Behavioral Health & Psychiatry EHR

AI-Powered Behavioral Health & Psychiatry EHR: Chart Faster. Prescribe Safely. Expand Access with Telepsychiatry.

A Behavioral Health & Psychiatry EHR built for the clinical nuance and documentation demands of mental health practice: AI ambient charting for psychiatric evaluations, structured DSM-5 note templates, EPCS for controlled substance prescribing, validated screening tools, and telepsychiatry built in.

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25 Years
Serving Behavioral Health & Psychiatry Nationwide
99%
Client Retention Rate
Why Physicians Switch

Why Psychiatrists & Behavioral Health Providers Are Switching
to MD Synergy’s Althea Smart EHR

Why Practices Switch
Psychiatric Evaluation & Progress Notes Take HoursInitial evals, medication management notes, and psychotherapy documentation eat your evenings
No Built-In Telepsychiatry or Remote Care ToolsThird-party video apps, separate billing workflows, and no integrated documentation
Missed Psychiatric Billing & Psychotherapy Add-On RevenuePsych CPTs under-captured, add-on codes overlooked, collaborative care unbilled
Hidden Fees and Surprise Costs
Training Takes Weeks
Switching Feels DisruptiveStaggered Go-Live, practice disruption for months
Switch Without the Risk
AI-Powered Psychiatric Evaluation & Progress Note GenerationFull structured notes drafted before the patient leaves the session
Built-In Telepsychiatry & EPCS PrescribingVideo visits and DEA-compliant controlled substance prescribing in one platform
Built-In Psychiatric Billing & Psychotherapy Add-On Code Capture
No Setup Fees, Ever
2-Hour Training, Free
Free Data Migration, 100% Patient Go-Live Day 1

See How Easy Switching Can Be

Join psychiatrists and behavioral health providers who left eClinicalWorks, athenahealth, and DrChrono behind, without missing a single patient day

Schedule Your Free Demo
How Does Althea Smart EHR Rate?

Rated #1 by Independent Physicians, on Capterra

See how Althea Smart EHR compares to every major competitor, rated and
verified by real physicians, not marketing teams.
Platform Features

Everything Behavioral Health & Psychiatry Needs, Built Into One Platform

From structured psychiatric evaluations and validated screening tools to
EPCS prescribing, telepsychiatry, and mental health billing — all included in
Althea Smart EHR with no add-on fees.

Althea Smart EHR

Clinical Documentation
Built for Psychiatry’s Clinical Nuance

Althea Smart EHR is purpose-built for the documentation demands and clinical sensitivity of behavioral health and psychiatry: structured psychiatric evaluation workflows, DSM-5 diagnostic documentation, validated screening tool integration, risk assessment workflows, and longitudinal mental status tracking. Every template is designed around how psychiatrists and behavioral health providers actually practice.

AI-Powered Ambient Charting

Listens during psychiatric evaluations, medication management visits, and follow-up sessions, automatically generating structured psychiatric notes, mental status exam findings, and clinical summaries in real time. No scribes, no after-hours catch-up

AI Predictive Charting

Learns your clinical reasoning patterns and proactively suggests psychiatric diagnoses, medication adjustments, screening tool orders, referrals to therapy, and care plan updates during the encounter

Psychiatric Evaluation & Intake Templates

Purpose-built templates for initial psychiatric evaluations (90791, 90792) covering chief complaint, psychiatric history, mental status exam, DSM-5 diagnostic formulation, risk assessment, and treatment plan — with separate med management follow-up templates

Mental Status Exam (MSE) Structured Documentation

Standardized MSE fields for appearance, behavior, speech, mood, affect, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition, insight, and judgment — structured for rapid documentation and longitudinal comparison across visits

Validated Psychiatric Screening Tools

Built-in PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5 (PTSD), AUDIT (alcohol use), DAST-10 (substance use), MDQ (bipolar), and Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) — embedded in intake and follow-up workflows with longitudinal score tracking and graphing

Suicide & Safety Risk Assessment Documentation

Structured suicidality and homicidality risk assessment workflow with Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), safety planning documentation, and automatic flagging for high-risk patients requiring clinical action

DSM-5 Diagnostic Coding & Formulation

DSM-5 diagnosis code lookup, multi-diagnosis tracking, and longitudinal diagnostic formulation documentation — supporting clinical continuity across complex psychiatric conditions including mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety, trauma, and substance use

Longitudinal Symptom & Treatment Response Tracking

PHQ-9, GAD-7, and other validated scale scores graphed over time within the patient chart — making symptom trajectory, medication response, and treatment progress immediately visible at every visit

Psychiatric Medication Management & Drug Interaction Checking

Advanced drug-drug interaction alerts calibrated for psychiatric medication combinations — antidepressant-MAOI interactions, QTc-prolonging agents, lithium toxicity alerts, and stimulant cardiovascular monitoring reminders

Dragon / Speech-to-Text Recognition

Dictate complex psychiatric narratives, psychosocial histories, and clinical formulations hands-free from any device — optimized for behavioral health and psychiatric terminology

Macros & Visit Carryforward

One-click documentation shortcuts and auto-populated prior visit data — eliminating repetitive charting for complex psychiatric medication management follow-up visits

Referral Letter & Care Coordination

Generate comprehensive psychiatric referral letters to therapists, social workers, substance use programs, and inpatient facilities directly from the patient chart — with full clinical summary and diagnosis pre-populated
See Althea Smart EHR in Action→
AI Suite

5 AI Tools Built for
Behavioral Health & Psychiatry

No other behavioral health EHR bundles five distinct AI capabilities into one platform — built to handle the documentation sensitivity, diagnostic complexity, and billing nuance that psychiatry demands. All built-in, including AI-powered ambient charting, at no extra cost.
AI Ambient Charting Listens during psychiatric evaluations, medication management visits, and follow-up sessions — generates structured psychiatric notes, MSE documentation, and clinical summaries in real time. No scribes, no after-hours catch-up
AI Predictive Charting Learns your clinical patterns and proactively suggests psychiatric diagnoses, medication adjustments, screening tool administration, therapy referrals, and safety planning documentation. The more you chart, the smarter it gets
AI Receptionist Automates complex behavioral health patient scheduling — initial evaluation bookings, medication refill appointment reminders, crisis follow-up scheduling, and telepsychiatry check-ins — 24/7 without staff involvement
AI Clinical Assistant Surfaces suicide risk assessment reminders, medication monitoring alerts (lithium levels, metabolic monitoring for antipsychotics), screening score threshold alerts, and prior authorization status at the point of care
AI Billing Assistant Catches coding errors, suggests correct psychiatric CPT codes (90791, 90792, 99213–99215), captures psychotherapy add-on codes (90833, 90836, 90838), collaborative care codes (99492, 99493), and maximizes claim submission to reduce denials
See AI Features→
EPCS & Controlled Substance Prescribing

DEA-Compliant Prescribing,
Built Right Into the Chart.

Psychiatry carries one of the highest volumes of controlled substance prescribing in outpatient medicine — stimulants for ADHD, benzodiazepines for anxiety, and sleep medications all require DEA-compliant prescribing workflows. Althea Smart EHR has EPCS and medication safety built into every prescribing encounter.

EPCS — Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances

Surescripts-certified EPCS for Schedule II–V controlled substances — stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse), benzodiazepines, sleep medications, and opioids — with DEA-compliant two-factor authentication and full audit trail

PDMP Integration — Auto-Triggered at Prescribing

Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data surfaced automatically before every controlled substance prescription — no manual logins, no separate browser tabs, no missed checks — ensuring compliance before every stimulant or anxiolytic is sent

Psychiatric Drug Interaction & Safety Alerts

Advanced interaction checking for psychiatric medication combinations: MAOI contraindications, serotonin syndrome risk, QTc-prolonging drug combinations, lithium toxicity triggers, and benzodiazepine + opioid co-prescribing safety warnings

Medication Monitoring Alerts: Featured

Built-in alerts for required psychiatric medication monitoring — lithium serum levels, metabolic panel for antipsychotics (weight, glucose, lipids, prolactin), clozapine ANC monitoring, and valproate/carbamazepine levels — surfaced at the point of care

DEA Audit-Ready Controlled Substance Log

Complete, automatically maintained prescribing audit trail — exportable for DEA inspection, state board review, or payer audit at any time — with full documentation of the clinical rationale for every controlled substance prescribed

Mobile EPCS Prescribing

Send DEA-compliant controlled substance prescriptions from your iPhone or iPad with two-factor authentication — ideal for psychiatrists seeing patients across multiple clinic locations or via telepsychiatry
See Prescribing Features →
Psychiatric Billing & Revenue Capture

Mental Health Billing,
Capture Every Code You Earn.

Psychiatric billing is among the most nuanced in outpatient medicine — evaluation codes, medication management E&M, psychotherapy add-on codes, and collaborative care models all require precise documentation and coding. Althea Smart EHR’s AI Billing Assistant is purpose-built for behavioral health billing complexity.

Psychiatric Evaluation CPT Auto-Capture

Automatic suggestion of psychiatric evaluation codes from documentation: initial psychiatric evaluation without medical services (90791); initial evaluation with medical services (90792); medication management E&M visits (99213–99215); and time-based add-on code selection

Psychotherapy Add-On Code Capture (90833, 90836, 90838)

Automatic capture of interactive complexity and psychotherapy add-on codes when psychotherapy is provided during medication management visits — the most consistently under-captured revenue opportunity in psychiatry billing

Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) Billing

Structured billing workflows for Collaborative Care Model (CPT 99492, 99493, 99494) with built-in time tracking, registry documentation, and care team coordination tools — capturing this high-value, often overlooked psychiatric revenue stream

Telepsychiatry Billing (POS 02, POS 10)

Automatic application of the correct Place of Service codes for telehealth encounters — POS 02 (telehealth provided other than in patient's home) and POS 10 (patient's home) — ensuring compliant billing for all virtual psychiatric visits

Prior Authorization Tracking & Management

Insurance pre-authorization status tracked for every scheduled psychiatric encounter, with automatic alerts when authorization is missing, expired, or requires renewal — particularly important for inpatient psychiatric referrals and long-term medication management

MIPS & Quality Reporting for Behavioral Health

Built-in MIPS dashboard with behavioral health quality measures — depression screening and follow-up, suicide risk documentation, substance use screening, and care coordination — for value-based contract compliance
See Billing Features→
Telepsychiatry & Patient Engagement

Expand Access to Care.
See Patients Anywhere with Telepsychiatry.

Telepsychiatry has transformed access to behavioral health care — and Althea Smart EHR has it fully integrated. No third-party apps, no separate billing workflows. Video sessions are documented, billed, and managed identically to in-office visits — expanding your reach to patients across geographic, transportation, and stigma barriers.

Telepsychiatry: Built-In Video Visits

Fully integrated video sessions — no third-party app required for provider or patient. AI Ambient Charting works identically during telepsychiatry sessions, generating structured psychiatric notes in real time

Althea Health Patient Portal

Secure online access for patients to view visit summaries, complete digital intake forms, request appointments, message their provider, pay balances, and access educational resources — supporting patient engagement between sessions

Digital Patient Intake & Psychiatric Questionnaires

Customizable digital intake forms including psychiatric history, trauma history, substance use history, and validated screening questionnaires (PHQ-9, GAD-7) completed by patients before arrival — pre-populating the evaluation template

Secure Two-Way Patient Texting

HIPAA-compliant two-way SMS messaging between patients and your practice — ideal for appointment reminders, crisis follow-up check-ins, medication refill communications, and session preparation instructions

AI Receptionist

24/7 automated behavioral health patient scheduling — manages initial evaluation bookings, medication management appointments, telepsychiatry session setup, and crisis follow-up scheduling without staff involvement

Automated Appointment Reminders & Follow-Ups

Instant booking confirmations and scheduled reminders before every psychiatric visit — including post-crisis follow-up prompts and medication refill appointment reminders — significantly reducing no-show rates in behavioral health

Automated Balance Reminders & AutoPay

Automatic patient balance notifications with integrated payment collection — reduces A/R without staff follow-up, and supports sliding scale and self-pay billing common in behavioral health practices
See Telepsychiatry & Engagement Features →
Practice Management & Medical Billing

Integrated Billing
Built for Behavioral Health Coding

Behavioral health billing is complex — balancing psychiatric evaluation codes, medication management E&M, psychotherapy add-ons, and insurance parity compliance. Althea Smart EHR handles it automatically, reducing denials and accelerating reimbursement.

Appointment Scheduling

Flexible, intelligent scheduling with multi-provider support for initial evaluations, medication management visits, telepsychiatry sessions, and group sessions

Patient Self-Scheduling

Patients book their own appointments 24/7 via AI Receptionist or the Patient Portal, reducing call volume in behavioral health practices

Real-Time Insurance Eligibility Verification

Instantly verify patient mental health coverage and parity benefits before every visit to prevent claim denials at the source

Electronic Claims Submission

Submit clean claims electronically through clearinghouse to all major payers directly from the platform

Claim Scrubbing

Automated pre-submission claim review catches psychiatric-specific coding errors and compliance issues before they reach the payer

Sliding Scale & Self-Pay Billing Support

Flexible fee schedule management supporting sliding scale, self-pay, and out-of-network billing structures common in private practice behavioral health and psychiatry

Text-to-Pay & AutoPay, Credit Card Processing

Modern patient payment collection via text link, card-on-file, and automated payment plans — reducing A/R without staff follow-up

Reporting & Analytics

Comprehensive financial, clinical, and operational reporting with dashboards for behavioral health practice owners and administrators

Medical Billing Services: Full-Service RCM Option

Prefer to outsource? MD Synergy offers full-service medical billing managed by our expert behavioral health billing team
See Billing Features →
Mobile-First Design

Full Psychiatry EHR,
In Your Pocket.

Whether you’re seeing patients across multiple clinic locations, conducting telepsychiatry sessions from your home office, or reviewing a crisis alert after hours, Althea Smart EHR’s native iOS app gives you the full clinical record from any location, on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

Native iPhone & iPad App

Full EHR access from iOS: review psychiatric charts, send EPCS prescriptions, conduct telepsychiatry sessions, document notes, and manage your schedule from your phone or tablet

EPCS Mobile Prescribing

Send DEA-compliant controlled substance prescriptions from your iPhone with two-factor authentication — with automatic PDMP check triggered before every Schedule II–V send for stimulants, benzodiazepines, and sleep medications

Apple Watch Alerts

Risk assessment reminders, medication monitoring alerts, and crisis patient follow-up notifications delivered to your Apple Watch — keeping you clinically informed without interrupting sessions

Secure Messaging & Care Team Chat

HIPAA-compliant messaging between psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, case managers, and referring physicians — supporting coordinated behavioral health care from any device

99.9% Uptime SLA

Enterprise-grade reliability. Your behavioral health practice never goes down during clinic hours, telepsychiatry sessions, or crisis on-call coverage
See Mobile Features→

Want to See These Features Live?

See exactly how Althea Smart EHR works for Behavioral Health & Psychiatry.

See Althea Smart EHR in Action for Psychiatry →
Certified & Recognized

Independently Rated. Federally Certified.
Physician Approved.

Rated & Reviewed by Peers
Certified & Compliant
See Why Physicians Choose Althea Smart EHR →
How Does Althea Smart EHR Compare?

The MD Synergy Difference for Behavioral Health & Psychiatry

See how Althea Smart EHR stacks up against traditional EHR platforms
across the decisions that matter most to your behavioral health or
psychiatry practice.

Features Althea Smart EHR Traditional EHRs
Native Mobile AppiPhone, iPad & Apple Watch: EPCS prescribing & risk alerts included ✓ ⚠Limited mobile access
AI Ambient ChartingReal-time psychiatric eval & progress note generation, built-in ✓ ⚠Add-on or not available
Telepsychiatry: Built-InIntegrated video visits with AI charting — no third-party app ✓ ✗Third-party app required
EPCS — Electronic Prescribing of Controlled SubstancesSurescripts certified, DEA-compliant Schedule II–V including stimulants & benzodiazepines ✓ ⚠Add-on fee required
PDMP IntegrationAuto-triggered at every controlled substance prescribing event ✓ ✗Manual or not available
Validated Psychiatric Screening ToolsPHQ-9, GAD-7, C-SSRS, AUDIT, DAST-10, MDQ — embedded & longitudinally tracked ✓ ✗Not built-in
Psychotherapy Add-On Code Capture (90833, 90836, 90838)Automatically captured from session documentation — never missed ✓ ✗Manual entry only
Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) Billing99492, 99493, 99494 with time tracking and registry documentation ✓ ✗Not available
Setup Fees$0 setup, no hidden costs, ever ✓$0, Ever ✗$1,000–$10,000+
Data MigrationComplete records migrated, 100% Go-Live Day 1 ✓Free, Always ✗$500–$5,000 fee
EHR Training TimelineFree training, live and operational fast ✓As little as 2 Hours ✗Days to weeks
Contract FlexibilityNo penalties, no fees, no questions asked ✓Cancel in 30 Days ✗1–3 year contracts
Data Export FeeWe reimburse your current vendor’s fee ✓We Cover It ✗$500–$3,000 charged
Capterra RatingIndependently verified by real physicians 5.0 ★33 Verified Reviews 3.3–3.9Industry average
From the MD Synergy Blog

Behavioral Health & Psychiatry EHR Insights

Practical guides, clinical insights, and product updates written specifically
for psychiatrists and behavioral health providers.

Featured Post How AI Ambient Charting Is Replacing Traditional Medical Documentation
May 06, 2026 · AI in Healthcare, Althea Smart EHR, Ambient AI Charting, Digital Health, Healthcare Technology, primary care EHR software
How AI Ambient Charting Is Replacing Traditional Medical Documentation
Medical documentation has long been one of the biggest challenges in healthcare. Physicians spend hours completing notes after patient visits, often leading to burnout and reduced time for patient care. Today, AI ambient charting is changing that reality. By capturing conversations during patient visits and converting them into structured clinical notes in real time, this […]
Read full article →
April 15, 2026 · AI in Healthcare, Althea Smart EHR, EHR alternatives, EHR comparison, Healthcare Technology, MD Synergy Solutions, Primary Care EHR, Value-Based Care
Best EHR Alternatives in 2026: How to Choose the Right System for Your Practice

Explore the best EHR alternatives in 2026 and learn how modern AI powered systems are transforming clinical workflows, improving efficiency, and helping practices deliver better patient care while increasing revenue.

Read more →
April 08, 2026 · AICharting, AmbientCharting, ArizonaHealthcare, CaliforniaHealthcare, HealthcareAI, NevadaHealthcare, Pain Management, Pain Management EHR
How AI is Transforming Pain Management Documentation

AI is transforming pain management documentation by reducing charting time, improving accuracy, and helping clinics stay compliant and profitable.

Read more →
Visit the Blog for More Behavioral Health & Psychiatry Insights →
What Physicians Say

Real physicians. Real practices. Real results.

Hear from psychiatrists who made the switch to Althea Smart EHR.

★★★★★

Ease of use. The applications are intuitive.

ASCM
Allen S. Chroman, MD
Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA
★★★★★

Positive. I don’t use the full scope of the EHR at this time but the eRx function is working very well.

FAKM
Frank A. Katz, MD
Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA
See What Our Clients Say →
Frequently Asked Questions

Althea Smart EHR for Behavioral Health & Psychiatry

Everything a psychiatrist or behavioral health provider needs to know before
making the switch to Althea Smart EHR.

Psychiatric Documentation
How does Althea Smart EHR handle psychiatric evaluation and progress note documentation?

Althea Smart EHR includes purpose-built psychiatric evaluation templates covering chief complaint, psychiatric history, mental status exam (MSE), DSM-5 diagnostic formulation, risk assessment, and treatment plan. AI Ambient Charting listens during sessions and generates structured notes in real time, with separate templates for initial evaluations, medication management visits, and follow-up documentation.

EPCS Prescribing
Does Althea Smart EHR support EPCS for psychiatric controlled substance prescribing?

Yes. Althea Smart EHR is Surescripts-certified for EPCS covering Schedule II through V controlled substances — including stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse), benzodiazepines, sleep medications, and opioids. The system uses DEA-compliant two-factor authentication for every controlled substance prescription and maintains a full audit trail.

Telepsychiatry
Does Althea Smart EHR support telepsychiatry?

Yes. Althea Smart EHR includes fully integrated telepsychiatry with no third-party app required. Video visits are documented and billed identically to in-office encounters, and the system supports Place of Service 02 and 10 billing for telehealth — making it ideal for expanding patient access to psychiatric care across geographic barriers.

Validated Screening Tools
Does Althea Smart EHR include validated psychiatric screening instruments?

Yes. Althea Smart EHR includes built-in PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5 (PTSD), AUDIT, DAST-10, MDQ (bipolar), and Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) — embedded in intake and follow-up workflows. Scores are tracked longitudinally and graphed in the patient chart for treatment response monitoring at every visit.

Psychiatric Billing
How does Althea Smart EHR handle mental health billing and E&M coding for psychiatry?

Althea Smart EHR’s AI Billing Assistant automatically suggests correct psychiatric CPT codes — psychiatric evaluations (90791, 90792), medication management E&M (99213–99215), psychotherapy add-on codes (90833, 90836, 90838), and collaborative care management codes (99492, 99493) — from documented sessions, flagging under-coded encounters before claim submission.

AI Charting
How does AI ambient charting work for psychiatric documentation?

Althea Smart EHR’s AI Ambient Charting listens during psychiatric evaluations, medication management visits, and follow-up sessions and generates structured documentation in real time: psychiatric history, mental status exam findings, DSM-5 diagnostic assessment, risk assessment, and treatment plan. Most documentation is complete before the patient leaves the session.

EHR Switching
What is involved in switching to a new EHR system?

MD Synergy eliminates all three disruption sources: free data migration before go-live, 2-hour training required for Althea Smart EHR for the provider, and 100% patient go-live on Day 1.

PDMP Integration
Does Althea Smart EHR integrate with state PDMP databases for psychiatric prescribing?

Yes. Althea Smart EHR includes real-time PDMP integration that auto-triggers at the point of prescribing for any Schedule II–V controlled substance. For psychiatrists prescribing stimulants and benzodiazepines, this ensures every prescription is checked against state monitoring data without any manual login or separate browser tab.

Psychotherapy Add-On Codes
How does Althea Smart EHR capture psychotherapy add-on codes (90833, 90836, 90838)?

Althea Smart EHR’s AI Billing Assistant automatically captures psychotherapy add-on codes when psychotherapy is documented during medication management visits. These are the most consistently under-captured codes in psychiatric billing — and Althea ensures every qualifying session is billed correctly without any manual code entry.

Medication Monitoring
Does Althea Smart EHR include psychiatric medication monitoring alerts?

Yes. Althea Smart EHR surfaces required psychiatric medication monitoring reminders at the point of care — lithium serum levels, metabolic panel for antipsychotics (weight, glucose, lipids), clozapine ANC monitoring, and valproate/carbamazepine levels. Monitoring due-date alerts appear at each visit for patients on these medications.

Choosing an EHR
What should psychiatrists and behavioral health providers look for when choosing an EHR?

Six criteria that matter for behavioral health and psychiatry: (1) AI ambient charting for psychiatric evaluations and progress notes, (2) EPCS and PDMP integration built into the prescribing workflow, (3) Validated screening tools (PHQ-9, GAD-7, C-SSRS) embedded and longitudinally tracked, (4) Psychiatric CPT auto-capture including psychotherapy add-on codes, (5) Built-in telepsychiatry, (6) No setup fees and flexible contract terms. Althea Smart EHR meets all six, rated 5.0 ★ on Capterra.

Physician Burnout
How can an EHR help reduce physician burnout in psychiatry?

Psychiatrists spend more time on documentation per patient than almost any other specialist: detailed initial evaluations, complex medication management notes, risk assessment documentation, and treatment plan updates. Practices using Althea Smart EHR reported cutting their charting time in half, with most notes completed before the patient leaves the session, giving psychiatrists back hours every day.

Still Have Questions About Althea Smart EHR for Behavioral Health & Psychiatry?

Our team is happy to answer any question, whether clinical, technical, or financial, with no pressure and no hard sell.

Schedule Your Free Behavioral Health & Psychiatry Demo→