Policies

1. Patients who need to cancel an appointment will provide as much notice as possible, but a minimum of one business day.

2. Patients who late cancel or no show for an appointment must reach out to their provider about the missed appointment.

3. Patients who have multiple late cancellations or no shows within a 12 month period will not be able to automatically reschedule with their provider, and will discuss the missed appointments with their provider. In certain situations, DMHS may not be able to offer future appointments.

   
   
   

We recognize that there may be times when you require an assessment or a letter documenting your mental health needs for a medical procedure, academic program or other specific service. DMHS does not offer assessment services.

• DMHS is a treatment service that focuses on patient care but is not equipped to provide assessments to trainees. We do not conduct comprehensive disability determination (i.e., forensic) evaluations.
• It is inappropriate for DMHS clinicians to fill dual roles by being both a therapist involved in your care and by conducting an assessment. Assessments should be objective and, therefore, should be conducted by third party providers.

If you require an assessment, you will be required to seek an outside provider for this process. DMHS does not have a list of suggested providers.

1. For trainees on a leave of absence, ongoing services may be offered while the trainee remains in-state during the duration of their leave. The frequency of sessions may vary from what they received while actively enrolled, depending on the needs of the trainee and availability of providers. If the leave ends and the trainee does not resume their prior role at IU School of Medicine, they are then considered a former trainee.

2. Former trainees who have seen a DMHS counselor during their time at IU School of Medicine, limited care is available, if needed, during a brief transition period of typically one month or less from their final date of enrollment at IU School of Medicine, if they are located in the state of Indiana.

3. Former trainees who have seen a DMHS psychiatrist during their time at IU School of Medicine may receive limited psychiatric care, if needed, during a brief transition period of typically less than a month from their final date of enrollment at IU School of Medicine, if they are located in the state of Indiana.

4. Former trainees who have seen a DMHS psychiatrist during their time at IU School of Medicine may receive a 3-to-6-month supply of refills for their current medications at their final psychiatry appointment, depending upon the medications and the preferences of the psychiatrists.  

5. Former trainees who have never received DMHS services may reach out for a counseling appointment, within the first month of their separation from IU School of Medicine, to link them with other services for ongoing future care.

Treatment

The Department of Mental Health Services provides both counseling and psychiatric services including assessments and follow-up visits. This is a collaborative process. Counseling is a confidential process designed to help you address your concerns, come to a greater understanding of yourself, and learn effective personal and interpersonal coping strategies. It involves a relationship between you and a trained therapist who has the desire and willingness to help you accomplish your individual goals.  Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, and frustration. Psychotherapy has also been shown to have significant benefits. Therapy can lead to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, significant reduction in distress, and improved functioning or performance.

If you are meeting with the psychiatrist, the first visit will include a diagnostic assessment and the formulation of a treatment plan. This treatment plan may involve recommendations (if needed) regarding a further work-up and/or medications. There will be an opportunity at that time to discuss the benefits and risks of such recommendations. If you experience any side effects from your medications, you should talk to your psychiatrist about this.

You request and authorize the IU School of Medicine Department of Mental Health Services (DMHS) and their respective agents and employees who may attend you to provide mental health treatment and to perform routine tests and procedures as prescribed for your health and well-being in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. You may rescind this consent at any time by notifying the mental health services team. 

An initial appointment with DMHS does not constitute a commitment to ongoing care. Patients may have multiple sessions with one or more DMHS providers to manage immediate needs prior to beginning an ongoing therapeutic relationship. Both the patient and provider must agree to establish an ongoing treatment relationship, which is generally indicated by scheduling a follow-up appointment (as opposed to a stand-alone appointment, such as a targeted or crisis appointment).

Treatment is only available for current IU School of Medicine trainees (and their partners, in the case of couples counseling). Former trainees may receive limited care during a brief transition period, typically one month or less from their final date of enrollment at IU School of Medicine, if they are located in Indiana.

Teletherapy and Telemedicine

Telehealth is the use of electronic transmissions to address and treat the needs of a patient. This means the practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data, and education occur by interactive audio, video, or data communications. The risks involved with telehealth include the potential release of private information due to the complexities involved with the use of the internet. The advantages are that you may be treated remotely (as allowed by law) at a mutually agreeable time.

DMHS may not be able to offer tele-therapy to patients located out of the state of Indiana. Please be sure to let DMHS know in advance if you will be out of state for your appointment so we can determine whether we can provide telehealth services to you. If you have any questions about this request, please talk with your provider.

Please refer to your provider for a discussion on whether this modality of treatment is suitable for your care.

Confidentiality

Mental health services are confidential in accordance with state laws and ethical guidelines. Patient records are maintained in files separate from medical learner training sites and will not be released to faculty, staff, administrators, parents, other trainees, or other health care providers without the individual’s written permission.

The following are possible exceptions to confidentiality. By law, DMHS must report actual or suspected abuse of children or endangered (incapacitated) adults to the appropriate authorities. In addition, your provider has a legal responsibility to report to the proper authorities when there is an imminent risk of harm to self or others. Your provider may be subpoenaed or court ordered to release information.

When coordination of care is desired and beneficial, with written permission from you, the trainee, certain information such as treatment dates and treatment compliance or other information (as requested by you) may be shared with designated individuals. You, the trainee, will have the opportunity to discuss this in advance.

DMHS uses a collaborative care model in which patient cases may be discussed during team consults. If you have concerns about this process, please discuss them with your provider. You may choose to opt out of this team consult model by requesting to do so in writing.

HIPAA Privacy Practice

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act, is the federal law that addresses your rights regarding your protected health information. You acknowledge that DMHS has made available to you a copy of their Notice of Privacy.

The DMHS notice of privacy is also available on this website.

Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

You acknowledge that DMHS has given you or offered a copy of their Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

Financial Information

DMHS provides mental health services to trainees at all IU School of Medicine campuses at no charge to the individual seeking support. DMHS does collect insurance information, and laboratory tests and procedures are billed to insurance. There is no guarantee of payment from any insurance company or other payer. You may choose to not have your insurance company billed for services, in which case you will be billed for such medical services and you accept responsibility for payment in full.

Electronic Communications Authorization  

DMHS provides mental health services to trainees at all IU School of Medicine campuses at no charge to the individual seeking support. DMHS does collect insurance information, and laboratory tests and procedures are billed to insurance. There is no guarantee of payment from any insurance company or other payer. You may choose to not have your insurance company billed for services, in which case you will be billed for such medical services and you accept responsibility for payment in full.

Cancellations

DMHS provides mental health services to trainees at all IU School of Medicine campuses at no charge to the individual seeking support. DMHS does collect insurance information, and laboratory tests and procedures are billed to insurance. There is no guarantee of payment from any insurance company or other payer. You may choose to not have your insurance company billed for services, in which case you will be billed for such medical services and you accept responsibility for payment in full.

Privacy

The Department of Mental Health Services within the Indiana University School of Medicine maintains a strict adherence to confidentiality in order to protect the privacy of our patients. To further ensure the privacy of our patients, we ask that all patients and individuals visiting our office refrain from discussing any information pertaining to another patient seen at DMHS with anyone including family, roommates, significant others or any other person. We ask that all patients and individuals visiting our office refrain from discussing information pertaining to another patient in any place where it can be overheard. To protect your own privacy, please only join a telehealth appointment when you are in a private location where the conversation cannot be overhead by others. Thank you for your cooperation.

Revised on January 2026