How to Move Your Mental Health Care to a New Provider Without a Gap
Short answer
To switch therapists or psychiatrists without a gap, book the new clinician before you leave the old one, ask your current prescriber to keep your prescriptions going until the handoff, and request your records in writing. Federal and New York law give you a right to most of your records. A signed release lets your old and new clinicians talk. Do not stop a medicine on your own.
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 now (in New York City it reaches NYC 988). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
This guide is not enough if
- You are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself. Call or text 988, or call 911.
- You are not sure yet whether to leave. Start with the article on not clicking with a clinician.
- You need to change or stop a medicine. Talk with your prescriber first.
- Your records dispute needs a formal ruling. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
The risk in switching is the gap
People move their care for many reasons: a move, a new insurance plan, a clinician who is leaving, or a fit that never felt right. Changing clinicians is a normal part of care. What tends to cause trouble is the space in between, when the old visits have stopped, the new ones have not started, and a prescription runs low.
If you are still deciding whether to leave, our article on not clicking with your therapist or psychiatrist covers that choice and the basics of HIPAA records requests. This guide is the handoff plan once you have decided.
Your records: what New York adds to HIPAA
Under the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule, a provider must generally act on your request for access within 30 days, with one extension of up to 30 more days if it gives you the reason in writing. HHS also says a provider cannot deny you a copy because you have not paid for services, and cannot charge you for searching for or retrieving your records.
New York's Public Health Law section 18 adds its own protections. After a written request, a provider must let you inspect your records within ten days, and must give you copies within a reasonable time. The fee must be reasonable and not more than the provider's costs, and the law says you cannot be denied access solely because you cannot pay.
Both laws have limits. HIPAA excludes psychotherapy notes, which HHS describes as notes a mental health professional keeps separate from the rest of your record. New York excludes a practitioner's personal notes and observations, such as speculations and reminders. A diagnosis is not part of those notes. If a provider denies access under New York law, you can ask for a free review by a medical record access review committee.
Records request or release: you may want both
A records request gets you a copy, or sends a copy to someone you name in a signed written request. A release (also called an authorization) is permission for your old and new clinicians to talk or share information directly.
HHS says a provider may send copies of your records to another provider as needed for treatment or with your permission, but the Privacy Rule does not require it to share. Many practices ask you to sign a release before they talk with a new clinician. HHS also notes that most disclosures of psychotherapy notes need your authorization. What usually helps a new clinician most:
- A treatment summary with your diagnosis and current plan.
- A list of medicines you take now and ones you tried before, with what helped and what did not.
- Recent lab results, if any medicine needs monitoring.
- Reports from any psychological testing or past evaluations.
| When | Step | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| As soon as you decide | Book the new clinician | A first evaluation can take more than one visit, so the new start may take a while |
| Before your last old visit | Ask your current prescriber to keep prescribing until the new one takes over | Avoids running out; never stop a medicine on your own |
| The same week | Sign a release and send a written records request | New York allows inspection within ten days; HIPAA allows up to 30 days plus one extension |
| Before the first new visit | Finish intake forms and list every prescription and over-the-counter medicine | The new clinician needs the full picture to plan safely |
| At the first new visit | Share records and say what did not work before | Helps avoid repeating a medicine or approach that already failed |
| After the handoff | Tell the old office, cancel future visits and stop duplicate refill requests | One prescriber at a time keeps changes in one place |
Keeping your medicine going
NIMH says people should not stop taking a prescribed medication, even if they feel better, and that stopping too soon may cause unpleasant or harmful side effects. Its advice is to talk with your provider first. Leaving a clinician does not have to mean leaving a medicine.
Your new prescriber will write new prescriptions once they take over, and will usually want to evaluate you first. So book early, and ask your current prescriber to keep prescribing until then. Controlled medicines need extra care. Federal rules prohibit refills of Schedule II prescriptions, which include many ADHD stimulants, so each new fill needs a new prescription. If your new prescriber will see you by video, see telehealth rules in New York for the federal rule on controlled medicines, which is set to end December 31, 2026.
Tell both prescribers who is in charge from which date, so refills and changes come from one place. Before your first visit, our guide to questions to ask before starting medication can help you prepare.
What to bring to the new clinician
Mind Body Seven's FAQ asks new patients to bring any prior records they want to share and a list of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and to complete the online intake forms before the first visit. That is a good habit anywhere. Our article on preparing for your first psychiatric appointment has more.
Tell the new clinician plainly what did not work before. A new start can feel like repeating your story, but it is how a clinician avoids retrying something that already failed. If you are moving a child's or teen's care, see minors and consent in New York before you sign forms.
Special cases: a move, a new plan, or a clinician who is leaving
Moving out of New York. The American Psychiatric Association explains that licensing boards treat video care as given where the patient is located. So once you live in another state, a New York clinician may not be able to keep seeing you by video unless they are licensed or authorized there. Start looking in the new state early, and see telehealth across state lines for the details.
Changing insurance. A new plan can mean a new network. If you cannot find an in-network clinician, our guide on when you can't find an in-network psychiatrist explains the New York options.
Your clinician is leaving or retiring. Ask for a referral, a treatment summary and a plan for prescriptions before the last visit, and ask how to request records later.
In every case, it helps to write a short handoff note for yourself: your diagnosis as you understand it, current medicines and when each runs out, what has helped, and the names of your old and new clinicians.
When moving your care is not the next step
If your main question is whether your diagnosis or medicine plan is right, a one-time second opinion may answer it without leaving a clinician you otherwise trust. It is also fair to check a new clinician first with the New York license lookup. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911, and see crisis hotlines.
If you are ready to start with a new clinician, you can book a visit or contact the office. An Intake Coordinator follows up by phone.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a provider in New York have to give me my records?
Two rules apply. New York's Public Health Law section 18 requires a provider to let you inspect your records within ten days of a written request and to give copies within a reasonable time. The federal HIPAA rule requires action on an access request within 30 days, with one 30-day extension if you get a written reason. Putting your request in writing helps either way.
Can my therapist refuse to give me their session notes?
Sometimes. HIPAA does not give you a right to a provider's psychotherapy notes, which are kept separate from your main record. New York similarly excludes a practitioner's personal notes and observations. Your diagnosis, treatment plan and progress summaries are generally not part of those notes. If a New York provider denies access, you can ask for a free review by a medical record access review committee.
Can a practice hold my records because I owe a bill?
HHS says a provider cannot deny you a copy of your records because you have not paid for services, though it may charge reasonable copying and mailing costs. New York's Public Health Law section 18 also says you cannot be denied access solely because you cannot pay. If a practice refuses, you can cite both rules in writing.
Will my new psychiatrist keep me on the same medication?
Not always. A new prescriber usually reviews your history and current medicines before deciding whether to continue, adjust or change anything. Many people stay on the same plan at first. Keep taking your medicine as prescribed during the switch, and raise any questions with the new prescriber rather than changing things yourself.
Next: take the next step
When you are ready, read more about how Mind Body Seven can help, in Brooklyn or by telehealth across New York State, or request a consultation and an Intake Coordinator will follow up.
Sources
- HHS: Your Medical Records
- eCFR: 45 CFR 164.524, Access of individuals to protected health information
- HHS: Important Notice Regarding Individuals' Right of Access to Health Records
- NY Senate: Public Health Law section 18, Access to patient information
- eCFR: 21 CFR 1306.12, Refilling prescriptions
- NIMH: Mental Health Medications
- American Psychiatric Association: Telepsychiatry toolkit, state licensure
- Mind Body Seven: FAQs
Reviewed by Dr. Beata Lewis, MD, Founder and Clinical Director, board-certified in adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and integrative medicine on November 8, 2026. Facts checked against the sources above on November 8, 2026. This guide is general education, not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and reading it does not make you a patient of Mind Body Seven. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed clinician.