Do I need a referral from my primary care doctor to be seen?

Not for us — you can request a consultation directly through this website. Some insurance plans, particularly HMOs, do require a referral for specialty coverage, so it is worth checking your plan.

What blood tests are done before starting psychiatric medication?

A common baseline includes a complete blood count, metabolic panel, and thyroid function, with vitamin B12 and vitamin D added based on history. Individual medications may require additional monitoring such as kidney function or drug levels.

Can my primary care doctor manage my psychiatric medication instead?

Many primary care clinicians manage uncomplicated depression and anxiety well. Specialty care helps when multiple medications have failed, the diagnosis is unclear, bipolar disorder or psychosis is possible, controlled substances are involved, or symptoms are severe.

Will you share my mental health records with my other doctors?

Only with your written authorization. Illinois mental health records receive extra protection under state confidentiality law, and you control what is disclosed, to whom, and for how long.

Does Sanevi provide primary care?

No. We provide psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and medication management for ages 13 and up, and we coordinate with your primary care clinician on labs, monitoring, and overlapping prescriptions.

Patient guide

How psychiatric care and primary care work together

Who orders which labs, which medical conditions imitate psychiatric ones, and how records move between clinicians.

Medical conditions that look like psychiatric ones

Fatigue, low mood, poor concentration, and anxiety are not exclusively psychiatric symptoms. Thyroid disease, anemia and iron deficiency, low vitamin B12 or D, sleep apnea, uncontrolled diabetes, perimenopause, and chronic pain all produce them.

So do medications: some steroids, hormonal treatments, blood pressure medications, and stimulant-containing products change mood and sleep. Part of a careful psychiatric evaluation is asking what else could explain the picture.

Baseline labs and monitoring

A reasonable baseline for a new psychiatric evaluation frequently includes a complete blood count, a metabolic panel, thyroid function, and, depending on history, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Specific medications add their own monitoring.

We usually ask your primary care clinician to draw these, or we review results they already have. That keeps testing in one place and avoids repeat draws.

Who prescribes what

Primary care clinicians commonly start and continue straightforward antidepressant treatment. Specialty psychiatric care is useful when there have been several unsuccessful medication trials, when the diagnosis is unclear, when bipolar disorder or psychosis is in question, when controlled substances are involved, or when symptoms are severe.

When care is shared, one clinician should own each prescription. We make that explicit in writing so no one assumes the other is managing a medication.

Confirm at each visit who refills which prescription.
Use one pharmacy so interactions are caught.
Tell each clinician about changes the other has made.

Sharing records safely

Sharing information between clinicians requires your written authorization, and in Illinois mental health records carry additional protections under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. You decide what is released and to whom, and you can revoke that authorization.

Please do not email protected health information to us. Professional referrals and documents should go through the secure upload form on our referrals page.

If you do not have a primary care clinician

We are a psychiatric practice and do not provide primary care. We can still tell you which baseline workup is worth arranging, what to ask for, and how to interpret the parts relevant to your psychiatric treatment.

For patients without a clinician, federally qualified health centers and community health centers in the Chicago area accept Medicaid and offer sliding-scale fees. Establishing that relationship supports psychiatric treatment rather than competing with it.

Common questions

Do I need a referral from my primary care doctor to be seen?: Not for us — you can request a consultation directly through this website. Some insurance plans, particularly HMOs, do require a referral for specialty coverage, so it is worth checking your plan.
What blood tests are done before starting psychiatric medication?: A common baseline includes a complete blood count, metabolic panel, and thyroid function, with vitamin B12 and vitamin D added based on history. Individual medications may require additional monitoring such as kidney function or drug levels.
Can my primary care doctor manage my psychiatric medication instead?: Many primary care clinicians manage uncomplicated depression and anxiety well. Specialty care helps when multiple medications have failed, the diagnosis is unclear, bipolar disorder or psychosis is possible, controlled substances are involved, or symptoms are severe.
Will you share my mental health records with my other doctors?: Only with your written authorization. Illinois mental health records receive extra protection under state confidentiality law, and you control what is disclosed, to whom, and for how long.
Does Sanevi provide primary care?: No. We provide psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and medication management for ages 13 and up, and we coordinate with your primary care clinician on labs, monitoring, and overlapping prescriptions.

Talk it through with a clinician

Sanevi Health Solutions provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management for ages 13 and up by telehealth across Illinois. You can start a new patient intake request, read about the telehealth visit process, or submit a professional referral.

This guide is general educational information, not medical advice, and does not create a provider–patient relationship. In an emergency call 911, or call or text 988.