The Mental Health Referral Process
Information and Referral staff respond to questions from callers seeking information about services or other behavioral health issues. Staff members direct callers to the most appropriate service or resource agency, provide a sympathetic response to their concerns and determine whether their questions or problems warrant follow-up by a Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP) professional.
When calling I&R, the first question you can expect is, "Have you discussed this problem with your family physician?" This inquiry is made to ensure that any physical condition that might be causing the problem is ruled out. Also, if psychiatric treatment is required, it is always best to have a physician referral.
If you do not have a physician who can perform this referral MHASP will provide assistance in locating the community services that will best meet the needs of the individual. In addition to using community resources for referrals, MHASP provides a wide variety of services.
A number of I&R requests are directly referred to the following programs:
- Parents Involved Network: assists parents or guardians of a child with a mental illness
- Mental Health Aging / Advocacy Project: assists seniors, their families and caregivers
- TEC (Training, Education and Consulting) Family Center
Other suggested resources:
- View the complete list of programs offered by MHASP
- Information and Referral Resources
- Recognizing the Symptoms of a Mental Illness
Getting Mental Health Treatment
There are many factors that determine where someone should go for mental health treatment. The most frequent determining factor is insurance coverage.
Private Health Insurance
If your private health insurance includes mental health coverage, it is always best to call your insurance company for information about receiving mental health services.
- Philadelphia Community Mental Health Centers
- Private Mental Health Resources
- Suburban Resources
- Psychiatric Emergency Services
Medical Assistance Coverage
If you receive health insurance coverage through Medical Assistance (MA), you need to call Behavioral Health Managed Care service for mental health services.
- If you live in Philadelphia, call Community Behavioral Health (CBH) at 1-888-545-2600
- Residents of all other southeastern Pennsylvania counties call Magellan Behavioral Health Services at 1-888-207-2911
- Philadelphia Community Mental Health Centers
- Psychiatric Emergency Services
Uninsured
- Philadelphia Community Mental Health Centers
- Private Mental Health Resources
- Suburban Resources
- Psychiatric Emergency Services
General Mental Health Resources
There is an array of mental health services in southeastern Pennsylvania. The following information helps to identify those resources:
- Recognizing the Symptoms of a Mental Illness
- Philadelphia Community Mental Health Centers
- Suburban County Community Mental Health Resources
- Private Mental Health Resources
- MHASP Publications: Mental Health Guides
- Other Resources
