General Information about ADHD Treatment at PUSH

PUSH promotes individualized, comprehensive treatment of ADHD. While medication treatment can provide some benefits, it may not be recommended for all students with an ADHD diagnosis, as active engagement in psychotherapy is the basic standard for care. Psychological treatment to improve coping, stress management, and organizational skills is an important part of treatment that can provide long term benefits for those with ADHD and can help to address symptoms that may not respond to medication treatment. For this reason, recommended treatment may include medication, individual therapy, ADHD coaching, group therapy, or a combination of these modalities depending upon symptom severity and individual areas of functional difficulty. If care at PUSH is established, your provider(s) will work with you to determine an individualized treatment plan. Although PUSH does not directly offer psychological treatment, we are partnered with our campus collaborators at CAPS. A patient may elect to use the psychological counseling resources at CAPS, or they may elect to receive psychological counseling from off-campus resources.

There are several options for medication treatment for ADHD. PUSH physicians and Nurse Practitioners prescribe non-stimulant medications. This policy is designed to promote student safety, since stimulant medications are controlled substances with a risk of abuse and dependence and can have serious adverse effects if combined with substances of abuse.

We look forward to working with you.

Diagnosed with ADHD by a previous clinician:

If you have previously been diagnosed with and treated for ADHD by another clinician:

To provide comprehensive, evidence-based treatment of this condition, PUSH will need a copy of any psychological testing report and any other supporting documentation (such as treatment records).  It is preferred that medical documentation is faxed directly to PUSH at fax # 765-494-1596 by your current provider.  Please include a completed and signed Release of Information, with current contact information and reasons noted for care services to be transferred. As a less desirable alternative, you may bring copies of these medical records to PUSH at the time of your visit.

No ADHD diagnosis:

If you have not previously been diagnosed with ADHD but would like to be evaluated for this condition, PUSH will provide an initial evaluation appointment with one of our clinicians. The purpose of this visit is to fully understand your concerns and symptoms, consider alternative or additional diagnoses, and design an individualized comprehensive plan to address your concerns and symptoms. Another purpose of this appointment is to determine whether referral for a psychological testing battery is necessary to definitively establish a diagnosis of ADHD. If a testing battery is needed, community referrals will be provided.

It is not uncommon for mood difficulties to co-exist with symptoms of ADHD. Testing will help determine if this is the case for you. When this occurs, it is important to address the mood difficulties prior to ADHD medication.