You don’t need a referral from your primary care doctor to start therapy through Kaiser Permanente. You can contact the mental health department directly by phone or use one of Kaiser’s contracted therapy platforms to book with an outside provider who’s already approved by your plan. The process is more straightforward than many members expect, though the exact steps vary slightly by region.
Call the Behavioral Health Access Line
The most direct route is calling Kaiser’s Behavioral Health Access Line. For the Mid-Atlantic region, that number is 866-530-8778, available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Other Kaiser regions have their own access lines, which you can find by logging into kp.org or calling the number on the back of your member ID card.
When you call, you’ll speak with someone from the mental health care team. They’ll ask about your concerns and either schedule an initial assessment on the spot or set one up for a later date. This first appointment is a getting-to-know-you session where a clinician figures out what type of care fits your situation, whether that’s individual therapy, group sessions, or medication management with a psychiatrist. You can also bring up mental health concerns with your primary care doctor at any routine visit, and they can connect you to the same intake process.
Book Directly With a Contracted Provider
Kaiser partners with several outside therapy platforms that are pre-approved under your plan. This is often the faster path, and it gives you more flexibility in choosing a specific therapist. No referral or authorization is needed for most of these contracted providers. You simply contact them, let them know you’re a Kaiser member, and schedule.
The contracted platforms vary by region, but in the Mid-Atlantic area, options include:
- Grow Therapy: Virtual and in-person sessions for ages 6 and up. You can book online at growtherapy.com or call 786-244-7711.
- SonderMind: In-person and virtual, ages 5 and up. Book at sondermind.com or call 866-753-6094.
- Rula Health: In-person and virtual, ages 5 and up. Book at rula.com or call 240-240-6429.
- Headway: In-person and virtual, ages 1 and up. Book at headway.co or call 646-941-7645.
Some contracted providers do require an authorization before your first visit. If that’s the case, the provider will tell you when you try to schedule. You can get the authorization by calling Kaiser’s behavioral health department during business hours. But most of the platforms listed above don’t require this extra step.
What You’ll Pay
Your co-pay depends on your specific plan, but to give you a sense of the range: one common Kaiser plan charges $50 per individual therapy visit and $25 per group therapy visit. Your actual cost could be higher or lower. You can check your plan’s Summary of Benefits on kp.org or call member services for the exact number.
One important detail: therapy with providers outside Kaiser’s network, meaning therapists who aren’t on the contracted provider list, is typically not covered at all. If you want your sessions paid for under your plan, stick to either Kaiser’s in-house therapists or their approved external platforms.
How Long You’ll Wait
In California, state regulations require Kaiser to offer a non-urgent mental health appointment within 10 business days. That standard applies to both initial assessments and follow-up visits. Other states may not have the same legal requirement, but Kaiser generally follows similar internal benchmarks.
In practice, wait times can vary. If the internal wait feels too long, the contracted provider route is worth trying. Platforms like Grow Therapy and Rula often have availability within days because they pull from a larger pool of licensed therapists. You don’t have to wait for Kaiser to offer you a slot before reaching out to these platforms on your own.
If You Need Medication, Not Just Therapy
The same access line that connects you to a therapist also handles psychiatry appointments for medication management. When you call, let them know you’re interested in medication, therapy, or both, and they’ll route you accordingly. In many cases, your primary care doctor can also prescribe common psychiatric medications like antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs without you needing to see a psychiatrist at all.
For psychiatry through contracted providers, Carelon Behavioral Health is one of Kaiser’s external partners for medication management. You can reach them at 800-888-1965 or schedule through their website.
Free Digital Tools While You Wait
Kaiser members 13 and older get free access to Calm and Headspace, two of the most popular meditation and mental health apps. These aren’t substitutes for therapy, but they can help with sleep, stress, and anxiety while you’re waiting for your first appointment or between sessions.
Headspace also includes live text-based coaching with a real person, available 24/7. You get 90 days of coaching access per year, plus unlimited use of the app’s guided programs, sleep content, and meditation exercises for the rest of the year. To activate either app, log into kp.org and look for the digital self-care tools page under Mental Health.
If You’re in Crisis
For a mental health emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24/7 regardless of your insurance. Kaiser’s after-hours mental health line (703-359-7878 in the Mid-Atlantic region) can also help outside of normal business hours.