What a psychiatrist needs in a referral
The companion checklist to our referral guide: exactly what to send, and why each piece matters, so your referral to psychiatry moves quickly instead of stalling.
This is the companion checklist to our guide on how to refer a patient to psychiatry. It walks through each item a psychiatrist actually needs, and why it matters, so your referral moves.
The referral question
Name what you want. Diagnostic clarification, a medication decision, a second opinion, or ongoing management are different requests that lead to different visits. "Please evaluate and treat" is a fine outcome, but say what prompted it: what you've observed, what you've tried, and what you're unsure about.
The medication history
This is the highest-value part of the packet. Include the current medications with doses, and for the past ones, the dose reached, how long the patient took it, the response, and why it stopped, whether that was side effects, no benefit, cost, or preference. A psychiatrist who can see that two SSRIs at adequate doses and duration already failed will make a very different first move than one starting blind.
The clinical picture
Give the working diagnosis, the relevant history, and where the patient is now: current symptoms, how long, and the effect on daily function. If you use validated measures like the PHQ-9 for depression or the GAD-7 for anxiety, send the scores and dates. They give the psychiatrist a baseline to measure against.
A current risk assessment
State whether there's any suicidal or homicidal ideation, what protective factors exist, and what you've already done about it. If risk is why you're referring urgently, say so plainly. If the patient is in acute crisis, that isn't a referral at all: use 911, 988, or the emergency department.
Substance use, medical history, and labs
Note current alcohol, cannabis, and other substance use, since it changes both diagnosis and prescribing. Flag relevant medical conditions, pregnancy or the possibility of it, and any medications that interact. Send recent labs where they matter, such as thyroid studies, a metabolic panel, or medication levels.
Records and a signed release
Attach a completed authorization so records can move both ways without a separate round of paperwork. Our free release of information example and psychiatry referral form example cover the structure. They're educational examples; check them against your own compliance and payer requirements.
Logistics
Give the psychiatrist what they need to close the loop: how to reach the patient, the insurance or pay situation, the urgency, and how you'd like the consult note sent back, including your fax or secure email. If you're referring to a telepsychiatry practice, its intake will ask for these same fields; shrinkMD's provider referral form is one example of the format. (Disclosure: shrinkiatry and shrinkMD share a founder, Shariq Refai, MD, and we take no referral commission.)
What not to send, and common mistakes
The referrals that stall tend to share a few things: a vague request with no question, no medication history, no release, or an acute crisis sent as a routine referral. Don't send a wall of unsorted records in place of a one-paragraph summary, and don't assume the psychiatrist can reach the patient without current contact details. A tight packet respects everyone's time and gets your patient seen sooner.
Sources
Educational guidance for referring clinicians, not a substitute for clinical judgment.
- American Psychiatric Association, integrated and collaborative care. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/professional-interests/integrated-care/learn
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/
Common questions about psychiatry referrals
What is the single most important thing to include in a psychiatry referral?
The medication history. Current medications with doses, and the past ones with the dose, how long the patient took them, the response, and why they stopped. It prevents repeated trials of things that already failed and tells the psychiatrist where to start.
Do I need a signed release to refer?
To exchange records, yes. Send a completed release of information with the referral so the psychiatrist can request records and send a consult note back without a delay. Some practices also want the patient's verbal consent to be contacted noted on the referral.
How do I mark a referral as urgent?
Say so explicitly, and say why. Note whether you need the patient seen within days rather than weeks, and what's driving the urgency. A referral that doesn't state its priority gets triaged as routine.
What if my patient is in crisis right now?
That's not a referral. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or send them to the emergency department. If they're in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988. Refer for outpatient follow-up after stabilization.