will need to be re-scheduled. Dr. Jackson reads all completed paperwork, and plans his sessions the weekend before his appointments. Although initial psychiatric evaluation appointments are only scheduled for 50 minutes, Dr. Jackson actually spends ample amounts of additional time planning patient appointments.
13. What is the difference between a psychotherapist, psychologist and a psychiatrist?
Psychotherapists are trained counselors who treat persons with emotional symptoms with counseling or psychotherapy. A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology does psychotherapy and, in addition, often does psychological testing. A psychiatrist has a doctor of medicine degree and has specialized in psychiatry following medical training. Only psychiatrists can prescribe medications.
14. What cities do you serve in the Coachella Valley and nearby areas?
We provide services for all cities in the Coachella Valley, including but not limited to, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs, Coachella, Cathedral City, and
Indio. Mountain Communities include, but are not limited to, Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Anza. Also, "The Pass" cities of Beaumont, Banning, and Cabazon, and more.We also provide services for Morongo Valley, Joshua Tree, as well as, other High Desert Cities.