If there is a psychiatric emergency, and your loved one is taken to the ER or Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS) center, an evaluation will be done. If it is determined that your loved one needs to be hospitalized, you may request that the staff call Carrier to arrange for an admission.
Prospective patients, family members and referring professionals can call Carrier Clinic’s Access center for more information or to schedule an evaluation for a possible admission. Carrier Clinic’s Access Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be reached by calling: 800-933-3579.
If your loved one is already receiving outpatient treatment, a therapist or psychiatrist may call Carrier Clinic to make the referral for inpatient treatment. The procedure for hospital admission for a psychiatric illness resembles the process you would do for a med-surg hospitalization. Often, that means a person’s health insurance company may require a pre-admission certification before agreeing to pay for a hospitalization. Working with the psychiatrist, insurance company staff will review a patient’s case and decide if it requires inpatient care. If so, they will approve admission for a limited hospital stay then periodically review patient progress to determine whether the stay should be extended. If care is denied, the psychiatrist and patient may appeal.