Medication Management

BCA offers medication management on site.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Andrea Grimshaw, MSN-CRNP, PMHNP, CSAP

Often, traditional talk therapy by itself can help manage if not eliminate unpleasant symptoms associated with certain conditions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc.  However, in some instances, psychotropic medications can be recommended and used in conjunction with psychotherapy to help treat acute, chronic or resistant mental health conditions.  BCA is proud to offer a collaborative approach between our therapists and our in-house psychiatric nurse practitioner if clients are interested in combining therapies.

Why Choose BCA’s Nurse Practitioner for Medication Management?

Have you ever tried to get an appointment with a psychiatrist for a medication consultation?  You were probably told that the first available appointment was not for several weeks or even months.  This can be very frustrating and add to any stress and hopelessness you already feel.  Some primary care physicians (PCPs) are willing to write scripts for certain psychotropic medications to help you in an emergency, however psychiatry is not their area of expertise.  It is important when being prescribed psychotropic medications that your prescriber has taken a thorough mental health history assessment and has specific knowledge of the most advanced and current psychiatric treatments available.  BCA’s trained and experienced psychiatric prescriber can better determine what medication is right for you, if you are on the correct dosage, or whether a combination of medications would best treat your symptoms.

There are a lot of factors to weigh when considering medication.

• Are there alternative treatments available to manage the symptoms?
• What side effects might the medication cause?
• How long will the medication need to be taken?
• What if the medication doesn’t produce the desired results?
• Will my insurance cover it / how much will it cost?

These are all valid and understandable questions that our psychiatric nurse practitioner can help answer for you so you can make an informed decision about medication.

Whether you are an existing client at BCA or receiving therapy elsewhere, you are welcomed to request a medication consultation appointment with our psychiatric nurse.   In most circumstances, medication should not be the first line of defense for treating mental health issues.  For that reason, our nurse strongly prefers that you have an established therapist before the psychiatric consultation, and that you sign consents that allow your therapist to release certain treatment information to the nurse.