Mental Healthcare Appointments

Learn more about how to set up an appointment to receive mental healthcare. 

Beneficiary Type or Plan How To Get Mental Healthcare

Active duty service members and National Guard and Reserve members

You must get all mental healthcare at a military hospital or clinic, if possible.

  • To see a TRICARE-authorized civilian provider, you must get a referral and pre-authorization—even if you’re enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote.
  • Your primary care manager will coordinate your referrals and authorizations.

TRICARE doesn’t want to discourage you from getting help. We want to make sure your condition doesn’t negatively affect your health and ability to perform your duties.
All others enrolled in TRICARE Prime

Outpatient care from a network psychiatrist or psychologist:

  • Schedule an appointment with a network psychiatrist or psychologist in your region.
  • You don’t need a referral or pre-authorization for outpatient visits, except for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for substance use disorder.
  • You must see a network provider in your region. If you see a non-network provider or a network provider in another region without a referral, you’ll have to pay point-of-service fees.

Outpatient care from a counselor:

  • You can get care from a supervised mental health counselor or pastoral counselor, but a doctor must supervise the care—even if in the TRICARE network. Certified mental health counselors don’t need doctor referral and supervision.

Inpatient care:

  • You must have a referral and pre-authorization from your regional contractor if you need to stay in a hospital.
Beneficiaries enrolled in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan

You can search your USFHP’s directory to book a mental healthcare appointment.

  • You don’t need a referral for most outpatient visits. (You need a referral for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for substance use disorder.)
  • You must have a referral and pre-authorization for all inpatient mental healthcare (hospital stays).

Contact your USFHP for more information. 
Beneficiaries using any other TRICARE health plan

Do you use one of the TRICARE health plans below?

  • TRICARE Select
  • TRICARE Select Overseas
  • TRICARE Reserve Select
  • TRICARE Retired Reserve
  • TRICARE Young Adult-Select
  • TRICARE For Life

If so, you don’t need referrals for most mental healthcare appointments. (You need referrals for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for substance use disorder provided by a substance use disorder rehabilitation facility).

You can book an appointment with any that’s certified to provide benefits under TRICARE. There are two types of TRICARE-authorized providers: network and non-network.

You must have for inpatient mental healthcare (hospital stays).

Note: If you use TRICARE For Life, you’ll follow Medicare’s rules for mental healthcare until those benefits are exhausted. You need to get a and authorization for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for substance use disorder provided by a substance use disorder rehabilitation facility.
Looking to book an appointment online at a military hospital or clinic?
You can use the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal to book an appointment.
Do you need prescription drugs for a mental health condition?

You must be under the care of a provider who can prescribe drugs and manage your dosage. Some types of mental health providers can prescribe drugs, but others can’t.

Last Updated 9/11/2026