PRACTICE POLICIES
Effective Date: August 20, 2026
Last Updated: August 20, 2026
These Practice Policies apply to patients receiving care through Root & Rise Brain Health. They are intended to support safe, consistent, and efficient psychiatric care and should be read together with the Root & Rise Brain Health Consent for Treatment, Payment Policy, Cancellation and No-Show Policy, Notice of Privacy Practices, and other applicable patient agreements.
APPOINTMENTS AND ATTENDANCE
Appointments are reserved specifically for each patient.
At least 48 hours' notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment.
Appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 48 hours' notice may be charged a $100 late-cancellation fee.
A missed appointment without notice may be charged a $150 no-show fee.
Patients who arrive more than 15 minutes late may need to be rescheduled if there is not enough remaining time to provide safe and appropriate clinical care.
Cancellation and no-show fees are subject to applicable law, payer requirements, and contractual agreements.
PAYMENT
For self-pay services, payment is due before the scheduled appointment.
Current self-pay fees are:
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation: $325
Medication Management Follow-Up: $175
Complimentary Consultation: No charge
Insurance-based services, patient-responsibility amounts, and billing matters are handled according to applicable payer requirements, billing-platform agreements, and the Root & Rise Brain Health Payment Policy.
PATIENT PORTAL AND COMMUNICATION
The patient portal is the preferred method for routine clinical and administrative communication.
Routine messages should not be used for emergencies or urgent psychiatric concerns.
Electronic messages may not be reviewed immediately.
If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, believe you may harm yourself or another person, or require immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
MEDICATION REFILLS
Medication refills should be requested with sufficient advance notice through the patient portal or other approved method.
Refills are not guaranteed without appropriate follow-up, monitoring, or clinical reassessment.
Controlled medications may require additional review before a refill is authorized.
Patients are responsible for monitoring their medication supply and requesting refills before medications run out.
Root & Rise Brain Health does not routinely provide early refills for lost, stolen, misplaced, overused, or prematurely depleted controlled medications.
CONTROLLED MEDICATION SAFETY POLICY
Root & Rise Brain Health prescribes controlled medications only when clinically appropriate and consistent with applicable federal and state law, professional standards, patient safety, and the clinician's professional judgment.
Controlled medication treatment may require review of prescription-drug-monitoring information, including CURES in California and the applicable prescription-monitoring program in Arizona, as well as review of outside medical records, medication history, pharmacy information, laboratory testing, toxicology testing, coordination with other prescribers, or other monitoring when clinically appropriate.
Receiving a psychiatric evaluation does not guarantee that a controlled medication will be prescribed or continued.
BENZODIAZEPINES AND CONCURRENT OPIOID THERAPY
Root & Rise Brain Health generally does not initiate benzodiazepine treatment for patients who are receiving ongoing opioid or narcotic therapy from another prescriber because concurrent use can substantially increase the risk of sedation, respiratory depression, overdose, and death.
If concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine use is identified or is considered clinically necessary, Root & Rise Brain Health will assess the individual risks and expected benefits, review relevant prescription-drug-monitoring information, and coordinate with the opioid prescriber when appropriate.
Overdose-prevention measures, including naloxone when clinically indicated, may also be discussed or recommended.
Continuation of a benzodiazepine or other controlled medication is based on clinical appropriateness, safety, applicable law, prescription-monitoring information, treatment history, and professional judgment.
Root & Rise Brain Health may decline to initiate or continue a controlled medication when the risks are believed to outweigh the expected benefits.
Patients who have been taking a benzodiazepine regularly or long term will not be instructed to discontinue it abruptly.
When reduction or discontinuation is clinically appropriate, tapering will be individualized, gradual, and monitored according to the patient's clinical circumstances.
CONTROLLED-MEDICATION EXPECTATIONS
Patients receiving controlled medications may be expected to:
Use medications only as prescribed.
Use one pharmacy when reasonably possible.
Provide accurate information about medications prescribed by other clinicians.
Notify Root & Rise Brain Health of new controlled medications prescribed elsewhere.
Avoid sharing, selling, or transferring prescribed medication.
Avoid obtaining the same or similar controlled medication from multiple prescribers without appropriate coordination.
Participate in follow-up appointments and monitoring when required.
Complete laboratory, toxicology, vital-sign, or other monitoring when clinically indicated.
Provide requested medical or pharmacy records when necessary for safe prescribing.
Failure to follow controlled-medication safety requirements may result in modification or discontinuation of controlled-medication treatment when clinically appropriate.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING
Root & Rise Brain Health may review state prescription-drug-monitoring databases before prescribing or continuing controlled medications and at other times when clinically or legally appropriate.
Information from prescription-monitoring programs may be used as part of the overall clinical assessment and treatment decision.
PHARMACY INFORMATION
Patients are responsible for providing accurate and current pharmacy information.
Root & Rise Brain Health may verify pharmacy information before transmitting prescriptions.
Prescription transfers, pharmacy changes, and replacement prescriptions may require additional review, particularly for controlled medications.
MEDICATION SAFETY AND MONITORING
Medication treatment may require laboratory testing, vital signs, ECGs, medical records, specialist consultation, or other monitoring depending on the medication and the patient's medical history.
Patients are responsible for completing clinically necessary monitoring in a timely manner.
Failure to complete required monitoring may limit the ability of Root & Rise Brain Health to safely continue a medication.
OUTSIDE PRESCRIBERS AND COORDINATION OF CARE
Patients should inform Root & Rise Brain Health about psychiatric, pain-management, sleep, stimulant, opioid, benzodiazepine, or other relevant medications prescribed by other clinicians.
When clinically appropriate, Root & Rise Brain Health may request coordination with another treating clinician to support safe prescribing and continuity of care.
A valid authorization for exchange of health information may be requested when needed.
LABORATORY AND MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP
Psychiatric symptoms may sometimes require laboratory testing, medical evaluation, or coordination with a primary-care clinician or specialist.
Root & Rise Brain Health may recommend or request laboratory testing or other medical evaluation when clinically appropriate.
Patients remain responsible for completing recommended testing and informing Root & Rise Brain Health of significant medical changes.
TELEHEALTH
Patients must be physically located in California or Arizona at the time of a telehealth appointment unless Root & Rise Brain Health is otherwise legally authorized to provide care in another jurisdiction.
Patients may be asked to confirm their current physical location and emergency contact information at the beginning of a visit.
Patients should participate from a private and reasonably secure location whenever possible.
CLINICAL APPROPRIATENESS AND SCOPE OF CARE
Root & Rise Brain Health provides outpatient psychiatric care for adults.
The practice may determine that a patient's needs require a higher level of care, in-person evaluation, specialty treatment, emergency evaluation, substance-use treatment, neurological or medical evaluation, or another service outside the scope of the practice.
When clinically appropriate, referral or transition-of-care recommendations will be provided.
EMERGENCY AND CRISIS CARE
Root & Rise Brain Health is not an emergency or crisis-response service.
If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, believe you may harm yourself or another person, or require immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Routine portal messages, email, website forms, and appointment requests are not appropriate for emergency communication.
TERMINATION OR TRANSFER OF CARE
Root & Rise Brain Health may recommend transfer or termination of care when continued treatment is no longer clinically appropriate, safe, feasible, or consistent with practice policies.
When clinically required, reasonable notice, transition planning, and referral information will be provided in accordance with applicable professional and legal obligations.
CHANGES TO PRACTICE POLICIES
Root & Rise Brain Health may revise these Practice Policies as clinical standards, laws, payer requirements, technology, or practice operations change.
The current version will be made available through the website or patient portal as appropriate.
CONTACT
Questions regarding these Practice Policies may be directed to:
Root & Rise Brain Health
Jill Mobley, PMHNP-BC
Phone: (480) 256-2867
Email: jill@rootandrisebrainhealth.com
Website: rootandrisebrainhealth.com