Care Coordination

As do most college counseling centers, the Counseling Center utilizes a short-term treatment model so we can assist as many students as possible in addressing mental health issues that may come up as part of university life.

If ongoing mental health concerns have been identified prior to coming to Tulane, including ADHD and other psychiatric medication needs, you would be better served by seeing a New Orleans community provider who can offer consistent care over an extended time. Our Care Coordinator can help you in finding appropriate mental health clinicians.

Contact our Care Coordinator (for mental health referrals only)
Phone: 504-314-2277 
Email: carecoordinator@tulane.edu

 If you are looking for a referral to a primary care doctor or specialist, please call 504-865-5255.

In order to assist in finding the best mental health provider for you, please include in your email any specific preferences you may have. This can include insurance (if applicable), location, language proficiency, preferred gender or racial identity of clinician, specialties, etc.

Services Offered by the Care Coordinator

• Assistance with identifying appropriate clinicians in the New Orleans community;
• Follow-up check-ins to ensure connection and engagement in treatment; and
• Help in getting connected with a community provider.

The Care Coordinator also acts as a centralized point of contact for students, families, and providers who raise questions or concerns about the referral process or who need access to our up-to-date campus and community referral databases.

Finding an In-Network Mental Health Provider through your Insurance Company

Locate your insurance card:

You will want to have your insurance card on hand when you call your insurance company. If your physical card is with a family member in another city, ask the person who has your card to scan and email BOTH sides of the card to you. If there is no physical copy of your card, you may be able to log into your health insurance website to get information needed to access your benefits (such as your Member ID number).

Call your insurance company:

• There will be an 800 number on the back of your insurance card to call for “mental health benefits.” If this number is not available, look for a “member services” phone number. When the phone operator answers your call, they will ask for your ID # off the front of the card.
• Ask the operator what your “outpatient mental health benefits” are. They will tell you if you will owe a deductible or co-payment for visits, and how many visits you will be allowed per year.
• Then, ask the operator for a listing of names of therapists and/or psychiatric services in the ZIP code of 70118 or your local ZIP code. Make sure you get more than one or two names, as you may need to call several providers. The operator may also give you a website where you can look up the information.

Search Online:

Most insurance plans also have an online search feature that you can use to find in-network mental health providers. The website address is usually listed on the back of your insurance card. You will probably need to register in order to access the online search.

Psychology Today: (www.psychologytoday.com)

This website can be helpful in finding local mental health providers, as well as learning more about ones that you find through your insurance company. Many mental health providers have profiles where you can learn more about their practice and approach. You can filter results with many different criteria including insurance, zip code, specialties/areas of expertise, gender, etc.

Helpful Terms to Know:

• Deductible:  An insurance deductible is the amount of expenses that must be paid out of pocket (full price) before the insurance coverage begins. Under most plans, deductibles do not apply to many health services, including routine office visits with primary care providers, where the patient is only expected to pay a copay.
• Copayment (copay for short): A set fee for appointments, usually much lower than the full cost of treatment. Your copay for counseling may be different than the copay for routine office visits (usually listed on your insurance card).