Start with the correct CMHC entry point
UT Austin lists two routes into CMHC psychiatry: referral from a current therapist or medical provider, or an intake with the Brief Assessment and Referral Team. An assessment determines whether the campus service fits; asking for an appointment does not establish a prescribing plan.
When contacting CMHC, say whether you already have a prescriber, are seeking a first assessment, or have been told to find ongoing care. Ask which appointment or referral step applies to you. Use the official campus page for the current contact route.
Sources: UT Austin: Psychiatric Services and Medication Management
Turn an off-campus referral into a completed handoff
CMHC describes a limited course of psychiatry visits and referral assistance for students who need further care. Its Clinical Case Management service helps students locate longer-term therapy or psychiatry, including when cost or difficulty reaching offices becomes a barrier.
Before ending a search, confirm that an office has actually accepted the request. A name on a referral list is a starting point. Keep a short private log so you can return to the case manager with specific obstacles rather than restarting the same calls.
- Record the practice contacted, date, response and next action.
- Ask whether the office offers the type of appointment requested and is considering new patients.
- Confirm the exact clinician, visit format, anticipated charges and any insurance verification still needed.
- Tell the campus team if every referral is unavailable, unaffordable or unable to meet the requested need.
Sources: UT Austin: Psychiatric Services and Medication Management; UT Austin: Clinical Case Management
Name the contact for each unfinished step
Use a handoff note with separate entries for the records sender, the receiving office and the clinician to contact about current treatment questions. Ask the receiving office which documents it needs and how it accepts them; then use the sending office’s authorized release process.
CMHC directs students to its secure portal for messages with the psychiatry team. Keep clinical details out of ordinary appointment-search emails. If timing becomes a concern, contact the current prescribing clinician for an individualized plan; this guide cannot determine whether a refill or a change in treatment is appropriate.
- Has the receiving office confirmed receipt, or has a release only been submitted?
- Who should I contact before the first completed visit with the new clinician?
- What should I do if the first appointment changes or the transfer is declined?
Sources: UT Austin: Psychiatric Services and Medication Management
Check the TimelyCare route separately
UT Austin’s TimelyCare page lists scheduled counseling and psychiatry as separate services. Psychiatry requires a CMHC referral. The school also specifies use of the official UT student email and says scheduled counseling and psychiatry require the student to be physically in the United States.
Ask CMHC whether that route fits your situation and what remains to be completed. Access to an app does not by itself confirm a psychiatry appointment or transfer your existing records.
Sources: UT Austin: TimelyCare
Make the semester change a planning date
Write down where you expect to be for each planned appointment, the date you leave Austin and any change in enrollment. Ask each service to confirm eligibility and whether it can see you at that location. Keep the reply with your appointment details.
For an outside practice, verify its own scheduling, fees and insurance participation directly. School access rules and campus benefits do not establish coverage at Lyte or another community practice. A useful plan ends with a named contact and a next action, not an assumed opening.
Sources: UT Austin: Clinical Case Management; UT Austin: TimelyCare
Considering therapy or medication management at Lyte
Lyte provides therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Ask which service and clinician fit your needs. A medication evaluation does not guarantee a prescription or continuation of a particular medication.
Lyte Psychiatry offers telehealth visits to patients who are physically located in Texas at the time of the visit. In-person appointments take place at Lyte’s Pantego clinic; this campus guide does not describe a Lyte office at the institution.
Coverage and costs depend on your specific plan, clinician, visit type and deductible. Confirm network status and expected costs before booking. A student plan, parent’s plan or campus referral does not by itself establish Lyte coverage.
Request a Lyte appointmentConfirm appointment format, availability and costs before booking. For questions, call 469-733-0848. Clinic hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Central Time. Weekend appointments are limited and offered case by case.
Send medical records and insurance details only through the practice’s approved secure intake process.
Questions before you arrange care
Does a CMHC referral mean an outside appointment is booked?
No. Ask the receiving office to confirm acceptance, the appointment and any records or payment questions still outstanding. CMHC case management can help when the search stalls.
Sources: UT Austin: Clinical Case Management
Can I open TimelyCare and directly book UT Austin psychiatry?
UT Austin’s published instructions require a CMHC referral for TimelyCare psychiatry. Confirm the referral process with CMHC rather than assuming the counseling and psychiatry booking routes are identical.
Sources: UT Austin: TimelyCare
Sources and verification
The institution sources below support the campus information in this guide. Resource descriptions are not live appointment inventory. Verify current requirements directly with the relevant service.
- UT Austin: Psychiatric Services and Medication Management — checked .
- UT Austin: Clinical Case Management — checked .
- UT Austin: TimelyCare — checked .