Two enormous counties, one dominant Medi-Cal plan, and a widespread belief that nothing happens without a referral from a doctor you cannot get an appointment with. On the plan most people here are on, that belief is wrong.
The useful distinction is this: an ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a full psychological testing battery, and medication follow-up are three different services, and most adults should begin by asking for the first.¹ Full testing earns its cost when a clinician has to separate ADHD from a learning disorder, cognitive change or another complicated picture. Medication care needs a clinician who can prescribe and keep following you.
Name the decision before you book
| What you are trying to decide | Ask for this | A useful answer should include | Stop before paying if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Could this be ADHD?" | Adult ADHD diagnostic evaluation | A clinical interview, childhood history, effects in more than one part of life, and consideration of sleep, mood, substance use and medical causes | A questionnaire score is presented as the diagnosis |
| "Is there also a learning or cognitive problem?" | Psychological or neuropsychological testing consultation | The exact question the tests would answer, hours, billing codes, report and total estimate | The battery is sold as mandatory for every ADHD diagnosis |
| "I may want medication" | Evaluation with prescribing and follow-up | Who prescribes, how refills and side effects are handled, and the complete first-90-day cost | Medication is promised before an evaluation, or nobody owns follow-up |
Your Inland Empire route depends on your plan and your county
If you are with Inland Empire Health Plan
IEHP's own page says members can "see a behavioral health specialist for therapy without a referral."² That single sentence removes the step most people assume they are stuck on.
The behavioral health call centre is 1-800-440-IEHP (4347), Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm, TTY 1-800-718-4347, and the plan describes it as the route to therapy and medication management.² Open with: "I need an adult ADHD diagnostic evaluation. Which network clinician can complete that, and what is the soonest appointment you can locate?"
Settle one more thing on the same call: whether the clinician who evaluates can also prescribe, or whether medication goes back through your primary care provider. That answer decides whether you are booking one appointment or two.
If you are in Riverside County
Riverside University Health System Behavioral Health runs the CARES line at (800) 499-3008, described on the county's own pages as available 24/7 and as the way to get started with adult mental health services; the same pages state that services for Medi-Cal eligible consumers are authorized through the CARES line or the Assessment and Consultation Team.³
That word authorized is the one to notice. In Riverside the county line is not only an information number — it is part of how specialty services get approved. If you are being routed toward county services rather than plan services, this is the call that moves it.
If you are in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health runs a 24/7 access line at (888) 743-1478, which the department calls its Behavioral Health Helpline, for anyone wanting to speak to someone about behavioral health services.⁴
Ask plainly: "I need an adult ADHD diagnostic evaluation. Which part of the system handles that for me, and who is accepting referrals?" A helpline is a door, not a promise of a county ADHD clinic. If it sends you back to your plan, note the date, the name and the reason.
If you have commercial insurance
Call the behavioral-health number on the card and ask for "an in-network adult ADHD diagnostic evaluation — not automatically a full testing battery." Then ask who can complete the diagnosis, whether prior authorization is required, what your cost is for the evaluation and the follow-up, and whether the plan will arrange an out-of-network appointment at in-network cost if nobody in network can see you.
California's timely-access standard is generally 10 business days for a non-urgent appointment with a non-physician mental-health provider, subject to clinical exceptions and plan type. A directory is not proof that an appointment exists — ask the plan to find you one, and record the call reference number.⁵ If nobody in-network has an opening →
If you are paying privately
Ask for a written good-faith estimate covering the diagnostic visit, any testing, the report, the feedback meeting and follow-up — before the first appointment. Distances are long here, so settle one more question before you book: how many visits this involves, and which of them can be done remotely. Compare two complete ADHD evaluation quotes →
Telehealth can be real care. The five checks still matter.
An online evaluation is not valid merely because it is convenient, and not invalid merely because it is online. Confirm the individual clinician's California licence, what happens beyond a checklist, what written document you receive, who provides follow-up, and the total first-90-day price.
Medication makes the arrangement more fragile. California requires an appropriate examination and a legitimate medical reason for an internet prescription, and the federal controlled-medication telehealth flexibilities are temporary, currently running through December 31, 2026, so this section is reviewed every 90 days.⁶ ⁷ Use the full online-evaluation check →
Make one call before buying a battery
Use this sentence:
"I am looking for an adult ADHD diagnostic evaluation. Before I book, please tell me whether this is an interview or a full testing battery, who completes the diagnosis, what the total price is, what document I receive, and who handles treatment afterwards."
Then bring a one-page record of what is happening now, what you remember from childhood, where the difficulty shows up, and what else might be affecting attention. Prepare that page privately →
Other regional versions of this page exist, because the doors differ by county: Los Angeles → · Orange County → · San Diego → · the East Bay → · San Francisco → · the South Bay → · Sacramento →
Q&A
Do I need a referral to see a therapist on IEHP? No. IEHP's own page states that members can see a behavioral health specialist for therapy without a referral.²
Do I need neuropsychological testing to be diagnosed with adult ADHD? Usually, no. A qualified clinician can often diagnose ADHD through a thorough clinical evaluation. Testing earns its cost when there is another question the interview cannot answer.¹
Which number do I call if I live in Riverside but work in San Bernardino? The county where you live is the one that decides your Medi-Cal specialty mental health access. Use your home county's line, and say where you live in the first sentence.
Does a county line diagnose ADHD? No. Both counties describe their lines as ways to reach services — and in Riverside's case, as part of how Medi-Cal services get authorized.³ ⁴ Ask which service is responsible for your evaluation.
Our therapist directory: See its current status →
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health, "ADHD: What You Need to Know" — diagnostic elements and differential assessment — nimh.nih.gov.
- Inland Empire Health Plan, mental health member page — "see a behavioral health specialist for therapy without a referral," the behavioral health call centre number and hours, and the services it connects to — iehp.org.
- Riverside University Health System Behavioral Health, Adult Services and Mental Health Plan — the CARES line at (800) 499-3008, available 24/7, and authorization of Medi-Cal services through the CARES line or the Assessment and Consultation Team — ruhealth.org.
- San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health — the 24/7 access line at (888) 743-1478 and the Behavioral Health Helpline — wp.sbcounty.gov.
- California Department of Managed Health Care, Timely Access to Care — appointment standards and exceptions — dmhc.ca.gov.
- Medical Board of California, consumer FAQ on internet prescribing and telehealth — mbc.ca.gov.
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, temporary controlled-medication telemedicine flexibilities through December 31, 2026 — dea.gov.
Local access facts and numbers checked 12 September 2026. Clinical review is not yet claimed.
Paid for by participating therapists. Inclusion is computed from availability data — never purchased. No ads, no data sold.