Informed Consent

The nature of psychiatric care

Psychiatric treatment involves an ongoing clinical relationship in which your history, mental health, and functioning are assessed to reach a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. That plan may include medication, referrals, or other interventions.

Psychiatry is a medical discipline with real benefits and real risks. Medications can have side effects, some of which may not appear immediately. Diagnoses may be revised as more information becomes available. No treatment outcome can be guaranteed. The expected benefits and known risks of any recommendation will be explained before proceeding.

Telehealth: what you should know

All services at Umbrella Mental Health are delivered via telehealth — video appointments conducted over a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. Telehealth is an effective and widely-used care model, but it has limitations.

Potential limitations include:

• Technical difficulties (poor connection, audio/video failure) that may interrupt or prevent an appointment
• Reduced ability to assess certain physical signs compared to in-person care
• The need for you to be physically located in California at the time of each appointment
• Reduced ability to respond immediately to an in-person emergency

If a telehealth appointment cannot proceed due to technical issues, reasonable efforts will be made to reschedule or make contact by phone.

Telehealth is not appropriate for psychiatric emergencies. If you are in crisis, call 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Voluntary participation

All care at Umbrella Mental Health is voluntary. No treatment, procedure, or medication will be coerced. Before proceeding with any recommendation, you will be informed of what is being recommended, why, what the alternatives are, and what happens if you decline.

You have the right to ask questions at any point. Expect them to be answered clearly.

Your right to withdraw

You may discontinue care at any time. If you decide to end treatment, please communicate that so any necessary referrals can be arranged and a safe transition can be ensured. Abruptly stopping certain medications can have medical consequences — a tapering plan can be advised if relevant.

Withdrawing from care does not eliminate any financial obligations for services already rendered.

Limits of confidentiality

Your information is confidential, with limited exceptions required by law. There is a mandated reporting obligation in situations involving imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, or suspected abuse. These obligations are explained in full in the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.

Questions before your appointment

If you have questions about any of the above before scheduling, contact info@umbrellamentalhealth.com or (323) 970-2625. Any questions can be addressed before you commit to an appointment.