How Admission Works and the Mental Health Assessment
From the first call to your first day: a phone screen, a confidential mental health assessment, an insurance check, records and arrival. Here is what happens at each step.
Five admission steps, from the first call to arrival
Admissions guides each step- 1
Phone screen
A short first conversation: what is going on, who is calling, and the basics of your insurance.
- 2
Clinical assessment
A confidential assessment by phone to understand your needs and recommend a level of care.
- 3
Insurance check
Admissions checks your benefits and any authorization, and explains what you may owe.
- 4
Records
With your consent, admissions requests records from your hospital, psychiatrist or therapist.
- 5
Arrival day
You arrive on the agreed date, settle in, meet your team and start treatment.
What happens during a mental health assessment
It is a conversation, not a test. There are no wrong answers, and you can take breaks. It helps admissions recommend the level of care that fits.
What is happening now
Your symptoms, how long they have lasted, and how daily life is going.
History and past treatment
Therapy, programs or hospital stays, and what has and has not helped.
Safety
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide, so the level of care is right and safe.
Medications and health
What you take, who prescribes it, and any medical needs.
Alcohol and drug use
Whether substance use is part of the picture, and whether detox is needed first.
Your goals
What you want to be different, at work, at home and in yourself.
What helps admissions move faster
- A recent discharge summary, if you were in a hospital
- Your current medication list and prescriber
- Notes or a summary from your therapist or psychiatrist
- Your insurance card, front and back
The adult in treatment decides
Family members and clinicians can start the process, and often do. The person entering treatment is an adult, so they take part in the assessment, agree to treatment and sign their own consent, including for sharing information with family.
For families →Your first day of treatment, planned ahead
Admissions confirms the date and time with you, what to bring and how you will get here. On the day, you complete the paperwork, meet staff and your team, and settle in. The first days are about getting comfortable, not about having to share everything at once.
Wings works with many PPO insurance plans
Admissions verifies your benefits before admission, free and confidential. For Medi-Cal or Medicare, admissions can point you to programs that accept them.
Questions about the admissions process
The assessment, cost, level of care, records, family and arrival day.
Don't see your question?
Admissions answers calls 9 a.m.–5 p.m., seven days a week. Calls are confidential.
Call(760) 388-6369Visits, phones, what to bring and more in the admissions FAQ →All the ways to reach Wings →What happens during a mental health assessment?
A clinician asks about what is happening now, your history and past treatment, safety, medications, alcohol and drug use, and your goals. It is confidential and takes place by phone.
Is the assessment free?
Yes. The assessment and the insurance check are free and do not commit you to treatment.
Who decides the level of care?
The clinical assessment recommends residential, PHP or IOP, and your plan reviews medical necessity. Admissions explains the recommendation with you.
Do I need records from my doctor?
Records help, especially after a hospital stay. With your consent, admissions can request them for you.
Can a family member do the call for me?
A family member can start the call and share what they have seen. The person entering treatment takes part in the assessment and signs their own consent.
What happens on arrival day?
You arrive on the agreed date, complete the paperwork, meet staff and your team, and settle in. Admissions tells you the time and what to bring beforehand.