When you seek Mental Health and or Substance Abuse treatment, you will see a variety of health care professionals. You may also deal with a case manager from the insurance company or treatment facility. Depending on the type of your insurance, a case manager (CM) may, in conjunction with your health care provider, assess your health needs, refer you to a specialist, coordinate the services that you will receive, and/or follow up on your treatment. In some cases, you may only speak with the CM over the phone; in others, the CM may be a qualified practitioner that you will actually visit. A qualified practitioner is any practicing health care professional licensed by the State to treat patients and provide health services.
The qualified practitioners that you may see during the course of your treatment include the following:
Anyone of these qualified practitioners is referred to as a specialist if he or she has received advanced education in a particular area of health care such as mental illness or substance abuse. Your PCP should communicate with your specialist(s) to monitor your progress and to make sure that you are not receiving any treatments that may react with other medicines or disrupt any other health conditions.