Do I need to live in Fairfield to get care from Harborside?

You need to be physically located in Connecticut at the time of your appointment. Harborside is licensed to provide medication management to patients in Connecticut, and many of the people we work with are in Fairfield and nearby towns in Upper Fairfield County.

How is my prescription actually filled if my appointments are on video?

Your prescriber sends it electronically to whichever pharmacy you choose in Fairfield or elsewhere in Connecticut, the same way most prescriptions are transmitted today. You pick it up in person; only the appointment itself is remote.

Will one clinician manage my care over time, or will I see different providers?

You are matched with one prescriber for medication management and stay with that person for your ongoing appointments, rather than rotating through a panel.

Does Harborside also provide therapy, or only medication management?

Both. Medication management is handled by our psychiatric nurse practitioners, and therapy is provided separately by our licensed therapy team. Many patients use both; others use only one.

What is medication management?

Medication management is a psychiatric service that involves reviewing, monitoring, and adjusting medications to support mental health treatment goals.

Who needs psychiatric medication management?

Individuals experiencing mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, mood disorders, or other psychiatric concerns may benefit from medication management services.

How often should medication management appointments be scheduled?

The frequency of appointments depends on individual treatment needs, medication response, and progress. Follow-up visits are scheduled based on each person's care plan.

Does Harborside Psychiatrics offer medication management in Fairfield, CT?

Yes, Harborside Psychiatrics provides medication management services for individuals seeking psychiatric care in Fairfield, CT.

Medication Management for Fairfield, CT

Q: Can medication management address ADHD or anxiety medication that requires a controlled substance?

Yes. Connecticut allows our psychiatric nurse practitioners to evaluate for and prescribe controlled medications, including stimulant medication for ADHD, when clinically appropriate. That determination happens during your evaluation, not before it.

Harborside Psychiatrics is based on Cape Cod, in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers medication management by video to patients across New England, including Connecticut. In Fairfield, that usually means a parent researching care for a teenager, or an adult who wants an evaluation and an ongoing prescriber relationship without adding a weekly commute to an already full schedule. Fairfield households often have the flexibility to choose a private-pay clinician and to stay with that same clinician appointment after appointment, rather than being reassigned depending on who has an opening.

Medication Management for people in Fairfield, CT

Care happens over live video, using a secure platform you access from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You need a private space, a stable internet connection, and about 45 to 60 minutes for an initial evaluation. Follow-up appointments are shorter, usually 20 to 30 minutes, and are scheduled based on your treatment plan, often every one to three months once things are stable.

Harborside is physically located in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts. Nobody travels there. Your appointments happen from wherever you are in Connecticut at the time, and prescriptions are sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choosing in Fairfield or anywhere else in the state. You pick up medication locally; the clinical visit itself is the only part that happens remotely.

Connecticut permits our prescribers to evaluate for and manage controlled medications, including stimulant medication for ADHD, when that is the right course of treatment. That decision is made individually, based on your evaluation and history, not assumed in advance.

How telehealth care actually works

Medication management at Harborside addresses conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and sleep difficulties that have a psychiatric component. We also work with patients managing mood or attention symptoms alongside a co-occurring physical health condition, and with adults who want a functional psychiatry approach that looks at nutrition, sleep, and lab work alongside medication. Every plan starts with a full evaluation rather than a diagnosis assumed from an intake form.

What we treat

The first appointment is a full psychiatric evaluation. Your prescriber asks about your current symptoms, your medical and psychiatric history, any medications you have tried, and what has and has not worked. You will talk about your daily life, your sleep, and anything else relevant to an accurate diagnosis. By the end of that visit, you and your prescriber will have a plan, which may include starting a medication, adjusting one you already take, ordering labs, or referring you to one of our therapists for concurrent talk therapy.

What the first appointment involves

Medication management and functional psychiatry at Harborside are performed by psychiatric nurse practitioners: Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, who is also our clinical director, Emily Pardue, RN PMHNP-BC, and Kirstin Ritchie, RN PMHNP-BC. Each is qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe for mental health conditions, and each carries an active caseload of patients they see on an ongoing basis, rather than rotating patients through whoever is available. Full bios and credentials for each of them are on our team page.

Therapy and eating disorder care are delivered separately by our licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Some patients in Fairfield use medication management on its own; others combine it with therapy from one of these clinicians.

Who our clinicians are

Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial evaluation and for follow-up medication management appointments are listed on our pricing page, and if you have questions about cost, you can ask them before anything is booked.

What it costs

If you are ready to move forward, you can request an appointment online. You will fill out some brief intake paperwork ahead of time so the first session can focus on your evaluation rather than administrative details. From there, you are matched with one of our psychiatric nurse practitioners and you keep working with that same clinician for your ongoing care. For a broader look at how we work across the state, visit our Connecticut telehealth page, or see what we offer to households nearby on our Upper Fairfield, CT page. If anxiety is part of what brought you here, our anxiety treatment page goes into more detail on that specific condition. You can also learn more about the service generally on our medication management page.

Getting started

This page is educational and is not medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

For general information on psychiatric medication and safe prescribing practices, see the [CITATION: American Psychiatric Nurses Association or SAMHSA resource on medication-assisted mental health treatment, for general patient education credibility].

Reviewed by Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, Clinical Director, Harborside Psychiatrics. Last reviewed: {LAST_REVIEWED}.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a diagnosis already to book an appointment?

No. The first appointment includes a full evaluation, so a prior diagnosis isn’t required to get started.

Will you work with my current therapist or primary care provider?

Yes, with your permission. Many patients keep an existing therapist and use Harborside only for medication management.

How often will I need appointments?

It depends on the medication and how you’re responding to it. Some patients are seen monthly at first, then less often once things are stable.

Can prescriptions go to any pharmacy?

Prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, the same as they would be after an in-person visit.

Do you accept insurance?

Harborside is private-pay and doesn’t bill insurance directly. A superbill is available for out-of-network reimbursement, where a plan allows it.

What if I need to change or stop medication?

That’s part of ongoing management. Changes are discussed and made together at a follow-up visit, not on your own.

If you need help right now

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside Psychiatrics does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

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