Optum Therapists in Buffalo, NY

Does MindView take Optum in Buffalo?

Yes. MindView Therapy is in-network with Optum Behavioral Health at our downtown Buffalo office, and by telehealth throughout New York State.

Because we are in-network, you pay your plan’s copay or coinsurance rather than the full session fee, and you are not billed the difference.

What is Optum, exactly?

Optum is UnitedHealth Group’s health services company, and Optum Behavioral Health is the arm that manages mental health networks and claims.

Here is the part that confuses people: you probably do not have a card that says Optum. Optum is usually the administrator sitting behind another plan. UnitedHealthcare members have their behavioral health managed by Optum. So do Oxford members. So do members of some employer plans and marketplace plans that carry a completely different brand on the front of the card.

If the back of your card lists a behavioral health or mental health number that mentions Optum, that is your network, and we are in it.

Do I need a referral or authorization?

Usually not. Most Optum-administered plans let you self-refer to an in-network therapist for outpatient care. You do not need a primary care doctor to send you.

Prior authorization is typically reserved for higher levels of care, not for weekly outpatient therapy. Plan rules still vary by employer, so we verify your specific benefits before your first session rather than assuming.

What will I actually pay?

That depends on the plan Optum is administering, and we will not guess at it.

Most members pay a copay per session. Others pay coinsurance, a percentage of the negotiated rate. Some plans apply a deductible first, so you pay the negotiated rate until that deductible is met.

We verify your benefits and tell you what you will owe before your first appointment. No surprise bill afterward.

Where is the Buffalo office and what does therapy involve?

Our office is at 369 Washington Street, 1st Floor, Suite 110, Buffalo, NY 14203, downtown. We see clients from across Buffalo and Western New York, including Elmwood Village, North Buffalo, Allentown, Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Tonawanda. Telehealth is available anywhere in New York.

Every client follows the same structure. The first session is an intake: what brought you in, your history, what you want to change. The second is a psychosocial assessment, a fuller picture of your life across relationships, work, health, and history. In the third session you and your therapist build the treatment plan together, with goals tied to what you came in for plus one personal goal that matters to you.

From there, sessions are weekly. Once a month you complete standardized measures, such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, and your therapist reviews the trend with you. If the data says the plan is not working, the plan changes.

How do I get started?

Book online through our secure client portal. It takes about two minutes and is mostly checkboxes. We verify your Optum benefits, tell you the expected cost, and confirm your first appointment.

Not sure whether your plan runs through Optum? Call (646) 493-4007 and read us what is on the back of your card. We respond within one business day.