Who We Are: Psychiatric Alternatives brings smiling support to insurance and scheduling, providing easy and responsive service that’s a pleasure to experience. PAWC offers multiple offices in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Danville, Marin and other areas and accepts most major insurance carriers. PAWC's provider group is among the largest in the Bay Area and includes only Board Certified or Licensed Practitioners who value collaboration. Our doctors focus on your needs and feelings, while PAWC collaborates with you, your doctor and insurers to keep administration smooth and easy. Founder John Schick, Ph.D., is inspired by patients’ desire to feel better and make their own lives better. He founded PAWC in 2011 to provide a best-in-class setting for patient care and enhance doctor effectiveness. Dr. Schick pioneered comfortable and beautiful offices that have become a PAWC hallmark. Since that time, the model has succeeded, expanding to over 60 offices in the Bay Area. What We Do: Our intake process matches your needs with the right practitioner or referral. Setting up insurance payment with patient copay is a breeze, in most cases. During your treatment, practitioners and staff work together well to create a seamless care experience, including support for scheduling, billing and managing prescriptions. In most cases, our personable staff can respond to inquiries within one business day. Our doctors collaborate with each other and listen to patient needs and interests. PAWC Psychiatrists are able to collaborate regularly with Psychologists on the PAWC team.