The basics:

• Thriveworks adds in-person psychiatry at 5 NJ locations
• Services include psychiatry, medication management, talk therapy
• Expansion follows NJ return to in-person prescribing rules
• Most first-time appointments can be scheduled within five to seven days

Mental health services provider Thriveworks is expanding its psychiatry services in New Jersey to include in-person care.

Patients can now receive in-person psychiatry, as well as medication management and talk therapy, at five existing Thriveworks locations statewide, the practice announced in an Aug. 19 press release:

• Cherry Hill
• Edison
• Paramus
• Red Bank
• Toms River

Until recently, Thriveworks’ eight local clinics offered only in-person talk therapy.

Sites in Dumont, Jersey City and Newark will continue to focus on that service, according to a spokesperson. Both psychiatry and talk therapy will remain as virtual options in New Jersey, the media representative said.

Changes to prescription requirements

The launch comes as New Jersey reinstated requirements for prescribing certain Schedule II controlled substances through telehealth following the expiration of pandemic-era waivers earlier this year.

Under state law, an initial in-person examination and an in-person follow-up visit must take place at least every three months while the patient remains on a medication.

In the wake of the state’s return from virtual to in-person prescribing requirements for some psychiatric medications, many New Jerseyans have been left with gaps in their care due to a shortage of in-person psychiatric providers, Thriveworks said. The provider aims to bridge that gap with its rollout of in-person psychiatry services.

Additionally, it hopes to give patients more options to receive in-person care when required or desired and virtual when clinically appropriate.

The doctor will see you now

Thriveworks CEO Dr. Dan Frogel commented, “For too long, trying to access psychiatric care in New Jersey has meant long waitlists, steep out-of-pocket costs or, just going without. When the new regulations came into effect, we knew even more people would be left without access to the medications they need to function at their best, so leveraging our existing footprint in the state we were able to operationalize quickly to set up in-person psychiatry.”

“We’re proud to offer New Jersey residents with a pathway for fast, high-quality psychiatry services that are covered by most of the state’s major insurance providers,” he said.

Thriveworks noted it offers flexible appointments, including slots during evenings and weekends.

Compared to the national average wait of six weeks, most patients can schedule first-time appointments at Thriveworks within five to seven days, the provider added. They can choose from a variety of providers to find the best match.

Besides being in-network with most major insurance providers in New Jersey, Thriveworks has self-pay options. It does not include anyy membership or hidden fees, according to the practice.

Founded in 2008, national mental health care provider Thriveworks has more than 340 offices and 2,200 clinicians. It offers in-person and online therapy and psychiatry services to children, teens and adults.