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Harborside Psych

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Medication Management for Portsmouth, RI

Harborside Psychiatrics is based on Cape Cod, in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care by video across New England, including Rhode Island. That distance does not change how the care is delivered. It means a person in Portsmouth can work with a psychiatric nurse practitioner without driving to Providence or Newport, and without the appointment revolving around a waiting room.

Portsmouth sits at the base of Aquidneck Island, between Narragansett Bay and the Sakonnet River, in a stretch of Rhode Island that also includes Bristol, Barrington, Newport, Jamestown, and Little Compton. It is a place with old family names, working farms, sailing, and a strong sense of who belongs to the town. People here tend to want care that respects their time and their privacy, whether they are a longtime resident or someone who moved to the coast more recently. Medication management from Harborside is built around that: a private, video-based appointment with a prescriber who knows your history, on a schedule that fits your life on the island.

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Medication Management for people in Portsmouth, RI

Every appointment happens over secure video. You will need a private space, a stable internet connection, and a computer, tablet, or smartphone. There is no app to install and no in-person visit required at any point. Before your first appointment you will receive a secure link along with any intake forms to complete ahead of time.

A first appointment typically runs longer than a follow-up, since your prescriber needs time to go through your history, current symptoms, and any medications you have already tried. Follow-up appointments are shorter and are scheduled at a pace that depends on your situation. Some people are seen every few weeks while a medication is being adjusted, and less often once things have settled into a routine that works.

If a medication is prescribed, it is sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choosing near you in Portsmouth or wherever is most convenient. You handle refills the same way you would with any other prescriber, through your pharmacy and through scheduled follow-up appointments with Harborside.

One important note for anyone in Rhode Island: state rules do not allow this practice to prescribe controlled medications, including stimulant medications or benzodiazepines, to patients located here. Medication management focuses on non-controlled options suited to your diagnosis.

How telehealth care actually works

Medication management at Harborside addresses conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive patterns, mood instability, and the emotional weight that can come with major life transitions or chronic stress. It also supports people managing eating disorders alongside the therapy team, and people looking at their symptoms through a functional psychiatry lens, which considers sleep, nutrition, and physical health alongside mental health symptoms.

Not every condition calls for medication, and not every person who considers it will end up on one. Part of the first appointment is figuring out, together, whether medication makes sense for you at all, and if so, what a reasonable approach looks like given what you have already tried.

What we treat

Your first appointment is a conversation, not a checklist. Your prescriber will ask about your current symptoms, your health history, any medications or supplements you take now, and what has or has not helped in the past. You will talk about your goals for treatment and what concerns you have about medication, including side effects.

By the end of the appointment, you should have a clear sense of what is being recommended and why, along with a plan for the next several weeks. If medication is prescribed, your prescriber will go over what to expect, what to watch for, and when your next appointment should be.

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 Harborside’s 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. Full bios and credentials for each of them are on the team page.

Therapy and eating disorder work at Harborside are delivered by the licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Many patients in Portsmouth work with a prescriber for medication and a therapist for ongoing talk-based care at the same time.

Who our clinicians are

Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial appointment and for follow-up appointments are listed on the pricing page, and you are welcome to ask about cost before you book anything.

What it costs

If you are in Portsmouth and want to talk with a prescriber about medication, the next step is scheduling an initial appointment. You will complete intake paperwork online beforehand, and your first video appointment will focus on understanding your history and figuring out a reasonable plan together. There is no obligation to continue past that first conversation if it does not feel like the right fit.

Getting started

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.

This page is educational and is not medical advice. Reading it does not create a provider-patient relationship with Harborside Psychiatrics or with any individual clinician. For guidance specific to your situation, schedule an appointment.

For general information on medication treatment for mental health conditions, see the [CITATION: National Institute of Mental Health page on mental health medications, as an independent government source on medication treatment].

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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.

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

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.

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

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

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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