What to Look For in a Ketamine or Spravato Clinic Referring Partner

Many clinicians told us they want something simple, practical, and honest to share with colleagues, EAP leads, and discharge planners: what should I look for in a partner clinic for ketamine therapy or Spravato treatment? This guide distills the themes from our recent provider workshop — continuity over “poaching,” predictable handoffs, and clear safety standards — into a clinician‑friendly checklist you can use right away.

Why this matters: Choosing a reliable Spravato clinic or ketamine treatment partner protects your therapeutic alliance, reduces risk, and helps patients access care without confusion. In clinical practice, that clarity is often what turns a tentative referral into a restorative next step in ketamine for depression care.

A Clinician’s Due‑Diligence Checklist

Below are four domains we recommend vetting for any ketamine therapy or Spravato treatment partner. They’re written to support therapists, PCPs, hospital teams, university services, and EAPs alike.

Ketamine Therapy screening & monitoring: what to confirm

• Comprehensive intake that’s a conversation, not just a form. Look for psychiatric and medical review (including cardiovascular history, bipolar spectrum risk, pregnancy planning, SUD stability, etc.) before the first dose; this is as much about readiness and support as it is about diagnoses. Clinics should be prepared to say “not yet” when risk is high and work with outside providers to obtain medical clearance and risk mitigation when necessary.
  
  
• Medication reconciliation with a plan for known interactions. Ask how the clinic handles medications that impact glutamate, GABA, dopamine and norepinephrine around dose days, and how they coordinate adjustments with existing prescribers.
  
  
• On‑site monitoring standards. Expect vitals before and during sessions, observed recovery, and staff trained to respond to nausea, anxiety, or dissociation in real time. Private, calm rooms and predictable hospitality practices reduce distress and help sessions feel contained.
  
  
• Clear education about what sessions could feel like. Patients should receive plain‑language guidance about dissociation and grounding strategies so the experience is less frightening and more usable therapeutically.
• How the clinic will communicate with providers. A ketamine/esketamine practice should have communication with outside providers a key measure to help keep treatment part of the continuum of care.
  
  
• The stance of the practice. Ketamine and esketamine are considered “interventional” and should occupy a space that acknowledges that it is “intervening” in an existing structure and, as such, is deferential to the pre-existing structure (i.e., outpatient psychiatric care). Patients have their providers – the resources of ketamine/esketamine practice should be seen as an extension of that care provision.
  
  
• Appreciation for how ketamine/esketamine disrupts the existing paradigm of therapy and psychopharmacology and how this helps to shape conversation.
  
  
• For solo-practitioners, a meaningful partnership with a clinical entity that will agree to hold the patient’s care with you.
  
  
• A practice well versed in the evidence base for treatment decisions. An ability to translate bench research into clinical practice with ease helps ensure that quality of care is there.

Why it matters: Thoughtful screening prevents destabilization (e.g., in active psychosis or uncontrolled hypertension) and aligns dosing with the person’s context and supports. Integration into existing care keeps treatment identified with its targets and connected with the people and structure that are supporting the patient. For many, this is the difference between “trying ketamine treatment” and entering a safe, supervised process of ketamine for depression with realistic expectations.

A ketamine clinic’s emergency readiness: What to confirm

• REMS‑compliant care for esketamine (Spravato), including on‑site observation and structured documentation. Ask to see their REMS certification and post‑dose observation practices. A practice run by mental health providers is important. If the team includes a psychiatrist who can also opine on the risks of medical co-comorbidities is also an important value, if available.
  
  
• Clear escalation pathways (who calls whom, when).
• Equipment and trained personnel on site to manage medical side effects (BP spikes, significant anxiety, emesis). Ask how they debrief and document any event for the referring clinician.
  
  

Why it mattersAn emergency plan you can see breeds trust. Hospital consult teams, EAPs, and student‑health leaders especially benefit from a Spravato clinic partner that treats safety as routine, not exceptional.

Collaboration cadence with your Ketamine Clinic (so you remain the home for care): What to confirm

• Referral acknowledgment with a shared care plan and contact pathways up front.
  
  
• Predictable visit summaries (brief, clinically useful updates — not marketing) — e.g., after eval and at key intervals — plus reachable humans for quick coordination.
  
  
• Outcome tracking that pairs validated instruments with lived outcomes you can discuss in psychotherapy or follow‑ups.
  
  
• Return‑to‑you plan at stabilization or when pivoting to alternatives. The ethos should be “continuity and collaboration,” not patient capture.
  
  

Why it matters
Many providers told us the biggest barrier to referral is fear of losing the relationship. A clinic that commits to timely updates and clean handoffs makes ketamine therapy a true extension of your work — not a detour.

Ketamine/Esketamine Treatment route options & insurance (matching biology to access): What to Confirm 

• Clear explanation of routes (intranasal esketamine, IM/IV ketamine, occasional oral/lozenge use) and when each is considered; ask how they individualize dose and route to the clinical picture.
  
  
• On‑label Spravato treatment logistics — eligibility (treatment‑resistant depression in adults; MDD with suicidal thoughts), dosing cadence (e.g., twice weekly in the first month, then taper), and on‑site observation.
  
  
• Insurance navigation — Spravato is administered only in REMS‑certified clinics and is commonly covered by major plans; ask how they support prior auth and cost counseling.
  
  
• Transparent off‑label ketamine policies — what conditions they treat, how they set expectations, and how they plan maintenance or transitions when response is partial or absent.
  
  
• How the clinic considers out-of-pocket costs associated with ketamine administration.
  
  

Why it matters
Patients deserve a Spravato clinic or ketamine partner that can explain choices plainly — what’s FDA‑approved and insurance‑covered, what’s off‑label, what the patient experience is like, and how timelines typically unfold — without pressure or over‑promising.

A quick, printable vetting list for choosing a Ketamine Therapy referring partner 

Use this with any prospective ketamine treatment partner:

• Screening: Thoughtful intake; contraindication review; med‑interaction plan.
• Monitoring: Private, observed sessions; vital signs; grounding supports.
• Safety: REMS compliance (for Spravato treatment), clear escalation/after‑hours plan.
• Communication: Visit summaries at predictable intervals; reachable clinician; defined return‑to‑referrer plan.
• Routes & access: Routes explained; dosing schedules; insurance support for Spravato; clarity on off‑label use.
• Therapeutic framing: Emphasis on post‑dose days (neuroplasticity window) and the role of ongoing psychotherapy/behavioral support.
  
  

Returning to the Clinical “why” Choosing the Right Ketamine Treatment Referral Partner Matters 

Many providers in our workshop asked for a partner who will share the work — someone who can deliver supervised ketamine therapy or Spravato treatment with expertise, keep you informed, and collaborate with your ongoing care. That’s the spirit of this checklist: warm, transparent standards that help you feel confident about where you refer. If you’re building pathways for a hospital team, university service, or EAP, this same due‑diligence brings predictability and trust to every handoff.

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