FAQ

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness. A psychiatrist must complete all four years of medical school, a general medical internship and a three to four year psychiatric residency. He or she may also have additional training in a psychiatric specialty, such as child and adolescent psychiatry. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication, which psychologists cannot do.

To practice medicine in the United States, doctors must be licensed by the states in which they work. However, licensure does not indicate whether a doctor is qualified to practice in a specific medical specialty.  Board certification is the process by which a physician (MD) in the United States demonstrates a mastery of the basic knowledge and skills that define an area of medical specialization. Before a doctor can become Board Certified, each must complete: four years of premedical education in a college or university; a course of study leading to an MD degree from a qualified medical school and three to five years of full-time experience in an accredited residency training program.  In the field of psychiatry, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology identifies qualified specialists through rigorous credential and training requirements and successful completion of Board examinations for psychiatry. This is just the first step in the career-long learning and assessment process required by the rigorous American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification program. To maintain Board certification, a doctor must actively keep pace with the latest advances in his or her specialty and demonstrate best practices for patient safety, communications and ethics.

This is a subspecialty of psychiatry that involves having additional skills and training in the diagnosis and treatment of developmental, behavioral, emotional, and mental disorders of childhood and adolescence. Psychiatrists must complete an additional two year fellowship in the subspecialty of child and adolescent psychiatry after completion of a three to four year residency in general psychiatry. Board certification in general psychiatry must be achieved prior to qualifying for Board certification in child and adolescent psychiatry.

There are many misconceptions about what it means to see a psychiatrist. Some people fear that going to a psychiatrist will somehow make them appear “weak” or “crazy”. To the contrary, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues are exceedingly common and prevalent across all populations throughout the world and have profound effects on physical health. People seeking the care of a psychiatrist are interested in taking better control of their emotional and physical health and in improving the quality of their lives and relationships. Psychiatrists can provide diagnostic evaluations and when appropriate may also recommend medication to target certain issues. One important role of the psychiatrist, which North Alabama Family Psychiatry takes seriously, is to educate our patients about their illness including treatments and prognosis so that the individual seeking help can make an informed decision about treatment recommendations consistent with his or her core values. The premise behind our practice is to empower people to become more independent, self sufficient and healthy in every way for a more fulfilling life.

North Alabama Family Psychiatry’s normal office hours are:

  • Monday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Closed 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. for lunch

North Alabama Family Psychiatry is currently a provider on many leading insurance plans.

North Alabama Family Psychiatry maintains a unique and patient oriented practice. We value every appointment and reserve that day and time for you in order to provide the most ethical and effective treatment possible. Because of this, a late cancellation or no show fee will be applied for cancellations made less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment or missed appointments.

The office is located at:

9238 Madison Blvd. Suite 750
Madison, AL 35758
Map & driving directions

We are integrated into a multi-physician, multi-therapist group of independently practicing clinicians. Because of our close proximity to other providers, we can easily refer you for counseling services, all under the same roof. This model enables easy communication between your providers and a convenient location for you and your family to meet all of your psychiatric needs.

You can schedule an appointment by:

Someone from the office will contact you as soon as possible to gather the necessary information that is needed to schedule your first visit.

If you have not already downloaded and completed the NALFPC Patient Registration Packet, we ask that you present to the office 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. This is to ensure adequate time for you to complete the forms prior to seeing the doctor. Dr. Wilson will meet with you for an extensive interview and psychiatric evaluation. Information will be gathered including your psychiatric history, medical history, presenting symptoms and presenting problems.  During the first session together, we will determine the best treatment plan for you or your family moving forward.

Parents or legal guardians should accompany the child to their first appointment. If a person other than the child’s guardian accompanies the child, a notarized letter from the parent/legal guardian authorizing this person to bring the child in for treatment will be required (this applies to step-parents unless legal custody has been given).  Parents and legal guardians will be asked to show identification.

If the child’s guardians are divorced, please show evidence of custody before services are provided to the child.

Bring new patient paperwork including the Patient Registration Form and the Parent Questionnaire, which you can print out from the patient forms section on this website.

If applicable, please bring copies of any psychological or psychoeducational testing, any written feedback or records from teachers, counselors, therapist, pediatrician, psychologist or psychiatrist.

If currently taking medications please bring the bottles with you. Also, please bring a list of all psychiatric medications that have been prescribed in the past.

Parents can also download clinical assessment forms from the patient forms section, complete them and bring them to the child’s initial assessment.

If you find yourself in the midst of an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room. If you have an urgent situation, you may call our office during business hours for guidance. If you call after hours, you will be able to reach your provider through the answering service for urgent issues. Non-urgent calls that are forwarded to your provider will incur a fee.