Appointments

Requesting an Appointment

Insurance and self-pay options are available.

If your child has Medicaid insurance:
Families with Medicaid who are interested in having their children seen in our clinic should ask their primary-care physicians (PCP) to fax a Medicaid referral to 205-638-9949.

For all other insurance providers:
Talk with your insurance provider regarding your child's mental health benefits and coverage, which often differ from medical coverage. Authorization for services must be provided by the PCP at the time of referral, for plans that require PCP authorization. Patients may be requested to obtain authorization from their insurance company with PPO plans not requiring PCP authorization.

After the appropriate referrals have been made, the family should call 205-638-9193 and follow the appropriate prompts for making a new patient appointment. You may need to leave a message. An intake worker will return your call. Please have your insurance information available when you call.

Preparing for Your Appointment

In preparing for your child's appointment, please keep the following information in mind:

• The child's LEGAL GUARDIAN (the person who has legal custody and authority to make medical decisions) must attend the initial appointment or the child will not be seen and the appointment may need to be rescheduled. If you are the child's legal guardian and are not the birth or adoptive parent (e.g., grandparent, aunt/uncle, other relative) please bring a copy of the court order or power of attorney indicating that you have legal custody of the child. If DHR has custody of the child, the DHR caseworker must accompany the child to the initial appointment.
• Print and complete the Patient Information Form/ Forma de Informacion del Paciente and bring it to the appointment. A copy will also be mailed to you if you do not wish to access the form here.
• Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. If you are late to an appointment, staff may have to reschedule you for a later date.
• Bring all of your child's current medication bottles to your appointment.
• If your child is unable to sit by themselves, is under 12 years old, or if you have other children that must attend the appointment, please bring another adult with you that can sit with them.  We often need to speak with you alone for part of the session.
• Bring your insurance card and ID.
• Bring copies of any important documents that may be useful in treating your child such as IEPs, report cards, and other school records, and evaluations and records from other care providers.
• Initial evaluation appointments generally take 1 to 2 hours. Please bring snacks, books or other items that may entertain your child while waiting.
• Behavioral Health Ireland Center is a component of the UAB School of Medicine. It is possible that your child will be seen by a team of doctors, including specialists and other physicians in training.

When scheduling your appointment, make sure you confirm whether your child will be seen at our Children's Hospital location or our Lakeshore Office location, then see Maps and Directions for more information on how to get to our clinic.

Transportation problems? Contact KidOne: 205-978-1000 or 1-800-543-7143, or online at www.kidone.org.

If your child has Medicaid insurance, you may be eligible for a voucher for transportation costs. Please call 1-800-362-1504 for more information. You will need to provide your child's Medicaid number, home and mailing addresses, phone number and mode of transportation.

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to seeing you at your first appointment with Behavioral Health Ireland Center!