Lukas Behavioral Health

01/29/2026

With the new year comes new insurance deductibles. To better support our clients, we have expanded our billing team to ensure timely and responsive service.

Our staff will be reaching out to clients with high deductibles to discuss payment options and, when appropriate, set up payment plans. LBH is always willing to work with clients in good faith and understands that high deductibles can create a financial burden.

That said, our insurance contracts require us to collect all applicable copays, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts. Collecting these balances is also necessary for us to continue providing care and keeping our doors open.

We kindly ask that all clients be mindful that when our billing staff reaches out, their goal is to collaborate with you, so that your care remains affordable and uninterrupted. Our priority is to help you continue treatment without unnecessary disruptions.

01/26/2026

Due to ongoing winter weather conditions, our CUMBERLAND office location will be closed today, Monday January 26th.

Our OAKLAND office is open and all appointments at that location will be held. If you are unable to make your appointment, please call to cancel or reschedule accordingly.

Stay safe and warm!

01/23/2026

A statement from our CEO:

CVS Pharmacy has implemented a policy under which it will not fill prescriptions written by prescribers whose practice address is more than 50 miles from the pharmacy location. Because our providers see patients across three counties, it is common and clinically appropriate for us to prescribe medications outside of this arbitrary radius. To our knowledge, CVS is currently the only pharmacy enforcing such a policy.

In my professional opinion, this policy is reckless and serves only to delay patient care while creating unnecessary administrative burden and avoidable healthcare costs. The requirement to repeatedly redirect prescriptions to alternate pharmacies does nothing to improve safety and instead impedes timely access to medically necessary treatment.

As both a provider and the representative voice of this practice, I am advising patients to avoid using CVS pharmacies when possible. Economic pressure is often the only mechanism that prompts large organizations to reevaluate harmful policies, and patients being forced to change pharmacies due to refusal to fill valid, legal prescriptions should be a clear signal.

Accordingly, our practice does not recommend sending prescriptions to CVS pharmacies. We will, however, continue to send prescriptions to CVS at a patient’s request. If a patient elects to use CVS and the pharmacy refuses to fill the prescription, our practice will not engage in further attempts to override or dispute the denial. In such cases, the patient will need to select an alternative pharmacy.

It is our hope that CVS will recognize that this policy is ultimately detrimental to both patient care and its own business interests and will reconsider its approach. Until such changes are made, we recommend that patients use non-CVS pharmacies for their prescription needs.

- James Lukas, CEO
Lukas Behavioral Health

01/22/2026

Why choose LBH?

✅ Med management with Therapy! ⭐
✅ Mental Health and Substance Abuse! ⭐
✅ Flexible scheduling
✅ Virtual appointments available in MD & PA
✅ Most insurances are accepted
✅ New appointments available as soon as seven days from intake completion!

Our Psych Nurse Practitioners can provide medication and therapy all in one session. Imagine having one provider for both treatments! Plus we are not offering Dual Diagnosis care meaning we will treat your mental health and substance abuse issues together! Why have multiple providers when you could have one provider to cover it all?

12/24/2025

We wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season! 🕎🎅🎄🎉🎆

12/12/2025

💊What to Expect During a Medication Adjustment⁉️

Changing your psychiatric medication, whether increasing, decreasing, or switching, can feel stressful if you don’t know what to expect. The truth is, medication adjustments are a normal part of treatment, and understanding the process makes it much smoother.

Here’s what typically happens:

1. You may notice mild, short-term side effects.
When your dose changes, your brain and body recalibrate. You might feel a little off, headaches, mild nausea, dizziness, jitteriness, or fatigue.
These usually improve within a few days to 1–2 weeks.

2. Improvements happen gradually.
Just like starting a medication, adjustments take time. You might see early changes in sleep, energy, or appetite first. Mood and anxiety follow later.

3. Your emotions might shift briefly.
Some people feel more sensitive or irritable at the start of an adjustment. This isn’t failure, it’s your nervous system rebalancing.

4. Your provider will monitor closely.
Follow-up appointments or secure messages help track your progress and catch anything that needs attention. Adjustments are collaborative, not one-sided.

5. You’ll learn how your body responds.
Each adjustment gives valuable information about what works best for you, your dose, timing, and medication type become more personalized.

6. It’s normal to need more than one adjustment.
Finding your “sweet spot” is part of the process. It doesn’t mean the medication is wrong, it often just means you need fine-tuning.

⭐ Bottom line:

A medication adjustment isn’t a setback, it’s a step toward finding the most effective, comfortable treatment for you.
With patience, communication, and guidance, the process is safe, manageable, and often leads to real relief.

Follow LBH for more great insights!

12/11/2025

LBH is proud to announce that we will be offering Substance Abuse treatments in the New Year!

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

💊Finding the Right Medication Takes Patience, And You’re Not a Guinea Pig⁉️

Many patients worry that trying different medications means they’re being “experimented on.” But that’s not what’s happening at all. Finding the right psychiatric medication is a guided, evidence-based process, not trial and error on you as a person.

Here’s why it takes patience:

1. Everyone’s brain chemistry is different.
Medications affect neurotransmitters, genetics, hormones, and stress systems. Those vary person to person, so the same medication can feel completely different for two people with the same diagnosis.

2. The brain needs time to respond.
Most medications take weeks to create full changes in mood, anxiety, and focus. Your provider needs enough time to see the real effect before deciding what comes next.

3. Adjustments are part of the science.
Tweaking doses or trying a different medication isn’t guesswork, it’s a normal, research-supported part of finding the best fit for your brain and symptoms.

4. You are an active partner, not a test subject.
You give feedback, your provider interprets it, and together you make informed decisions. Nothing happens to you. Everything happens with you.

Finding the right medication is a process because your brain deserves a precise, customized approach, not a one-size-fits-all answer.
You’re not a guinea pig.
You’re a person on a path to feeling better, and patience is part of the healing.

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12/10/2025

⁉️When Should I Ask My Provider to Adjust My Medication?

Psychiatric medications aren’t “set it and forget it.” Your brain, body, and symptoms can change over time, and sometimes your medication needs to change with you. So when should you ask your provider about an adjustment?

Here are the key signs:

1. You’ve given it enough time, but you’re not improving. Most medications take 4–6 weeks for a full effect. If you’ve waited that long and symptoms haven’t budged, or only improved a little, it’s worth checking in.

2. You feel better, but not good enough.
If anxiety, depression, or attention problems have improved only halfway, you may need a slightly higher dose or a different medication.

3. Side effects are bothersome or persistent.
Mild side effects are common early on, but if they linger past the first couple of weeks, or impact daily life, your provider may adjust the dose or switch the medication.

4. The medication helps, but “wears off.”
If symptoms return at certain times of day, during stress, or near the next dose, you may need a change in dose, timing, or medication type.

5. Your life circumstances shift.
Major stressors, sleep changes, hormonal shifts, medical conditions, and new medications can affect how psychiatric meds work. Adjustments might be necessary.

6. You simply don’t feel like yourself.
If your mood feels flattened, you’re emotionally numb, or you feel “off,” that’s important information. Your treatment should help you feel more like you, not less.

⭐ The bottom line:

If something feels wrong, or if your progress has stalled, you don’t have to wait for your next routine visit. Reaching out is part of taking care of your mental health.

You and your provider are a team, adjusting the plan is normal and often part of finding the right fit.

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12/09/2025

⁉️How Do I Know If My Medication Is Working?

Psychiatric medications don’t usually create one big “aha” moment. Instead, they create steady, subtle changes that build over weeks. So how do you know if your medication is actually helping?

Here are the signs clinicians look for:

1. Your symptoms start losing intensity.
You may still feel anxious, depressed, or unfocused, but not as sharply. The edges soften, and episodes become more manageable.

2. Your daily functioning improves.
You’re sleeping better, concentrating longer, getting through tasks with less overwhelm, or reconnecting with things you used to enjoy.

3. Bad days become less frequent or less severe.
Medication rarely eliminates symptoms entirely. But it reduces how often they hit, or how hard they hit.

4. You recover from stress faster.
Your brain becomes more resilient. Instead of spiraling for hours or days, you bounce back more quickly.

5. Other people notice changes before you do.
A partner, coworker, or family member might say you seem calmer, more engaged, or more like yourself again.

6. Therapy starts feeling easier.
You can think more clearly, regulate emotions better, and put coping skills into action.

Remember:
Progress is usually gradual, not dramatic.
And it’s okay if improvement isn’t obvious right away, that’s why ongoing check-ins with your provider matter.

Your medication may be working even if you’re not 100% there yet. Healing comes in steps, not leaps.

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12/08/2025

⁉️Why Psychiatric Medications Take Weeks to Work⁉️

One of the most common questions in mental health is:
“Why don’t these medications work right away?”

Psychiatric medications, like SSRIs, SNRIs, mood stabilizers, and many others, don’t work the same way as pain meds or antibiotics. They’re not designed for instant relief. Instead, they change brain chemistry and communication patterns gradually, and that process takes time.

Here’s why:

1. Your brain needs time to adjust its receptors.
Medications increase or regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. But your brain must recalibrate its receptors before you feel the effect. That adaptation takes 2–6 weeks.

2. New neural pathways have to form.
Improvement comes not just from chemical changes, but from the brain building new, healthier communication circuits. That process isn’t instant, it’s rewiring.

3. Symptoms improve in stages.
Energy, sleep, and appetite often improve first.
Mood and anxiety lift later, once deeper pathways adjust.

4. The body needs time to reach steady levels.
Many meds build up slowly in the bloodstream. Your body must reach a stable level before the medication works consistently.

So if you don’t feel better right away, you’re not doing anything wrong, and the medication isn’t failing.
It’s simply working behind the scenes, slowly creating the stability your brain needs.

Patience is part of the treatment. Relief is coming.

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