FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Does anyone in the office see children?
- Do you do brain scans at RCBM?
- Does anyone have weekend/evening hours?
- Do you have emergency appointments?
- What is a medication review?
- What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a counselor and a social worker?
- What is a nurse practitioner?
- What kind of research studies do you do?
- Can I be in therapy while participating in a research study?
- What will happen during an initial office visit?
- What do I need to bring with me to my first appointment?
- How frequently will I be meeting with the doctor?
- Do you give injections at RCBM?
- Do you do physicals at RCBM?
- How long will I need to be in therapy?
- How long is a therapy session?
- Will information that I disclose during my visits be kept confidential?
- Can you tell me more about psychological testing?
1) Does anyone in the office see children?
Yes. The Rochester Center is fully equipped with an experienced staff of clinicians who specialize in disorders of children. This is headed by Nikhil Vora, M.D., a board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. Others who see children include: Yvonne Stumpf, MSN, Debbie Gorney-Jankowski, MSN, Kathy Tessmar, LLMSW, Erika Parsons, MA, Tanya Kuprianiak M.A. LLP and Jaime Saal. M.A., Many of our clinicians see adolescents as well.
2) Do you do brain scans at RCBM?
We do not do brain scans at RCBM. We do, however, work with various sites throughout the country that perform brain scans. Much of this work has been done by Daniel Amen, M.D. and his clinic. We will work with the reports and institute many of the treatment plans recommended at these outside sites in conjunction with our clinical experience.
3) Does anyone have weekend/evening hours?
Yes. Some of our clinicians do work weekend and evening hours. This tends to vary and we suggest that you contact the therapists to inquire.
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4) Do you have emergency appointments?
There are many clinicians at the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine. Each tends to be busy and maintain an active schedule but should an emergency arise, whether with a new or existing patient, please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.
5) What is a medication review?
A medication review is performed by a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Typically, med reviews last between ten and twenty minutes. Essentially, this is like a typical visit to the doctor where symptoms are reviewed and medications are either prescribed or refined. A medication review tends to differ from psychotherapy to the extent that it is a shorter appointment. At RCBM, however, we pride ourselves on talking about important issues even during the medication review sessions.
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6) What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a counselor and a social worker?
A psychiatrist is a physician who is initially trained as a general doctor. After general training, psychiatrists specialize in psychological and neurological disorders. The psychiatrists at the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine are collectively board certified in: child, adolescent, general, adult, forensic and geriatric psychiatry. Psychologists are Ph.D level therapists. Psychologists have gone through five years of post-college training and have written a dissertation on a particular psychological topic. Counselors are master’s level therapists who deal with counseling individuals with mental health issues. Social workers, as well, are master’s level psychotherapists. Our counselors and social workers have been trained at Oakland University, Wayne State University, Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and Marygrove College.
7) What is a nurse practitioner?
A nurse practitioner is a master’s level nurse. Nurse practitioners can prescribe medication under the auspices of a physician. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are also trained to do psychotherapy. The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine uses a nurse practitioner model and we are very proud of the experience and commitment of our nurse practitioners.
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8) What kind of research studies do you do?
The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine is involved in many research studies. Click here for more details.
9) Can I be in therapy while participating in a research study?
Yes, although this varies from one research study to another.
10) What will happen during an initial office visit?
During the initial office interview, a full history will be obtained. A treatment plan will be established such as recommendations for medication and psychotherapy. We also make an assessment as to whether psychological testing is further indicated.
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11) What do I need to bring with me to my first appointment?
Please bring your list of concerns, what issues you want resolved and how you want things to be better. We also suggest bringing a list of your current medications and dosages. If any previous testing has been done and you can obtain copies, this would be helpful. When the evaluation is for ADHD, old report cards can be helpful, and collaborative information from a spouse or parent is highly valued.
With regard to the business aspects of the appointment, we suggest that you bring your insurance card so that we can help you check your benefits.
12) How frequently will I be meeting with the doctor?
This depends. Some individuals need to see the doctors on a frequent basis, sometimes on a monthly basis, and sometimes in stable cases, meetings with doctors may not be more frequent than every three months.
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13) Do you give injections at RCBM?
Yes, we offer one specific injection, which is a medication called Vivitrol. This is a medication for individuals with an alcohol use disorder. One of our trained nurses is responsible for administering these injections to our patients.
14) Do you do physicals at RCBM?
No, we do not do physicals at RCBM. We refer to primary care doctors, and we have a list of doctors that we commonly consult with.
15) How long will I need to be in therapy?
This depends on the case. At RCBM, we believe in focused psychotherapy and do not believe in keeping people in therapy beyond the time that they need to be there.
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16) How long is a therapy session?
Therapy sessions last between forty-five and fifty minutes.
17) Will information that I disclose during my visits be kept confidential?
Absolutely. The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine feels that confidentiality is among our most important responsibilities. We follow the Michigan Mental Health Code and follow the new regulations set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
18) Can you tell me more about psychological testing?
For further information about testing, please click here.
