Behavioral and mental health services in San Diego

If you are looking for marriage, family or individual therapy, your best first step is to contact your health plan. They can provide you with a complete list of mental health experts who fit your needs and accept your insurance.

If you’re unsure which type of mental health professional is right for you, contact your primary care doctor. They can help you decide which practitioners might be the best fit.

Both psychiatrists and therapists are mental health professionals trained to evaluate how the mind affects behavior and well-being. While the care they provide is similar, and may sometimes overlap, there are some distinct differences, including education, conditions treated and treatment methods.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medications and is qualified to treat both the mental and physical aspects of psychological disorders. They are likely to treat complex conditions such as severe depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The term “therapist” is used for a wide range of mental health experts, including psychologists, licensed mental health counselors and clinical social workers. These specialists help resolve issues with thoughts, emotions and relationships. They are likely to treat conditions such as behavioral problems, stress, anxiety and depression.

If you are unsure which mental health professional is right for you, talk to your primary care doctor. They can help you decide what type of therapy and which mental health expert may be the best fit.

At Sharp, we accept most major health insurance plans. Most of our services are either covered in full or in part by insurance. Our intake professionals at our behavioral health hospitals will work with your insurance company to ensure that you receive the maximum coverage allowed by your plan.

We honor your courage in taking the first step toward recovery. Sharp's substance use treatment programs offer innovative programs — for children, teens, adults and seniors — that have proven track records of successful outcomes. We will tailor a customized treatment plan for your specific needs to help you recover from your addiction.

We also offer dual recovery treatment, which is designed to help adults navigate the unique challenge of overcoming mental health conditions along with alcohol and drug dependency.

We understand your concern and are here to help. Our cognitive behavioral therapy programs are designed to treat bipolar adults suffering from symptoms such as depression and anxiety.

Our programs offer supportive therapeutic settings for patients experiencing significant disruption in daily living and take a group-oriented, cognitive-behavioral approach to care. Our outpatient programs are voluntary, but our intake specialists will work with you and your loved one to assess the need for either outpatient or inpatient psychiatric care.

To speak with an intake specialist, please call Sharp Grossmont at 619-740-5811 or Sharp Mesa Vista at 858-836-8434.

Sharp specializes in the treatment of schizophrenia and we offer both inpatient and outpatient programs depending on the level of treatment needed.

Each program starts with a complete psychiatric assessment, followed by prescribing appropriate medications and scheduling group psychotherapy. Our programs are designed to help our patients recover from their unique challenges so they can get back to living balanced, productive lives.

Firstly, it's important to speak with your parent's primary care physician about the concerns you are struggling with. Once the level of behavioral issues has been determined, your parent's doctor can refer you to Sharp's older adult treatment program.

Our specialized program offers a full range of senior behavioral health services from inpatient partial hospitalization to intensive outpatient services.

All services are provided under a psychiatrist's direction who works in collaboration with your parent's primary care physician.

Our dual recovery program is a science-based program that focuses on strategies and coping skills for abstaining from addictive substances or behaviors.

We use medications for addiction treatment, motivational interviewing, mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy, and a harm-reduction approach to treatment.

We support and encourage patients to utilize community-based self-help programs such as SMART Recovery or 12-step programs when they are a helpful part of the person's overall recovery plan.

Yes, Sharp's facilities are licensed by the California Department of Public Health.

Sharp Grossmont Hospital
License number: 080000006
Effective date: 05/29/24 to 5/28/25

Sharp McDonald Center
License number: 080000319
Effective date: 02/01/25 to 01/31/26

Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital
License number: 550000273
Effective date: 11/08/2024 to 11/07/2025