Online Psychiatrist Sebring, FL: See Dr. Jack Long by Video
Looking for an online psychiatrist in Sebring? Ascend Psychiatry & Wellness provides telepsychiatry to adults across Highlands County with Dr. Jack Long, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist focused on evaluation and medication management. You meet with Dr. Long over secure video, so the appointment comes to you in Sebring, Avon Park, or Lake Placid.
Finding a psychiatrist in Highlands County
Sebring does have psychiatric prescribers. A small number of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners practice in the city, and AdventHealth Sebring and HCA Florida Highlands Hospital anchor local medical care. The challenge is finding them, and then finding one who has an opening. Search for a psychiatrist in Sebring and the results are almost entirely national directories. Few local practices have a website that shows up, and it can take a string of phone calls to learn who is accepting new patients and who takes your plan.
Highlands County is home to roughly 100,000 people spread across a long stretch of US-27. When a local opening is not available, the next options are a drive away. Lakeland is roughly 61 miles (about 1 hour 10 minutes) and Tampa roughly 95 miles (about 1 hour 45 minutes), both approximate. For ongoing medication management, where visits recur every few weeks or months, that distance adds up fast.
The federal Health Resources and Services Administration designates a mental health professional shortage area for low-income residents of the region that includes Highlands County, which reflects how thin prescriber coverage is across this part of the state.
Why telehealth fits Sebring
Whether you are retired, here for the season, or working full time, a half-day trip up US-27 for a medication follow-up is hard to fit in. Telepsychiatry removes the drive entirely.
- A clear path to an appointment. You can request a visit with Dr. Long online instead of calling through a directory list.
- Visits from home. Join from your home in Sebring, Sun 'n Lake, or anywhere in Florida you happen to be.
- Your pharmacy stays local. Prescriptions are sent to the Sebring pharmacy you choose.
- Works with your local doctors. Dr. Long can coordinate with your primary care physician or therapist in Highlands County.
Dr. Jack Long's focus
Dr. Jack Long, MD, treats adults 18 and older, with a practice built around psychiatric medication management. His goal is a medication plan that fits you, with careful monitoring for benefits and side effects over time. Conditions he commonly treats include:
- Depression, including depression that has not responded to earlier medication trials
- Anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety
- Bipolar I and bipolar II disorder
- Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder
- Second opinions and adjustments to a current medication plan
If you are already on a psychiatric medication prescribed by a doctor who retired, moved, or is no longer accepting your insurance, Dr. Long can evaluate your current plan and help you continue care. You can learn more about his background on his profile.
If you split the year between Sebring and another state
Some Sebring patients spend winters around the area's lakes and summers in another state. Dr. Long provides care exclusively via secure telehealth to patients throughout Florida, and you connect with him from anywhere in the state. If you leave Florida for part of the year, raise your travel plans at your first appointment and book your follow-ups for the months you are here. Year-round residents can simply schedule follow-ups from home in Sebring, Avon Park, or Lake Placid.
What to expect
Care begins with a psychiatric evaluation of about 60 minutes by video. Dr. Long asks about your symptoms, history, and prior treatment, and you build a plan together. Follow-up appointments are shorter and focus on how the plan is working for you. You will need a private space and a device with a camera; a smartphone works.
If your home internet is unreliable, you can join from anywhere private with a steadier connection, such as a closed office or a parked car on a strong cellular signal.
Insurance Accepted
In-network with major Florida carriers. Cash pay and HSA/FSA also accepted.
SureFit
NALC Health
Don't see your carrier? Contact us - we may still be in-network.
What Our Patients Say
Real reviews from Florida patients - see what they share about their experience.
Questions from Sebring patients
Are there psychiatrists in Sebring, FL?
Yes, a small number practice locally, but openings can be limited. Telepsychiatry with Dr. Jack Long gives Highlands County adults another option without driving to Lakeland or Tampa.
Is an online psychiatrist the same as an in-person one?
Dr. Long provides care exclusively via secure telehealth video, so psychiatric evaluation and medication management happen by video. Ascend provides outpatient psychiatric care and is not equipped for emergency situations. For a psychiatric emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
What do I need for a telehealth visit?
A private space and a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera, microphone, and reliable internet connection. You connect from anywhere in Florida.
Does Ascend accept insurance for Sebring patients?
Yes. Ascend accepts Cigna, Aetna, Optum, Medicare, Tricare, Oscar, UMR, Surest, UHS, Evernorth, Meritain, UnitedHealth, Allegiance, SureFit and NALC Health plans statewide, including for Highlands County residents, and offers cash-pay rates.
Scheduling with Dr. Long
Ascend accepts Cigna, Aetna, Optum, Medicare, Tricare, Oscar, UMR, Surest, UHS, Evernorth, Meritain, UnitedHealth, Allegiance, SureFit and NALC Health plans, with cash-pay rates listed on our fees and insurance page. Dr. Long sees adults 18 and older, by secure telehealth video from anywhere in Florida.
In a crisis? Our practice provides outpatient psychiatric care and is not equipped for emergency situations. For a psychiatric emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
Other Florida telehealth locations: New Port Richey, Marianna, Groveland, Clermont.