Psychiatric Assessments at MDABC
The Mood Disorders Association of BC houses a psychiatric clinic where you can receive a psychiatric assessment/consultation, subject to availability. Please download our referral form using the button below, and ask your doctor to complete it and fax it to us. Our fax number is 604.873.3095.
Who do we see for assessment or consultation?
MDABC’s psychiatrists have limited space available for consultation. We are accepting referrals only from full service physicians who have cared for the person for some time, not from walk-in clinics. We give priority to people dealing with mood disorders (depression and/or anxiety) rather than other mental health conditions. Patients will be seen by referral (only) and all psychiatry appointments are pre-booked. There are no drop in appointments.
Please note that receiving your referral does not guarantee acceptance into the service. Our Medical Director will review your referral, usually within two business days. If the referral is declined, your doctor will be notified. If it is accepted, our booking clerk will call you directly to schedule an appointment.
MDABC is attempting to increase our capacity for accepting referrals in the future. If we are unable to offer a consultation, we may suggest alternative mental health resources if we are able to do so.
I am a physician, how do I refer my patients?
Download and complete the referral form below and fax to 604.873.3095. Once a referral is received in our office, our Medical Director will review the referral and get back to you as to whether we are able to assess your patient. The referral form for psychiatric consultations requests the following information:
- patient information (name, address, birthdate, phone number, PHN, next of kin)
- referring doctor name, address, fax number and billing information
- reason for referral
- current concerns and any previous consultations , hospital discharge summaries, etc
- history of aggressive behaviour, suicidal/psychotic behaviour, and/or substance abuse
- current medications
- previous contact with mental health professionals
Please ensure all information is printed clearly and legibly on the referral. Incomplete referrals will not be accepted.
Referring physicians: Because our capacity for psychiatric consultation is limited, please note and consider the alternative services described in the Other Services and Treatments section below. Some of these services (e.g., counselling services and support groups) do not require a formal referral from a physician.
How Long is the Wait Time for a Psychiatric Consultation?
MDABC aspires to maintain a waitlist of less than four weeks between acceptance of your doctor’s referral and your first appointment with one of our psychiatrists. We will do our best to schedule your visit as quickly as possible. We thank you for your patience. Please remember, however, that not all referrals can be accepted.
MDABC psychiatric consultations are usually conducted online, using the secure Doctors of BC Zoom service. We request that you are on time for your consultation. Consultations are fixed in length, so your prompt arrival will allow you to have a full appointment with the psychiatrist.
After Your Consultation
After your initial appointment, a consultation report will be sent to both your family doctor and directly to you. We do this because we want you to understand what our thoughts are, how the psychiatrist came to the conclusions he/she did, and we want you to be an active and educated participant in any treatment decisions going forward. The consultation report will include a psychiatric diagnosis (if the psychiatrist assesses that a specific psychiatric diagnosis is present) and treatment recommendations. Instructions will be included in your report about where to get the best treatment for your specific concerns. Follow-up care with your MDABC psychiatrist is available on an as-needed basis.
Other Services and Treatments
In addition to psychiatric consultations, MDABC offers the following programs. Patients and doctors can consider these as complements to psychiatry, or as alternatives to psychiatry.
| Program | Doctor’s referral needed? | Fees and insurance | Details |
| rTMS (repetitive trans-cranial magnetic stimulation) | Yes | Initial consultation covered by MSP with doctor’s referral. Treatments are not covered by MSP. Some extended health plans and Worksafe BC may provide coverage. | Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) – MDABC |
| Food as Medicine: Diet as treatment for depression | Yes | Covered by MSP with doctor’s referral | Food as Medicine: New Treatment for Depression at MDABC – MDABC |
| JOY-TH (Journey of Yoga Therapy for Healing) | Yes | Covered by MSP with doctor’s referral | JOY-TH: Journey Of Yoga Therapy for Healing – MDABC |
| Jump Step: Exercise as treatment for depression | No | No fees | Jump Step: Exercise For The Treatment Of Depression – MDABC |
| Cozy up to Winter: Beat the Winter Blues | Yes | Covered by MSP with doctor’s referral | Cozy up to Winter: Beat the Winter Blues – MDABC |
| Lessons in Happiness: Beat the Bad Mood Habit | Yes | Covered by MSP with doctor’s referral | Lessons in Happiness: Beat the Bad Mood Habit – MDABC |
| Moves for Mind and Mood | Yes | Covered by MSP with doctor’s referral | Moves for Mind and Mood |
| Clinical counselling | No | $95 per session. Some extended health plans may provide coverage. | Counselling and Wellness Centre at MDABC – MDABC |
| Peer support groups | No | No fees | MDABC Support Groups – MDABC |
| The Art Studios | No | No fees. Participants must live in Vancouver and must have a diagnosed mental health condition. | Home – heartstudios |
Group Medical Visits
Current patients of Dr. Remick and Dr. Brost may book into a group medical visit (GMV), also known as a shared medical appointment. If Dr. Brost or Dr. Remick recommends treatment with medication to you, you are welcome to participate in their group medical visits for medication monitoring, adjustment and prescriptions. A GMV is a pleasant and efficient way to manage medication and ask any questions that you may have about the progress of your treatment.
A GMV is a supportive environment in which 5 to 8 patients come together with the psychiatrist to evaluate and discuss their on-going medical treatment. Every patient has the opportunity to speak with the doctor during the GMV, and to learn more about treatments of their illnesses by hearing treatment recommendations given to other patients who may similar illnesses . If you are not familiar with GMV’s, you can get a better understanding by viewing this video.
GMV’s are available only to current patients of Dr. Brost or Dr. Remick. Their patients can book a GMV online using the link below, or call the MDABC front desk at (604) 873-0103. Please do not book a GMV until after you have had a consultation with an MDABC psychiatrist, and have been accepted by Dr. Brost or Dr. Remick.
Click here to book a GMV online
Please be on time for all group medical visits. Late arrivals are disruptive to other group attendees. For the benefit of all patients, people who are than 10 minutes late for a GMV will not be admitted.
The available GMV times are:
| Dr. Brost | Tuesdays from 1-2 pm
Wednesdays from 2-3 pm |
| Dr. Remick | Wednesdays from 12:30 – 1:45 pm
Wednesdays from 4:15 – 5:30 pm |
Important: If you cancel your attendance at a GMV with less than 24 hours notice, or if you arrive more than 10 minutes late, a cancellation fee of $25 will be charged. This is not covered by MSP or other insurance.
Appointments and cancellations
If you have general inquiries or questions regarding appointments and follow up, you can email us at appointments@mdabc.net Our front desk staff will respond to you within 24 hours, during our clinic hours. Or you can call 604-873-0103 and select option 1.
Clinic Hours are Monday to Friday – 9:00am-5:00pm
Please note that we have a 24-hour cancellation policy. Please call the MDABC office at (604) 873-0103 if you need to cancel your psychiatric or counselling appointment. We require 24 hours’ notice so that we can schedule another client into your place.
If a psychiatrist or counselling appointment is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, a no-show fee will be charged. All fees are payable before the missed appointment will be rescheduled.
We appreciate your support in making patient care a priority within our clinic.
Medical Director’s Email Address:
Dr. Ron Remick rremick@shaw.ca
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please go to your nearest hospital emergency room or call 911. To reach the crisis line, please call 1-866-661-3311.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you fill out insurance and disability/return to work forms?
Insurers and companies that manage short and long term disability leaves often require their clients to have their doctors or psychiatrists fill out forms to provide information to the insurer about your health condition.
MDABC psychiatrists will fill out these forms for their current patients only. If you are a patient of one of our psychiatrists and need such a form filled out, please e-mail the form to us at info@mdabc.net, or fax it to us at (604) 873-3095. Be sure to include your name and your doctor’s name, and say that you are asking them to fill out the form.
Some forms require information that our psychiatrist may not be able to provide. Your psychiatrist will review the form and decide whether he or she can provide the requested information, and if so, whether an appointment is necessary and whether a fee will apply. Fees are determined by guidelines from the Doctors of BC, and apply in most cases. The psychiatrist or our office will then respond, and will schedule the appointment if needed.
Do you have evening or weekend appointments?
No, MDABC is open during weekdays only, except statutory holidays. If you are in crisis and need immediate help, you should report to the Emergency room of your nearest hospital, call the crisis line at, or call 911.