Telehealth Policy

Kwik Psych Clinics PLLC (“KwikPsych”)

This Telehealth Policy is for informational purposes only and does not replace your Notice of Privacy Practices or any treatment agreement you sign with us. It may change as laws and professional guidelines change.

What Is Telehealth at KwikPsych?

“Telehealth” (also called telepsychiatry) means seeing your mental health provider by:

• Secure video visit (preferred)
• Phone (audio-only) when video isn’t possible or appropriate
• Secure patient portal messaging for limited, non-urgent issues

Telehealth is used for:

• Psychiatric evaluations and follow-up
• Medication management, including some controlled medications when allowed by law
• Psychotherapy and support visits
• Safety planning and crisis follow-up (we are not an emergency room or 24/7 crisis line)

Who We Serve by Telehealth

Adults (18+) physically located in:

• Texas
• California

Teens 14–17 physically located in:

• Texas only, with parent/guardian involvement except where state law allows otherwise (see “Minors & Guardians” below).

You must be physically in a state where your clinician is licensed at the time of the visit (for example, inside Texas or California). If you are traveling to another state or country, we may need to reschedule or refer you to a local provider.

Technology & Privacy

We use HIPAA-compliant platforms with Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), such as:

• A healthcare-grade video platform for live telehealth visits
• A secure telephone and messaging service for audio-only visits and follow-up communication
• An electronic health record (EHR) with a patient portal for secure messaging, forms, and access to parts of your record
• Secure email and fax solutions for care coordination and records when needed

We may change specific vendors or technologies over time, but we will only use platforms that are configured for HIPAA compliance and covered by BAAs.

To help protect your privacy, we encourage you to follow HHS telehealth privacy tips, such as:

• Have your visit in a quiet, private place if you can.
• Consider headphones so others can’t overhear.
• Avoid public Wi-Fi and public computers where possible.
• Keep your phone, tablet, or computer up-to-date and password-protected.

We do not record telehealth visits without your explicit permission, except where required by law and explained to you.

How Telehealth Visits Work

For each telehealth visit, we will:

• Confirm your full name and date of birth
• Confirm your current physical location (address) and a callback phone number
• Confirm or update an emergency contact (someone local we can reach if needed)
• Explain any limitations of telehealth for that visit

If the connection is poor:

• We may switch to a phone call if appropriate; or
• We may reschedule or recommend in-person care if we can’t safely complete the visit.

Informed Consent for Telehealth

We will explain:

• What telehealth is and how it works
• Possible benefits (convenience, access, less travel)
• Possible risks (technical problems, privacy and security risks, limits to assessment)

We will ask for your telehealth consent:

• Usually by an electronic form or documented verbal consent before or at your first telehealth visit
• For minors, from a parent/guardian (and the teen, when appropriate)

You may withdraw consent to telehealth at any time, but that may mean we need to switch to in-person care or connect you with a local provider.

Standards of Care & When Telehealth May Not Be Appropriate

The standard of care for telehealth is the same as for in-person visits. Your provider may decide telehealth is not safe or sufficient for some situations, such as:

• Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
• Complex medical or neurological concerns
• Situations where we cannot adequately assess safety or mental status
• Certain controlled-substance prescriptions

We may recommend:

• An in-person visit at our office
• A higher level of care (intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential, or hospital)
• Local urgent care, emergency department, or calling 911/988

Prescribing Medications by Telehealth

General

• Medications are prescribed only after an appropriate clinical evaluation, not solely based on online questionnaires or algorithms.
• We follow all applicable federal and state prescribing laws (Texas, California, DEA, FDA).

Controlled Substances

• For some conditions, we may prescribe controlled substances (for example, stimulants, benzodiazepines, certain opioids, buprenorphine) by telehealth when allowed by law and when clinically appropriate.
• Current DEA and HHS rules (including temporary extensions through December 31, 2026) allow certain Schedule II–V controlled medications to be prescribed via telemedicine without a prior in-person exam if strict conditions are met.

Because rules are changing, we may:

• Require at least one in-person visit before or during ongoing controlled-substance treatment
• Limit certain prescriptions to short-term use until in-person evaluation is completed
• Decline to prescribe specific controlled substances by telehealth if we believe it is unsafe or not legally permitted

Spravato / Esketamine

Esketamine (Spravato) is provided only in our offices under direct supervision. We do not send Spravato home or supervise it by telehealth.

Emergencies & Crisis Situations

During telehealth visits, if your provider believes there is imminent risk, they may:

• Ask you to contact 911 or go to an emergency department
• Contact your emergency contact and/or local emergency services to request a wellness check
• Share necessary information to help protect your safety, consistent with the law

Minors & Guardians (Ages 14–17 in Texas)

We provide telepsychiatry to teens 14–17 located in Texas only. In most cases we require:

• Parent/guardian consent before starting telehealth
• Involvement of a parent/guardian in treatment planning, especially around meds and safety

Teens also have rights to confidentiality, which we explain at intake:

• We generally keep details of therapy private, except when there is risk of harm to self/others, abuse or neglect, or as otherwise required by law.

Parents/guardians should plan to:

• Be available for part of the evaluation
• Help teens attend on time in a private, safe space

Patient Responsibilities

By using telehealth with KwikPsych, you agree to:

• Be truthful and accurate about your identity, medical history, and location.
• Be inside Texas or California (and in Texas if you are 14–17) at the time of your visit.
• Be on time, in a safe, private location, not driving or operating machinery.
• Let us know if someone else is in the room or can hear the visit.
• Use our telehealth tools only for yourself and not share access with others.
• Protect your own devices (updates, passwords) and avoid public Wi-Fi when possible.
• Use portal messaging and email for non-urgent matters only.

Our Responsibilities

KwikPsych clinicians and staff will:

• Maintain active licensure in the states where they see patients.
• Provide care that meets or exceeds the same standard of care as in-person visits.
• Use only approved, HIPAA-compliant platforms for telehealth.
• Protect your privacy under HIPAA and applicable state law, and for substance-use information, 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable.
• Clearly explain what to do if technology fails or if an emergency arises.
• Explain your telehealth options, including any alternatives, whenever reasonably possible.

Billing & Insurance

Telehealth visits may be billed to:

• Your health insurance, if covered
• Self-pay, if you choose or if your plan does not cover a particular telehealth service

Insurance rules for telehealth, including Medicare, are changing over time:

• Many telehealth flexibilities are extended through January 30, 2026, with special, more flexible rules for behavioral health. (CMS)

We encourage you to:

• Contact your health plan to ask what telehealth services are covered
• Confirm any copays, deductibles, or coinsurance before your visit

Policy Updates

We review this Telehealth Policy regularly and when laws or professional standards change (for example, DEA telemedicine rules, Medicare telehealth rules, or state telehealth laws).

The most current version will be posted on our website.