Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Mental health appointment
Kaiser Southern California: schedule a phone, video, or in-person mental health appointment. No Kaiser provider referral required.
1-833-579-4848Virtual IOP & OP · Ages 12–17 · CaliforniaIn-network insurance accepted
619-354-3569
San Diego · Kaiser
What to say when Kaiser cannot see your teen
The numbers, the 10-day rule, and a script for an outside referral.
- Licensed clinicians
- Virtual care across California
- Free consultation
If your teen is in immediate danger
Call 911 for medical emergencies. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Virtual IOP and outpatient care are not emergency services — reach emergency help first, then contact us when your teen is safe for non-emergency clinical support.
Start here
Ask for a date — then ask for outside
At Mental Health For Teens, call Kaiser mental health, ask for a first date, write it down. If they cannot meet the 10-day limit, ask for an outside provider. Numbers and the script are below.
- 01Call without a pediatrician referral
- 02Ask for a date inside 10 business days
- 03If they cannot, ask for outside
California timely access
The wait-time rules, decoded
- 10 days · first
- Non-physician mental health appointment, from the day you ask.
- 10 days · follow-up
- Next visit, if needed — from the prior appointment.
- 15 days
- Non-urgent visit with a psychiatrist.
- 48 hours
- Urgent care when prior authorization is not required.
- Outside
- If they miss those times, they must help you see another appropriate provider.
- Help
- DMHC Help Center: 1-888-466-2219 or HealthHelp.ca.gov.
San Diego Kaiser numbers
Save these before you call
Southern California Kaiser lists these lines on its mental health services page. Confirm hours on your card if they differ.
24/7
Urgent mental health advice
Kaiser Southern California crisis intervention and urgent mental health advice. Use this if they cannot wait for a weekday appointment line.
1-800-900-3277Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Access / Resolution Specialist
Kaiser’s line for members who cannot schedule or access Mental Health and Addiction Medicine care.
1-800-390-3503State regulator
DMHC Help Center
Free help if Kaiser does not resolve a timely-access problem. Also HealthHelp.ca.gov. Not a crisis line.
1-888-466-2219This week
Do this in order
Write the date and the name of whoever you spoke with. Vague answers are answers.
Call the appointment line — no pediatrician referral
1-833-579-4848, Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (TTY 711). Say you need a first mental health appointment for your teen. Kaiser’s Southern California page says you do not need a referral from a Kaiser provider.
Kaiser SoCalAsk for a date inside 10 business days
California law limits how long a plan can make you wait. For a non-physician mental health clinician, that first visit is 10 business days from the request. Write the date they offer. If they say “we’ll call you,” ask when — and for it in writing.
DMHC timely accessIf they cannot meet it, ask for outside
The Department of Managed Health Care: if you cannot get a timely appointment, the plan must help you get one with another appropriate provider, in or out of network. Ask for that referral at in-network cost, and for the name of who will arrange it.
DMHCIf you are still stuck, escalate
Call Kaiser Resolution Specialists at 1-800-390-3503. File a grievance and ask for the denial in writing. If Kaiser does not resolve it, call the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219. Then we can verify whether virtual IOP or outpatient is even an option on your plan.
Kaiser + DMHC
The script
Say this on the call
Read it. Pause after each ask. Write their answer before you move on.
- 01I am calling for a first mental health appointment for my teen, who is a Kaiser Southern California member.
- 02I do not need a pediatrician referral to access Kaiser mental health — I need a date.
- 03California timely access is 10 business days for a non-physician mental health visit from the day I ask. What date are you offering?
- 04If you cannot offer that, I need an appointment with another appropriate provider, in or out of network, under timely-access rules.
- 05Please document this request in the chart, including the date I asked and the date you offered.
- 06If you are denying an outside referral, I want that in writing, and I want the grievance process.
On the call
What you may hear — and what to ask next
None of these answers ends the request. Ask for a date, a name, or a written denial.
What they may say
- “Download Headspace or Calm” — apps are not a first therapy appointment.
- “The next opening is in six weeks.” That is past the 10-business-day standard unless a clinician documents that a longer wait will not harm them.
- “We don’t do outside referrals.” DMHC says the plan must help you see another appropriate provider if it cannot meet timely access.
- “Have them try a class first.” A wellness class is not a substitute for a clinically indicated visit.
- “We’ll call you back.” Kaiser’s timely-access phone rule: a qualified professional must call back within 30 minutes if they cannot take you live for urgent advice.
What to ask next
- What is the appointment date — month, day, year — and is it within 10 business days of today?
- Is this a licensed mental health clinician, or a coach / class / app?
- If you cannot meet timely access, who arranges the outside or contracted provider, and when will I have that name?
- Will you put this request in the medical record today?
- If this is a no, will you send the denial and grievance instructions in writing?
The map
Six facts the hold music does not mention
If you only remember two: you can call without a pediatrician referral, and a late first date is a reason to ask for outside.
No pediatrician referral to start
Kaiser Southern California: you do not need a referral from a Kaiser provider to access mental health and addiction medicine. Call 1-833-579-4848. Still confirm your teen is listed on the plan.
Ten business days is a standard, not a favor
DMHC timely access: a first visit with a non-physician mental health provider is 10 business days from the request. A psychiatrist is 15. Urgent care without prior auth is 48 hours. A clinician can document that a longer wait will not harm them — ask them to say that in the chart if they use it.
Outside is required when the network is late
DMHC: if you cannot get a timely appointment, the plan must help you get one with another appropriate provider, in or out of network. A 2023 settlement required Kaiser to improve those out-of-network behavioral health referrals.
There is a Kaiser line just for access problems
1-800-390-3503, Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kaiser lists it for members who cannot schedule or access Mental Health and Addiction Medicine. Use it after the appointment line, not instead of 988.
Grievance, then the state — not a Facebook post
Ask for a written denial. File Kaiser’s grievance. If they do not resolve a timely-access problem, DMHC Help Center is 1-888-466-2219 or HealthHelp.ca.gov. Independent Medical Review is for denials of medically necessary care — ask DMHC which path fits.
We are not Kaiser, and we are not the ER
Mental Health For Teens is virtual IOP and outpatient for California teens ages 12–17. We can verify whether your Kaiser plan can use us after you have a path. We cannot schedule Kaiser’s appointment, and we cannot replace 911 or 988.
Level of care
When we can help — and when Kaiser or 911 still owns it
Mental Health For Teens is scheduled virtual care at home. Kaiser coverage for IOP varies by plan. We verify before anyone enrolls.
Step 1 · Emergency first
Call 911 or 988 when
- A plan or intent to attempt suicide
- They cannot stay safe at home tonight
- You need Kaiser’s 24/7 urgent mental health line — 1-800-900-3277 — or 988 / 911
- They are still on an active hold
After immediate safety is addressed
Step 2 · Structured support
Virtual IOP or outpatient may fit when
- 01They are home and stable enough for scheduled video
- 02Kaiser offered a first date past timely access, or only an app or class
- 03A clinician has cleared outpatient-level intensity
- 04You want a benefits check before you assume we are in-network
Step 3 · When clinically appropriate
A script is not an authorization.
If they are safe enough for scheduled care, we can verify insurance and map virtual IOP or outpatient. If they are not safe tonight, call 911, 988, or Kaiser 1-800-900-3277 first. Confirm coverage with Kaiser — this is not legal advice.
FAQ
Common questions
Straight answers about teen mental health care, programs, and insurance — not a substitute for professional assessment.
Kaiser’s Southern California mental health page says you do not need a referral from a Kaiser provider to access those services. Call 1-833-579-4848. Confirm your teen is on the membership. This is not legal advice.
DMHC timely access: 10 business days for a non-physician mental health provider, 15 for a psychiatrist, and 48 hours for urgent care when prior authorization is not required. A clinician can document that a longer wait will not harm your teen. Ask them to put that in the chart if they use it.
If Kaiser cannot offer a timely appointment, DMHC says the plan must help you get one with another appropriate provider, in or out of network. A 2023 settlement required Kaiser to improve those out-of-network behavioral health referrals. Ask, document, and confirm with Member Services. Coverage still varies.
Headspace, Calm, and wellness classes are not a first licensed therapy appointment. Ask again for a clinician date inside timely access — or for an outside provider if they cannot offer one.
It depends on the plan. We verify benefits before enrollment and will say so if we are not a fit. Do not assume an outside referral equals authorization for our program.
Appointment line: 1-833-579-4848. Urgent: 1-800-900-3277. Access problems: 1-800-390-3503. If Kaiser does not resolve timely access, DMHC Help Center: 1-888-466-2219. For danger tonight: 911 or 988.
No. It is a parent script citing Kaiser’s Southern California mental health page, DMHC timely-access rules, and the 2023 DMHC–Kaiser behavioral health settlement. Plans and Evidence of Coverage language change. Confirm with Kaiser and DMHC.
If they offered a late date — or only an app — verify the next step
Free consultation and insurance check for virtual IOP or outpatient. We cannot replace Kaiser’s urgent line, 911, or 988.