Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a new client. Where can I find Intake Forms and Privacy Disclosures?

Update: On 4/20/2020 our New Client forms for Adults and Adolescents will be added to our Texas Care website. Created to eliminate mistakes and listed in an easy tab through format, it is our aim to make our website hassle free and as functional as possible. Visit the "Start Here" tab or call an Intake Specialist who will guide you through the process. Until then, you will receive all necessary forms through a secure email link after speaking with a specialist and prepare you for your initial appointment.

What is Telehealth/Telemedicine?

Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies such as your ipad, iphone, or text messaging device. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions. Telemedicine is sometimes used as a synonym, or is used in a more limited sense to describe remote clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring. During times of a pandemic, in rural settings, lack of transport, a lack of mobility, decreased funding, or a lack of staff restrict access to care, telehealth bridges the gap.

What types of healthcare professionals work within Texas Care?

Ph.D./MS Level: These are therapists who are versed in talk therapy and life skills training as well as treatment planning and clinical assessments. They help you assess the issues you're facing and find solutions. They include psychologists (LP, LPC), family therapists (LMFT, LMC), social workers (LCSW, LSW), nurse practitioners (ARNP, APRN), and clinicians (LMHC). All therapists contracted by contracted by Texas Care are licensed and offer treatment using our telehealth and telemedicine platform.

Should I Apply for Medicaid Services?

With the recent developments resulting in high levels of unemployment across the U.S. and World, Medicaid has become an important way to connect individuals and families to needed needed health resources. We encourage you to visit https://yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/Home#login to find out more about your eligibility and how Medicaid can help. It's quick and easy.

How do I get started?

At Texas Care, we make it easy to connect with us for the care you need. Feel free to call 1-888-988-6329 (or one of the local offices closest to you) or fill out a contact form. We will get you set up from there.

Does Texas Care make home visits?

Yes. Though this resource may be limited or nonexistent until years end due to mandates created to protect you and our team from the symptoms of the Coronavirus. Usually our Behavioral Health services have been provided in the community, though services such as psychotherapy and psychiatry have always been clinic based. Our community based teams will be limited in the coming months.

Do you accept Medicaid?

Yes. Let us review your Medicaid and see which benefits work best for you. Medicaid is the single largest payer for mental health services in the United States and is increasingly playing a larger role in the reimbursement of substance use disorder services. Individuals with a behavioral health disorder also utilize significant health care services—nearly 12 million visits made to U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2007 involved individuals with a mental disorder, substance abuse problem, or both. Congress enacted several laws designed to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services under health insurance or benefit plans that provide medical/surgical benefits. The most recent law, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), impacts the millions of Medicaid beneficiaries participating in Managed Care Organizations, State alternative benefit plans (as described in Section 1937 of the Social Security Act) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Mental health care (outpatient)
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps pay for these covered outpatient mental health services:
One depression screening per year. The screening must be done in a primary care doctor’s office or primary care clinic that can provide follow-up treatment and referrals.
Individual and group psychotherapy with doctors or certain other licensed professionals allowed by the state where you get the services.
Family counseling, if the main purpose is to help with your treatment.
Testing to find out if you’re getting the services you need and if your current treatment is helping you.
Psychiatric evaluation.
Medication management.
Certain prescription drugs that aren’t usually “self administered” (drugs you would normally take on your own), like some injections.
Diagnostic tests.
Partial hospitalization.
A one-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. This visit includes a review of your possible risk factors for depression.
A yearly “Wellness” visit. Talk to your doctor or other health care provider about changes in your mental health. They can evaluate your changes year to year.
Part B also covers outpatient mental health services for treatment of inappropriate alcohol and drug use.

Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay nothing for your yearly depression screening if your doctor or health care provider accepts assignment.
20% of the Medicare-approved amount for visits to your doctor or other health care provider to diagnose or treat your condition. The Part B deductible applies.
If you get your services in a hospital outpatient clinic or hospital outpatient department, you may have to pay an additional copayment or coinsurance amount to the hospital.

What it is
Mental health services help with conditions like depression and anxiety. These visits are often called counseling or therapy.

Things to know
Part B covers mental health services and visits with these types of health professionals:

Psychiatrist or other doctor
Clinical psychologist
Clinical social worker
Clinical nurse specialist
Nurse practitioner
Physician assistant
Medicare only covers the visits when they’re provided by a health care provider who accepts assignment.

Part B covers outpatient mental health services, including services that are usually provided outside a hospital, like in these settings:

A doctor’s or other health care provider's office
A hospital outpatient department
A community mental health center

Do you accept insurance?

Yes we do. At Texas Care, we are always expanding our relationships with insurance providers. Give us a callor send an email and our staff will verify your insurance information and check to see whether we are in or out of network.

What is the best way to approach someone about mental health issues?

It is not easy to broach the subject of mental health with someone who is clearly struggling from the negative effects of an untreated mental health disorder, with or without a co-occurring substance abuse problem. In some cases, one of the symptoms of the disorder may be that the person does not recognize the problems for what they are, but rather views others as the source of the issue. This makes it more difficult to connect the person with treatment and puts many families in a predicament when it comes to helping a loved one heal.

In dire situations – for example, when people are demonstrable threats to their own personal safety or that of others – it may be possible to enforce an involuntary treatment hold. Laws vary by state and procedures must be followed carefully.

In other situations, if there is a hope that the person will see reason and experience clarity in deciding how best to manage the problem of co-occurring disorders and proceed with treatment, then an intervention can be a helpful method to connect a loved one with treatment. Families are encouraged to:

Handpick a few concerned, balanced family members who are all united in their goal of helping the person enroll in treatment.
Contact us at Texas Care to help provide mediation and to manage the event online and make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
Enroll the person in treatment in advance to ensure that that person can immediately begin treatment after the intervention.
Remain calm, nonjudgmental, and focused solely on helping the person recognize the need for immediate treatment.

Can environmental factors, chemicals, pollution, etc. contribute to risk factors for mental illness?

There are numerous studies that support the idea that different environmental factors, including pollution and chemicals found in the environment, may contribute to the development of certain mental health disorders. Whether it is being exposed to hazardous waste, polluted drinking water, or smog in the womb, during childhood, or throughout life, it is clear that there are a number of hazardous substances in the environment that may contribute to or cause lifelong problems including mental health disorders.

Though we cannot necessarily remove these factors entirely or always remove ourselves from exposure, we can learn how to manage mental health symptoms by first identifying them as such when they arise and seeking professional treatment rather than allowing them to continue.

What are some warning signs of mental illness?

Texas Care believes symptoms don't paint an entire picture but they may provide good indicators you should seek someone for help.Symptoms of mental health disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the condition. The following is a list of general symptoms that may suggest a mental health disorder, particularly when multiple symptoms are expressed at once.

In adults:

Confused thinking
Long-lasting sadness or irritability
Extreme highs and lows in mood
Excessive fear, worrying, or anxiety
Social withdrawal
Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
Strong feelings of anger
Delusions or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
Thoughts of suicide
Denial of obvious problems
Many unexplained physical problems
Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

In older children and pre-teens:

Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
Inability to cope with daily problems and activities
Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
Excessive complaints of physical problems
Defying authority, skipping school, stealing, or damaging property
Intense fear of gaining weight
Long-lasting negative mood, often along with poor appetite and thoughts of death
Frequent outbursts of anger


In younger children:

Changes in school performance
Poor grades despite strong efforts
Excessive worrying or anxiety
Hyperactivity
Persistent nightmares
Persistent disobedience and/or aggressive behavior
Frequent temper tantrums

Why choose Texas Care?

Whether it be utilizing our various telehealth and telemedicine options or spending time in person with one of our mental health professionals, our team can provide support and services for a myriad of concerns from stress, anxiety, sadness, and difficulties at home, work or school to symptoms of PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADD/ADHD, and substance abuse problems without you ever leaving the comfort of your own home or office.

Can mental illness run in the family?

Yes. Genetics play a role in the development of a mental health disorder. First, a person’s genes may make that person more likely to experience mental health symptoms like depression or anxiety or to develop a personality disorder if a parent, sibling, or grandparent also struggled with the disorder. Second, being raised in a family in which one or more members is living with an untreated mental health disorder may cause someone to learn those behaviors and be less likely to recognize the need for treatment later.

What are some effective treatments for PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur when someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic experience. The symptoms can be avoidant , causing the person to want to avoid anything that triggers memories of the event), aggressive, or negative in nature, and intrusive on the person’s ability to function in day-to-day life. Treatment may vary based on the symptoms experienced, however, they often include some combination of medication and psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy:

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Guided eye movements performed in combination with a retelling of the trauma event can help to diminish its power and decrease the negative symptoms experienced by the client.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This style of talk therapy helps clients to recognize the patterns they exhibit in response to different events and situations, and assists them in altering those patterns with shifts in perspective.

Support groups: Meeting regularly with others to share experiences and tips can be beneficial to all involved.
Exposure therapy: Being exposed to some aspect of the trauma can help to minimize the power of the event and put control back into the hands of the client.

Medication:

Anti-anxiety medications: Depending upon the substance of choice, an anti-anxiety medication can help to diminish the level of tension experienced.
Antidepressants: Managing depression and grief related to the traumatic event can be instrumental in facilitating therapeutic healing.
Sleep aids: Insomnia and nightmares are often issues for people living with PTSD, and the right sleep aids can make a big difference.

Do you treat people with co-occurring disorders?

Yes. In fact, most of our patients have co-occurring disorders, that is, one or more psychiatric disorders that may also be coupled with an addiction or substance use issue.

When choosing Texas Care for treatment, what are a few things I should know when getting started?

Since beginning treatment is a big step for individuals and families, it can be very overwhelming. Texas Care believes it is important to be as involved and engaged in the treatment process as possible. Some questions we will answer will include:

What is known about the cause of this particular illness?
Are there other diagnoses where these symptoms are common?
Do you normally include a physical or neurological examination?
Are there any additional tests or exams that you would recommend at this point?
What program of treatment is the most helpful with this diagnosis?
Will this program involve services by other specialists? If so, who will be responsible for coordinating these services?
What do you see as the family’s role in this program of treatment?
How much access will the family have to the individuals who are providing the treatment?
What medications are generally used with this diagnosis?
How much experience do you have in treating individuals with this illness?
What can I do to help you in the treatment?

How can I find a mental health professional right for my child or myself?

Just as there are different types of medications for physical illness, different treatment options are available for individuals with mental illness. Treatment works differently for different people, so it is important to find what works best for you or your child.At Texas Care, we pair you with professionals working towards your success.

Does Texas Care accept credit cards?

Yes. Ask about deferring co-pays. We accept Visa MasterCard, American Express and Discover. We also accept ACH.

What are the most common diagnoses at Texas Care?

Texas Care treats patients with a wide range of psychiatric disorders, but the most common diagnoses include anxiety, severe anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder that may be accompanied by an addiction or substance use disorder. Treating adults and children with a wide range of diagnoses is our specialty.

What should I do if I know someone who seems to have the symptoms of a mental disorder?

Although TexasCareCenter.com cannot substitute for professional advice, we encourage those with symptoms to talk to their friends and family members and seek the counsel of our mental health professionals or others in the field. The sooner the mental health condition is identified and treated, the sooner they can get on the path to recovery.

If you know someone who is having problems, don't assume that the issue will resolve itself. Let them know that you care about them, and that there are treatment options available that will help them heal. Contact us if you think your friend or family member is experiencing the symptoms of a mental health condition. If the affected loved one knows that you support them, they will be more likely to seek out help.

Can you recover from mental illness?

When healing from mental illness, early identification and treatment are of vital importance. Based on the nature of the illness, there are a range of effective treatments available. For any type of treatment, it is essential that the person affected is proactive and fully engaged in their own recovery process.

Many people with mental illnesses who are diagnosed and treated respond well, although some might experience a return of symptoms. Even in such cases, with careful monitoring and management of the disorder, it is still quite possible to live a fulfilled and productive life.

Are there professionals working towards licensure assisting professionals at Texas Care?

Yes. Much like when you are able to see a CNA, LPN or RN before PCP makes a diagnosis, Texas Care has a skilled team that works directly ubder the supervision of a licensed professional with a common goal: Your Well-Being. Working within the scope of medicaid requirements as well as though of private insurance, we are able to insure you receive the best, most frequent care possible.

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