Navigation Consultation
You know something isn't right. You have the records, the timeline, and the questions. What you don't have is a next step.
You are the expert here. We listen, sort through your concerns and what you already know, talk through the kinds of care and support that exist for a situation like yours, and work out what to ask at your next appointment. If you have not found a team yet, we can offer referrals and suggestions for professionals working in your area.
From the neuroscience-informed mental health practice working to support families who are experiencing complex psychiatric and behavioral presentations linked to PANS, PANDAS, autoimmune encephalitis, tickborne and infectious disease, AYA oncology, rare disease, and brain injury. This is an educational service designed to provide guidance and resources, not treatment, diagnosis, or medical advice.
What it covers
Three things you should walk away with
Complex presentations rarely stall for lack of effort. They stall because no one has put the whole picture in one place.
Your story, organized
A clear chronology built from what you already have: onset, changes, what has been evaluated, what has been ruled in and out, and where the record has gaps. Most families have never seen it laid out in one line.
The landscape, explained
What the different corners of care actually do: immunology, neurology, psychiatry, behavioral services, school-based supports, functional and integrative approaches. What each one typically looks at, and how they differ.
Questions worth asking
You leave with specific, answerable questions and talking points to bring to the providers who actually treat you, your child, or your family member, so you walk into the next appointment knowing what you want to ask.
Being clear
What a Navigation Consultation is not
Naming the limits plainly is what makes the conversation useful. You should know exactly what you are and are not getting before you spend money on it.
Nothing here replaces the people treating you, your child, or your family member. It is designed to make your work with them more productive.
- Not an evaluation or a diagnosis. No condition is diagnosed, confirmed, or ruled out, and no opinion is offered on the care you are currently receiving.
- Not a clinical second opinion. This is not a review of another provider's judgment, however it is described.
- Not treatment or therapy. No psychotherapy, behavioral treatment, or ongoing clinical relationship is established.
- Not medication or protocol guidance. Nothing discussed is a recommendation to start, stop, or change any treatment.
- Not lab interpretation. Results are not read as clinical findings. That belongs to your treating providers.
- Not care coordination or advocacy. We do not contact your providers, schools, or insurers on your behalf.
- Not documentation. No diagnosis codes, letters of medical necessity, school or disability paperwork, or records for legal use.
- Not emergency or crisis care. There is no on-call coverage. In an emergency, call 911.
How it works
Request, prepare, then one focused conversation
Deliberately simple. There is no intake process to get through and no enrollment to commit to.
Tell us what is happening
A short request form asking who the consultation is for, and a few sentences about where things stand. You will hear back with availability and a list of what you might want to pull together, such as a rough timeline and the questions already on your mind.
Gather what you have
Work through that list at whatever level of detail you can manage. Nothing needs to be organized or complete, and there is no wrong amount to bring.
The consultation
One scheduled appointment, held remotely, so that families near and far can take part without leaving home. There is nothing to cancel afterward and no ongoing commitment.
Who it's for
Four ways families and providers use it
- Parents and guardians Consulting about a child or teen. Your child does not need to attend. Most consultations are with the adults who are carrying the story.
- Adults seeking guidance for themselves When your own presentation is complex, contested, or has been passed between specialties without resolution.
- Adult children and caregivers Supporting a parent, sibling, or partner and trying to work out what help actually exists and how to reach it.
- Referring providers Clinicians who want to give a family a constructive next step when the presentation sits outside their own scope.
About the practice
Depth in exactly the places families get stuck
The Beta Program is a neuroscience-informed mental health practice based in North Haven, Connecticut, working with families worldwide. The presentations we see most often, including PANS, PANDAS, autoimmune encephalitis, tickborne and infectious disease, AYA oncology, rare disease, and brain injury, are the ones where the usual pathways tend to run out first.
That familiarity is what a Navigation Consultation draws on: knowing how these presentations are typically worked up, which corners of the system look at what, and where families most often lose time.
No one is acting in a treating capacity during this consultation, and no provider–client relationship is created by it.
Questions families ask first
Before you reach out
Is this therapy or medical care?
No. A Navigation Consultation is an educational and informational service. It does not diagnose, treat, or manage any condition, and it does not create a treatment relationship. If you are looking for clinical services, those are offered separately and begin with their own intake.
Can you tell me whether my child has PANS or PANDAS?
No. No diagnosis is made, confirmed, or ruled out here. What the consultation can do is offer in-depth education about specific conditions: how neuroimmune presentations are typically evaluated, which specialties look at what, which other areas families often do not know to ask about, and what to ask the medical providers who can actually make that determination.
Do you take insurance?
No. Navigation Consultations are self-pay, and payment is due at the time of service.
Because the service is non-clinical and non-diagnostic, no diagnosis code, procedure code, or superbill is issued, so there is nothing to submit to a plan for reimbursement. The fee should not be assumed eligible for an HSA or FSA.
It is a single fee for a single appointment, rather than another round of co-pays while the search continues.
What does it cost?
A flat fee of $250 for a one-hour consultation, due at the time of service. Fees are reviewed periodically, and the current fee is confirmed when you schedule.
Do I have to live in Connecticut?
No. Because this is informational rather than clinical care, it is not limited by where you live. Sessions are held remotely on a private video platform that meets HIPAA security standards, so you can take part from wherever you are.
Will you talk to my child's doctor or school?
No. There is no care coordination, advocacy, or outside communication involved. What you leave with is a clear set of questions to bring to the people already caring for you, your child, or your family member.
What happens afterward?
Where a written summary, resource list, or list of questions would be useful, it is sent to you afterward through the secure client portal, so you do not have to hold it all in your head. It may include links to reading, organizations, and online resources, and the names of professionals working in your area.
Anything you receive is for your personal use only. It is not a clinical record, a care plan, or a recommendation, and it is not documentation for school, insurance, or legal purposes.
Does my child need to be there?
Usually not. Most consultations are with parents or guardians alone. The consultation concerns your child but does not evaluate, observe, or interview them.
What if we're in crisis right now?
This is not the right service, and we would rather say so directly. There is no on-call or after-hours coverage and no crisis assessment. If you or your child is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Request a consultation
Start with a few sentences
You do not need your records organized to reach out. That is part of what the consultation is for. Tell us roughly where things stand and we will reply with availability, the fee, and a short list of what you might want to pull together, such as a timeline and your questions.
Please do not send detailed medical information through this form. We will set up a secure way to share anything you would like discussed.
A Navigation Consultation is an educational service and is not healthcare treatment, a diagnostic or clinical evaluation, or an opinion on care you are receiving elsewhere. No provider–client relationship is created by it, and nothing on this page should replace the advice of your own licensed providers. The Beta Program does not provide emergency or crisis coverage. If you or someone you care for is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.