Psychiatric Clinic

SECMHC’s Psychiatric Clinic is the cornerstone of our service and touches every other service offered by SECMHC. Effective treatment starts with a thorough psychiatric evaluation provided by our board certified child and adolescent or adult psychiatrists, along with our advanced nurse practitioners. After establishing a diagnosis, we then embark upon treatment.

SECMHC is committed to using well researched evidence-based clinical models as the basis for all our care. These include the Texas Medication Algorithm Project and the Practice Guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association. The Texas Algorithm started as a consensus statement of experts, and has undergone rigorous testing of outcomes measures in the "real world". The APA practice guidelines provide very thorough treatment recommendations for most mental illnesses and syndromes.

SECMHC's professionals focus on reducing the impact of the illness through illness management strategies. SECMHC’s psychiatrists, advanced practice nurses, and nurses provide education about the illness, symptoms of the illness, coping skills, medications, and side effect to help consumers fully understand both their illness and their treatment. They work with each consumer on barriers to medication use, such as a lack of efficacy, side effects, or medication costs. SECMHC believes that knowledge and skills to effectively manage the illness increases the consumer’s overall health and wellbeing.

SECMHC understands that mental health and physical health are intricately connected. At each visit, a full nursing assessment is conducted to ensure overall physical wellness. SECMHC's staff then coordinates with primary care physicians, specialty physicians, and/or other service providers that support the consumer’s wellness.

While the clinic operates like many other clinics with scheduled appointments, SECMHC also encourages consumers to walk-in. The clinic staff provides crisis intervention and resolution when necessary.