Outpatient Counseling Services

Confidential Counseling with a psychiatrist on staff

Free and reduced-fee outpatient therapy for adults in Passaic County. Bilingual staff, board-certified psychiatrist on the team, and the choice between in-person sessions in Clifton or telehealth from anywhere in New Jersey.

Why MHAPC

When people compare us to other outpatient providers in the region, four things stand out.

A psychiatrist on staff — medication management is built into care here, not handed off to an outside referral. For people whose treatment includes medication, that means the same clinical team handles both therapy and prescriptions.

Peers on the team — staff with lived experience of mental illness work in paid roles across our programs, not just as advisors. Care here is delivered in part by people who have been through mental illness themselves and stayed to help.

In-person and telehealth — both are available every session, not as a fallback. Some weeks an office visit fits better; some weeks remote does. Switching between formats is fine, session to session.

Medicaid accepted, sliding scale for the uninsured — care should not depend on coverage, and at this clinic it doesn’t. We accept New Jersey Medicaid, and for residents who are uninsured or ineligible we offer reduced fees based on income.

Who Qualifies

Confidential counseling with a psychiatrist on staff

This program is funded by grants and Medicaid reimbursement, which is why we can offer it at no cost to most people who use it. The flip side is that we can only serve residents whose situations match what the funding covers. If you’re outside those criteria, you can’t use this specific program — but we offer other programs, and we won’t leave you guessing where to look next.

You qualify if either of these is true:

Not sure if you qualify? Call us — we can help you apply for Medicaid at intake if you’re eligible. Our intake staff knows the system well and can flag other state or county programs that may apply when ours doesn’t.

If you have private insurance or live outside Passaic County, see our other programs or crisis resources.

What We Offer

Therapy for the issues people actually walk in with

Whether you’re navigating something specific or coping with persistent mental illness, our clinicians work with adults across a wide range of presenting issues. Most people start with individual therapy, but couples, family, and group sessions are part of what we offer when those fit better.

Individual, couples, family, and group therapy

We work with adults navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, persistent mental illness, relationship issues, family conflict, divorce, bereavement, and life-stage transitions. Sessions are confidential and supervised by a board-certified psychiatrist. Group therapy includes ongoing support groups for specific concerns; individual sessions are weekly or biweekly depending on what fits your life.

Sessions in English and Spanish

Our intake staff is bilingual, and clinicians are matched to your language preference at scheduling. Bilingual care means full sessions in your language, not translation through an interpreter.

In-person at our Clifton office, or telehealth — your choice

You can switch between in-person and telehealth session-to-session. Telehealth runs over secure video, and we'll set you up at intake. Both formats are private and HIPAA-compliant.

What Happens When You Call

Phone intake

A short call with our intake staff — not a clinician. They ask what’s going on at a high level, walk you through fees and eligibility, and book your first appointment. You don’t have to come prepared with a diagnosis or a story arc.

Match to a clinician

Based on what you described and your language preference, we pair you with a licensed clinician on our team.

First Session

Mostly intake forms and getting to know your clinician — not a full therapy session yet. Plan on 60–90 minutes. People often leave the first session feeling more relieved than they expected.

Ongoing Care

Weekly or biweekly sessions, your choice. If a clinician isn’t a fit, you can ask to be matched with someone else — that’s normal, and we don’t take it personally.

You don't need to know what to say before you pick up the phone.

You won’t need a referral, a diagnosis, or insurance verification before the first call. We sort all of that out together at intake.

Involuntary Outpatient
Commitment Program

IOC provides court ordered mental health monitoring, intensive case management and assistance to mental health consumers who have been resistant to and have had difficulty engaging in outpatient treatment.

The Goal of IOC

To assist consumers to live safely in the community, to avoid repeated inpatient hospitalizations and or incarcerations, and to ensure they have access to comprehensive outpatient services.

The Path to Recovery

Through a court ordered treatment plan, consumers have the opportunity to better engage in consistent, ongoing treatment and to ultimately graduate to less restrictive mental health services.

For more details, please contact Diana Ramirez

Specialized Outpatient Services

Hours & Location

Open weekdays in Clifton, with telehealth on the same schedule.

Hours

Monday - Friday

9am - 5pm

Saturday - Sunday

Closed

Location

If you have specific access needs, mention them at intake — we can plan around most of them in advance, and we’d rather know before the day-of than figure it out at the door.

Ready to start? Call, email, or come by.

The first call is confidential, requires no referral, and intake staff are available in English and Spanish. Phones are answered during open hours; for after-hours messages, expect a call back the next business day.