Before one can choose a behavioral health clinic, the term must first be defined. A clinic can be privately operated and can be designed to accept patients on an outpatient basis for such things as psychiatry and therapy. Clinics similar in function can also be run by the community health service or the local government. Still other clinics can offer inpatient care; they too can be privately owned and operated or run by the government. The first couple of things to do when you are looking for a behavioral health clinic is to identify the need and then establish more mundane things such as, do they accept insurance and what services do they offer.
Unfortunately many state run clinics have been forced to close, even in large centers there may only be one or two clinics run by the government. The advantage of a government run clinic, if you can find one, is there closeness to government-operated mental health hospitals should the patient be unstable and need hospitalization.
A private behavioral health clinic can also have its advantages. In many cases these clinics are a collection of psychiatrist and therapists who work together in concert. If a patient is in need of help from either a therapist or a psychiatrist, there is complete co-ordination between the practitioners. Private clinics also tend to have specialists that government clinics do not enjoy; these specialists may focus on child psychology for example or work in tandem with the parents of a gifted child.
Private clinics usually have set fees although some do work on a sliding scale. Before you seek care you should check the fee structure and determine if your insurance will cover the costs.
When people are looking for a clinic but they really mean an inpatient mental health clinic, the search becomes different. There are some hospitals, both private and public that has separate wards for mental health care, others have a lock-down facility at best. Without significant financial backing, finding the right facility can be frustrating and difficult.
Perhaps one of the best ways to find the proper behavior health clinic is to ask for a referral from your family doctor or contact the local mental health society or public health agency.
