Pediatric Mental Health and Psychiatry

Our approach to pediatric mental health and psychiatry care

Evaluating your child

Prior to your child's first appointment, we will mail you a questionnaire to gather information on medical and family history, the child's development, and the problems that concern you. Completing this questionnaire and bringing it with you will make the visit more efficient.

At the initial visit, you and your child will meet with a child psychiatrist, child clinical psychologist, child psychiatrist resident or child clinical psychology intern. Depending on the type of evaluation, you instead might meet with a senior staff psychiatrist and third- or fourth-year adult psychiatry resident.

If your child is experiencing particularly complex problems, they might benefit from a larger team evaluation. In such cases, a senior staff psychiatrist or psychologist will perform the evaluation while being observed by a group of residents or interns.

Developing a treatment plan

Typically, a diagnosis is made after the first or second visit. However, sometimes it is necessary to have psychological testing completed for confirmation. As a next step, we will discuss with you our recommendations for your child's treatment.

Short-term therapy services are provided for certain diagnoses with follow-up as indicated. Some diagnoses require long-term care and whenever feasible, once your child has been stabilized, we work with providers in the community to assume responsibility for ongoing treatment. In this situation, we are available to re-evaluate your child and resume responsibility for his/her care if necessary.

Emphasis on training

We have extremely competitive and robust training programs. Most of our clinicians are actively involved in teaching and supervision, often presenting cases to residents and interns for discussion. The interaction between clinicians and trainees means that an enormous amount of thought goes into patient care—especially for those patients with unusually challenging conditions.

Clinical programs tailored to your child’s needs

Addiction Recovery Management Service (ARMS): Specialized support for teenagers and young adults between the ages of 14 and 26 and their parents as they deal with their substance use and related problems.

The Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical & Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Program dedicated to improving the clinical care of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, to advance the education of patients, families and service providers about these conditions and to expand the scientific understanding of these disorders.

Child and Adolescent Medical-Psychiatry (ChAMP) Clinic: Outpatient psychiatric consultation for children with co-morbid medical and known or suspected psychiatric symptoms.

Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Advanced clinical care for children, adolescents and young adults (ages 3-24) using the techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Child Psychiatry Emergency Consult Service: Care for children and adolescents who present with acute psychiatric crises in the Emergency Department (ED). Common problems include suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, psychotic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use or significant physical illness with acute psychiatric or neuropsychiatric manifestations. Young patients who present with acute psychiatric illness are cared for in the ED until a safe discharge to another level of care can be arranged, such as discharge to existing outpatient providers or referral to partial hospitalization programs or inpatient psychiatric units.

Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds: An educational resource for parents and other caregivers on the mental health needs of children and young adults who struggle with behavioral, emotional and learning challenges.

Eating Disorders Clinical & Research Program: Outpatient evaluation and treatment for patients ages ten and up with feeding and eating disorders.

Family and Couples Therapy Program: Consultation and therapy to families facing a wide range of challenges across the life cycle and groups for new parents looking for support and guidance in parenting young children.

First Episode and Early Psychosis Program: Consultations and care for adolescents and young adults with the first episode of psychosis.

Juvenile Court Consultation Program: Court-ordered clinical assessments and consultation services to the Juvenile Courts of Suffolk and Norfolk counties.

Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP): Assessments for young people ages 2 to 22 who have developmental difficulties and consultations with their parents, teachers and care providers.

Parenting at a Challenging Time (PACT): Guidance for parents with cancer who receive treatment at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute who are concerned about the impact their cancer diagnosis and treatment may have on their children.

Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Service: Psychiatric care for children admitted to Mass General Brigham for Children.

Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Tic Disorders Program: Care for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder, tic disorders and associated co-occurring conditions, including hair-pulling and skin picking disorders, anxiety disorders and ADHD. This program provides consultation, evaluation, psychoeducation, and ongoing medication management.

Pediatric Psychopharmacology & Adult ADHD Program: Medication management of psychiatric disorders afflicting the young, with a special focus on pediatric mood, anxiety and bipolar disorders, autism spectrum disorders and child and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Performance and Character Excellence in Sports (PACES) Institute: Promotion of healthy psychological functioning, character, and optimal athletic performance for athletes of all ages.

Resilience Enhancement and Prevention Program: Program to help young people develop better coping skills for managing stress with a focus on teaching techniques that increase well-being and the capacity to manage emotional reactions.

Think Kids: Think Kids is a program that trains adults in a revolutionary new way of helping kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.

Transitional Age Youth Clinic: Diagnostic evaluations for emerging adults age 18-26. Common reasons for evaluation include new onset of significant psychiatric illness (such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders or psychotic disorders), transition to independent living with new providers or a more extensive network of care and graduation from the therapeutic educational system with the need for vocational and residential support.

The Fatherhood Project: The Fatherhood Project works to improve the health and well-being of children by empowering fathers to be active, informed, and emotionally engaged with their children and families.