Coordination of members' mental health care

Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Access Center and our contracted mental health practitioners collaborate to effectively coordinate member care through the following administrative requirements, designed to meet regulatory standards.

Practitioners must provide accurate and timely treatment information for our members per the terms of the agreement and must inform members that they will share treatment reports with Kaiser Permanente in accordance with all applicable state and federal confidentiality laws.

For most of our members, their primary care provider or personal physician assumes responsibility for managing their overall care. To assure continuity and coordination of care, we ask that mental health providers communicate with a member's personal physician. At a minimum, this requires:

Providing the personal physician, in writing or by phone, with the diagnosis, treatment plan, and other relevant clinical information following initial evaluation. Please make note of the communication in your clinical record.

Notifying the personal physician of any relevant changes in the member's condition or treatment plan while in your care. You must communicate to the personal physician when starting or changing medication.

In addition to coordinating with the primary care provider, Kaiser Permanente requires mental health practitioners to communicate with other relevant medical, mental health, and addiction and recovery practitioners. Communication on addiction and recovery care requires appropriate release of information documentation.

The Mental Health Access Center can be reached at 206-630-1680 or toll-free at 1-888-287-2680, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.