Free psychiatry practice resources
Educational forms, checklists, references, and worksheets for psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Branded, dated, disclaimered, and made to be shared.
These are free, branded, educational resources for psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners: the forms, checklists, references, and worksheets clinicians actually keep and pass around. They're built to be useful whether or not you ever work with anyone in The Shrink Network. Each one is a plain-language example, not a legal document, and each carries a clear educational disclaimer and the date it was current.
Every download is a branded PDF or spreadsheet, with no advertising. Use them, adapt them, and share them.
Forms and policy examples
Psychiatric intake form (example)
What a thorough new-patient psychiatric intake typically covers, section by section.
New patient welcome packet (example)
A welcome outline: what to bring, what to expect, and the policies at a glance.
Telepsychiatry informed consent (example)
The topics a telepsychiatry consent commonly addresses, from privacy to licensure and emergencies.
Release of information (example)
The HIPAA-aware elements of an authorization to release records, including sensitive-record cautions.
Medical records request (example)
A patient records request, with notes on access rights and sensitive records.
Psychiatry referral form (example)
An illustrative form for referring a patient to psychiatric care.
Primary care communication letter (example)
A template for the letter back to a primary care clinician after an evaluation.
Controlled substance agreement (example)
The elements a controlled-substance treatment agreement commonly includes. High-caution area.
Cancellation and no-show policy (example)
Example language for a cancellation and missed-appointment policy, with payer and state caveats.
Financial and payment policy (example)
Example payment, cash-pay, superbill, and cancellation-fee language.
Good Faith Estimate explainer
What the No Surprises Act Good Faith Estimate is, what it includes, and the dispute process.
Documentation aids
Progress note structure (example)
An outline for structuring an outpatient psychiatric follow-up note.
Mental status exam quick reference
The domains of the mental status exam with example descriptors, on one page.
Risk assessment documentation structure
How clinicians document a suicide and safety risk assessment. A documentation aid for trained clinicians, not a screening or prediction tool.
Safety planning overview
An educational overview of the evidence-informed Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention. For trained clinicians and education.
Documentation, billing, and coding
E/M documentation checklist
How outpatient E/M visits are documented, by medical decision making or by time.
Coding quick reference
Common psychiatry service codes and how initial evals, med management, and psychotherapy add-ons fit together.
Superbill and CMS-1500 explainer
What an out-of-network superbill contains and how the standard CMS-1500 claim form works.
Collaborative Care billing codes explainer
The psychiatric Collaborative Care Model codes (99492 to 99494, G2214) and who bills them.
Privacy and compliance
HIPAA safeguards checklist
Administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for a small or solo mental health practice.
Notice of Privacy Practices explainer
What a HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices is and what it commonly includes.
Business Associate Agreement explainer
What a HIPAA BAA is, which vendors need one, and what it commonly covers.
Telehealth and regulatory
Telepsychiatry setup and webside manner checklist
Environment, camera presence, and per-visit safety practices for video visits.
Telemedicine controlled-substance rules explainer
The federal telemedicine prescribing rules, with the current status dated on the page. This area changes often.
Careers, training, and practice setup
Private practice startup checklist
The credentials, business, systems, and steps clinicians line up to start an independent or telepsychiatry practice.
Credentialing and payer enrollment checklist
What clinicians line up for credentialing and payer enrollment, and how long it takes.
DEA and NPI setup checklist
The identifiers and registrations clinicians commonly need, and how they fit together.
Matching into psychiatry timeline
The residency application year for psychiatry, from spring planning to Match Day.
Residency CV and personal statement structure
How psychiatry applicants commonly structure a CV and a personal statement.
Psychiatry fellowship map
The ACGME subspecialty fellowships open to psychiatrists, and how subspecialty certification works.
Board certification and continuing certification
How ABPN initial certification and its continuing certification program work.
PMHNP education-to-practice pathway
How psychiatric nurse practitioners train, certify, and become licensed to practice.
Residency interview prep
Common psychiatry residency interview questions, with brief guidance.
Worksheets and trackers (spreadsheets)
Private practice startup budget worksheet
A spreadsheet to estimate one-time startup costs, monthly overhead, and a simple break-even.
Credentialing and payer enrollment tracker
A spreadsheet to track each payer application, its status, and your license and DEA expirables.
Common questions
Are these psychiatry practice resources free?
Yes. Every resource here is free to download, use, and share. There's no sign-up and no advertising.
Can I use these forms in my practice?
They're educational examples, not ready-to-use legal documents. Adapt each one to your setting and have it reviewed by qualified legal and compliance counsel licensed in your jurisdiction before you use it. You're responsible for HIPAA and other compliance.
How current are these resources?
Every file is stamped with the date it was current, and this library shows July 7, 2026. Laws, payer rules, and billing codes change, so confirm the current requirements for your jurisdiction before you rely on anything here.
Are these legal or medical advice?
No. shrinkiatry publishes professional commentary and education, not legal or medical advice.
Do the safety and risk resources replace clinical training?
No. The risk-assessment and safety-planning resources are educational structure for trained clinicians, not screening tools, risk calculators, or a substitute for assessment, training, and supervision. In a crisis, call or text 988 in the US, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
Who created these resources?
shrinkiatry, the profession layer of The Shrink Network, reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, a board-certified psychiatrist.
shrinkMD® and shrinQ® are registered trademarks of Shariq Refai, used with permission.
Do you have medication comparison sheets?
Not here. Medication guides and comparisons live on PsychiatryRx, the medication layer of The Shrink Network.
How to use these
Treat every file as a starting point, not a finished legal document. The rules that govern intake, consent, records, controlled substances, and billing vary by state, by payer, and by setting, and they change. Each file is dated so you can see how current it is. Adapt each one to your practice and have it reviewed by counsel licensed where you work before you rely on it. More are added over time.
These come from shrinkiatry, the profession layer of The Shrink Network. If you want to practice independently or by telepsychiatry, see working in psychiatry.
Part of The Psychiatry Operating Room, shrinkiatry's map of the profession behind psychiatric care.