For Referring Professionals

THE BALANCE works with psychiatrists, physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists, hospitals, case managers, intervention professionals, legal and fiduciary advisors, and family offices when a private residential setting may serve a clear clinical purpose.

A referral is approached as professional collaboration, not a commercial handoff or an implied endorsement. THE BALANCE reviews suitability and current capability, clarifies its limits, and seeks to preserve useful existing relationships wherever clinically appropriate.

Before a transfer, clarify responsibility at each stage, the information that can be exchanged, and the proposed handover after the intensive phase.

When a Referral May Be Considered

• Outpatient care is no longer providing enough structure or coordination
• Several diagnoses, providers, or treatment streams require one shared formulation
• Addiction, mental health, trauma, physical health, or eating concerns interact
• Previous residential or hospital care did not translate into sustainable continuity
• A period away from current pressures has a defined clinical purpose
• Privacy requirements interfere with engagement in a shared setting
• International mobility or several care systems complicate handover
• The person needs a structured transition before returning to ordinary outpatient care

These factors do not establish acceptance. Current medical and psychiatric stability, withdrawal, risk, consent, and residence capability remain central.

Who May Refer

Referrals may come from regulated clinicians, hospitals, treatment providers, case managers, or authorized professional representatives. If you are a nonclinical advisor, identify your role and distinguish your observations from a clinical assessment.

The prospective client or family may also authorize communication with existing professionals after an initial inquiry. A referring relationship should never create an undisclosed fee, incentive, or conflict.

Current roles can be reviewed on Leadership and Team.

Information That Supports Review

• Reason for referral and why a residential setting is being considered now
• Current diagnoses, symptoms, functioning, and risk
• Medical history, medication, allergies, and relevant investigations
• Substance use, withdrawal, overdose, and previous complications
• Eating, nutrition, sleep, mobility, capacity, and safeguarding concerns
• Treatment history, response, engagement, and discharge experience
• Existing providers and proposed role after residence
• Consent or other lawful basis for sharing the information
• Relevant family, legal, professional, security, and travel context

Use the approved secure method for records. Email or ordinary messaging should not become the default channel for detailed health information.

Suitability and Clinical Review

The appropriate clinical leadership reviews the information and may request a direct conversation, further records, medical assessment, or stabilization. Possible outcomes include residential treatment, a different first phase, further assessment, or another provider.

Discuss the proposed location’s capabilities and limits with our clinical team, including acute hospital care, withdrawal, eating-disorder risk, secure care, and continuous observation.

The public criteria are on Suitability and Admission Criteria.

Responsibility During Treatment

Referral does not automatically end the original professional relationship, nor does it require the referrer to retain responsibility they cannot exercise. Agree who coordinates care, prescribes, responds to risk and communicates with external professionals.

Independent hospital and specialist providers retain responsibility for their services. Existing clinicians may continue selected involvement when authorized and clinically useful.

Clinical Director Dr. Sarah Boss, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, oversees the overall program.

The individual team is selected around the client’s assessed needs and treatment priorities. When further expertise is needed, THE BALANCE can coordinate consultations, investigations and care with external hospitals and specialists.

With the client’s consent, relevant information and recommendations can be shared with referring and treating professionals and connected within one treatment plan. Different needs can be addressed in parallel where clinically appropriate, with each provider retaining responsibility for the care it delivers.

Specialist and hospital care

Therapist session reports and daily personal-manager updates support daily progress review. The team uses these contributions to coordinate interventions, adjust care as needs change and plan the next stage week by week.

With the client’s consent, continuing-care planning can involve their existing or new local therapists, alongside THE BALANCE professionals where appropriate.

Clinical oversight, documentation and review →

The governance structure is explained on Clinical Governance and Safety.

Communication, Consent, and Records

Before sharing information, establish the client’s consent or another lawful basis, the purpose, and the secure channel. The fact that two people are professionals does not permit unrestricted disclosure.

Before transfer, agree the expected updates, urgent contact process, record responsibilities, and the proposed discharge or handover information. Confirm the intended recipients, authorization, format, and timing with the clinical team for the individual case. The client should understand and participate in that arrangement where possible.

A family office or advisor funding care may receive administrative information without being authorized for clinical detail.

Transition and Return to the Referrer

Where appropriate, the referrer can help shape the continuing plan and resume a defined role. Handover may include the working formulation, treatment provided, medication, current risk, progress, unresolved questions, and recommendations.

The local plan must be feasible in the person’s jurisdiction and ordinary life. Telehealth, prescribing, laboratory, and emergency responsibility require local clarity.

The longer pathway is described on International Continuing Care.

Professional and Ethical Boundaries

Ask for written disclosure of any referral compensation, commercial relationship, shared ownership, or other potential conflict relevant to the arrangement. Clinical recommendations must remain independent of commercial benefit.

Suitability is established through clinical review. Confidentiality remains subject to legal and safety duties, and permission is required before a referrer’s name is used as an endorsement.

Collaboration is most useful when each party can state both expertise and limits.

Family offices and private medical advisers can use the international referral coordination guide. Employers, chiefs of staff, and executive assistants should also read Helping a Colleague or Business Leader Access Treatment to distinguish practical coordination from clinical and decision-making roles.

Initiating a Professional Referral

For an initial professional referral discussion, call +41 44 500 5111 or email admissions@thebalance.clinic. Identify your professional role, the reason for referral, the person’s current location, and whether they have authorized the discussion. Request a clinician-to-clinician conversation and ask admissions to confirm the approved method before transferring detailed clinical records.

If the person is in immediate danger or medically unstable, local emergency or hospital care comes first. A later transfer can be discussed when the situation is sufficiently stable.

The practical client pathway is on How Admission Works.