A+ Psychiatry is an outpatient psychiatric practice, located in Cleveland, Ohio, that provides telehealth care to children (4 and above), teens, and adults for all of Ohio. This includes psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management.

As a Direct Specialty Care Provider, patients work directly with Dr.Levy and pay a flat monthly rate for ongoing treatment rather than per visit. There is no limit to the number of visits or check-ins between visits.

A+ Psychiatry also offers one-time comprehensive evaluations for ADHD (without referral) as well as limited computer testing only if referred from another provider as part of their evaluation for ADHD.

Direct Speciality Care (DSC) is the name of a model of patient care. The “Direct” means that patients work directly with their doctor, rather than going through layers of support staff.

As a DSC provider, patients pay a flat monthly rate for ongoing care rather than per visit. This encourages us to take time and explore what is going on rather than cramming everything into one visit every few months.

More information about DSC model can be found on the DSC alliance website: https://dscalliance.org/.

In my experience, most patients who seek treatment have multiple concerns, and it can be difficult to determine what is causing what. In the traditional fee-for-service model, doctors are incentivized to see as many patients as possible, and that’s not to mention all the administrative burdens! This is why I think so many patients who’ve seen providers in the past feel that appointments were rushed and few and far between.

With A+ Psychiatry, we can work smarter and not harder. My incentive is to provide thoughtful care in a way that meets the needs of my patients.

With A+ Psychiatry, patients receiving ongoing care pay a flat rate for as many visits and check-ins as clinically needed. The appointments themselves are streamlined and focused on what matters to the patient (and not the insurance companies) and we leverage digital communications to handle concerns between appointments.

Here are some cases where DSC is especially helpful when it comes to psychiatry:

• Starting and stopping medications.

• Prescribed multiple medications where it’s not clear if the medications are still helping or are needed.

• People with a history of poor response or sensitivities to a lot of medications.

• People in the midst of life changes, such as transitioning to adulthood, recent moves, changes in school, college, and work, etc.

• Medication wash-outs and tapers.

The current rates can be found on the home page: https://www.apluspsychiatry.com

Dr. Levy treats children, teens, and adults aged 4-64 years old. He treats a number of common outpatient conditions including ADHD across the lifespan, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, Tics, elimination disorders, trauma and stressor disorders and more.

Yep!

Dr. Levy is board certified in both child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry and has experience treating individuals of all ages.

You might be surprised to learn that child psychiatry training enhances the quality of care provided to adults. This is because child psychiatrists are trained to consider the needs of the family as well as the individual, and also more in-tune to the developmental needs of individuals throughout the lifespan.

Because A+ Psychiatry is an online practice, Dr. Levy can only treat patients when it is safe to do so online. There are foreseeable situations where online treatment is less safe and thus not appropriate for certain patients.

The following are some examples of conditions where we might not be a good fit due to inherent safety concerns with receiving online treatment. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list. You are encouraged to reach out to A+ Psychiatry (hello@apluspsychiatry.com) if you have questions.

Severe mental illness (eg. schizophrenia spectrum disorders)

People with severe communication limitations that inhibit them to effectively communicate via telehealth.

Uncontrolled, (unstable) Eating / feeding disorders.

People who are at chronically high risk of self harm or injury to themselves or others.

Certain personality disorders.

Living situations where a person cannot reliably have the privacy needed in place to conduct an online visit.

Addictions, when it is the primary problem or a substantial barrier to treatment. Also, I am not certified to provide Suboxone treatment.

Also Dr. Levy does NOT do disability or forensic evaluations, including child custody disputes.

Dr Levy celebrates neurodiversity and appreciates and has experience working with individuals with ASD of all ages. He is very aware that people with ASD communicate differently and they often have unique considerations when it comes to prescribing medications.

Please note Dr. Levy does not offer specialized diagnostic testing (such as ADOS) for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism or social pragmatic communication disorder. Likewise, telehealth may not be medically appropriate for patients with communication limitations that adversely affect their ability to participate in online appointments.

You are encouraged to reach out to A+ Psychiatry (hello@apluspsychiatry.com) if you have questions about whether or not we are a good fit.

Dr. Levy does not provide specialized treatment for people suffering from addictions, nor is he certified to provide Suboxone treatment.

Yes, Dr. Levy prescribes most commonly used outpatient medications for patients (“members”) who are receiving ongoing care with Dr. Levy.

We will work together to determine which medications (if any) would be most appropriate based on your needs, treatment history, medical history, and the preferences of the individual.

Yes. Dr. Levy is licensed to prescribe stimulants for kids, teens, and adults. When appropriately prescribed, stimulants can literally be life changing. When done inappropriately, it puts all of us at risk.

Dr. Levy is steadfastly committed to safe prescribing of stimulant medications. This inlcudes:

• Following the standard of care when it comes to prescribing stimulants. This means a thorough evaluation to ensure that treatment is indicated and there are no contra-indications to using stimulants.

• Utilizing health information technology to monitor for suspicious activity.

• Avoiding prescribing stimulant medications at the first visit unless certain stringent criteria is met.

• Prescribing appropriate dosages and quantities of medication.

• Psychoeducation / counseling to clients about the risks of stimulant prescribing.

• Consideration of long acting stimulants (which often carry less abuse risk), and non-stimulant medications when clinically appropriate.

• Policies and procedures in the event of lost or stolen medications.

• Communication with other providers where appropriate.

Dr. Levy strives to make every patient interaction a therapeutic interaction. This means utilizing a variety of therapy techniques. He loves teaching and counseling, with the goal of helping patients make the best decisions for themselves and others.

If a person is looking for routine scheduled psychotherapy sessions Dr. Levy would encourage them to find a with a provider who has additional training and expertise in psychotherapy.

Dr. Levy provides telepsychiatry to ALL of Ohio. He lives in NE Ohio. Please click on the Contact page for our business mailing address.

Please note: Dr. Levy is licensed in the State of Ohio. Patients MUST be physically located in Ohio at the time of their telehealth appointment. No exceptions. (We didn’t make up the rules!).

In-person visits may be arranged as needed in order for patients to be prescribed certain medications such as controlled substances like Adderall and Ritalin, as required by federal and state law. Please discuss with Dr. Levy.

With the exception of the above, all appointments are online via telemedicine.

These may sound similar but they serve different purposes.

One-Time Consultation:

• Longer appointment

• The goal is to create a bio-psycho-social formulation that includes any presumptive and differential diagnoses.

• Provides recommendations for further workup or treatment, if indicated.

• Includes a written report which can be sent to a provider of your choice.

New Member Initial Evaluation

• Shorter visit

• The goal is to introduce ourselves to each other, identify goals of treatment and determine if we are a good fit.

• Time for questions and answers

• Creating a treatment plan detailing the next steps for ongoing treatment with Dr. Levy

ADHD is a clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis is made based on each individual’s presentation. In general, the diagnosis involves a clinical interview, plus review of supporting data such as rating scales, 3rd party reports,review or records, and objective testing.

Starting in 2023, at-home computer testing through QbTest will be available. QbTest provides critical data to help determine if executive function is due to ADHD and can also be used to monitor ongoing treatment!

No hard feelings! Sometimes people can start with the best intentions but it just doesn’t work out the way we had hoped.

Dr. Levy will try as best as he can to work with the patient and family to identify any barriers with the goal of creating a plan to overcome those barriers. If this is not doable then we can discuss referral and treatment options outside of A+ Psychiatry. We will be happy to help facilitate that process including sending a copy of the evaluation.

In many cases we can help facilitate this, provided that we are a good fit for each other.

Please let us know ASAP if you are interested in following up as a member! If it’s been more than 90 days since your One-Time Consultation you will need to have a New Member Initial Evaluation.

Because this is when we will be spending the most time together! During the first 90 days we will be meeting more frequently and have more frequent check-ins with each other. The goal is to get your treatment on track as safely and efficiently as possible.

Of course! A+ Psychiatry was designed to be flexible. Generally speaking, it’s intended that members will work with Dr. Levy for at least 3 months so we can get your treatment right. At the end of 3 months we decide if it is better to continue as a member at a lower “maintenance” monthly fee or transition your care elsewhere.

We ask that members let us know in writing at least 30 days before you intend to end your membership. This will give us time to facilitate a transition plan for any ongoing care that is needed.

Life happens. We get that.

Dr. Levy wants to make sure that your care is transitioned as smoothly as possible. The earlier you let us know your plans the more time we have to work with you to identify follow-up treatment needs and make appropriate arrangements. We can provide copies of any treatment records to follow-up providers upon request.

Provided that you notify A+ Psychiatry in writing within 30 days, any prepaid membership fees for unused days will be refunded on a per-diem basis.

A+ Psychiatry is a Direct Care Practice which means that patients (“members”) pay directly. Dr. Levy does contract with any insurance providers.

Also at this time Dr. Levy is not able to treat any patients with Medicare or Ohio Medicaid (including managed care).

We accept all major credit cards and direct withdrawal. Your credit care information will be kept securely on file and charged on a monthly basis.

In order to reduce our overhead, membership services must be set up as an auto-pay / recurring payment.

Yes you can use HSA/FSA cards!

We would strongly discourage members from doing this as it leads to suboptimal care, and the process of re-establishing can be a time-consuming process. Nonetheless we understand that life happens.

Depending on how long it has been since your last visit you will need to pay a percentage of the current New Member Initial Evaluation fee equal as follows:

• 0-1 months since last enrolled as a member: 20% of New Member Initial Evaluation fee

• 1-2 months since last enrolled as a member: 40% of New Member Initial Evaluation fee

• 2-3 months since last enrolled as a member: 60 % of New Member Initial Evaluation fee

• 3-4 months since last enrolled as a member: 80% of New Member Initial Evaluation fee

• 4+ months since last enrolled as a member: 100% New Member Initial Evaluation fee

The short answer is no!

The long answer is also no! While both direct care and concierge have similarities such less patient load and increased access to the provider between visits, there are a few key differences:

1. Direct Care Providers strive to provide efficient, cost effective care and typically work with individuals. Concierge medicine is more about providing “value added” care.

2. Concierge practices often work with insurance and quite often charge for elective products and services that are not covered by insurance. On the other hand direct care providers aim to provide cost effect treatment, that bypasses the limitations (and overhead) imposed by insurance and most fee-for-service practices.

Here is a link to an article which goes into the difference between direct care and concierge care. (Note: This article focuses on direct primary care vs concierge but it still applies to direct specialty care). https://essentialhealth.health/the-difference-between-concierge-medicine-direct-primary-care/

Yes! If more than person in a household is in treatment with Dr. Levy, each member will receive a 10% discount.

*Please note that the decision to treat multiple household members will be done on a case-by-case basis, as there are times when it might not be clinically appropriate for feasible to treatment multiple family members. Please reach out to Dr. Levy if you are interested in referring a family member.