Psychiatric Services - Child

Introduction
Your child may not have the words to tell you that there’s a problem; instead, you may be the first to pick up on troubling symptoms such as signs of moodiness, withdrawal or difficulty sleeping. You may be worried about a change in behavior such as a sudden drop in grades, angry outbursts or other unexplained conduct. Or you may notice that your child does not seem to be developing at a rate similar to that of other children the same age.

Whatever the problem, you can call one number –
1.800.853.5163 – to get help. After an initial evaluation to determine the type of care needed, you and your child may be referred to an appropriate service. There, you and the clinician can work together as partners to develop the treatment plan which best meets your child’s needs.

What To Expect

Our fees
One of the first steps you and your family will take at our agency is fee-setting. This process helps us determine the fairest fee based on your family’s ability to pay. No one is denied service based on an inability to pay. Your child’s fee is set on a sliding scale according to his/her family’s income and ability to pay. Your child’s fee may also be covered by third-party payers such as Medicaid or Medicare. To help us set the fairest fee, please bring the following with you to your

• first appointment:
• Recent pay stub.
• Your insurance cards.
• Proof of outstanding medical or other expenses your family has.

If you and your spouse are unemployed, the fee setter will meet with you to determine your income and ability to pay.

Meeting with Intake Clinician
After you have met with the fee setter, you and your child will meet with an intake clinician. (This occurs for most clients, with a few exceptions.) At this meeting, the clinician will ask you about your child’s medical and mental health history and ask questions about the problems you’re now facing. You will also be asked to complete consent forms for your child’s treatment. This process can take one to one and a half hours.

During the intake meeting, a clinician will work with you to determine the type of care that will best meet your child’s treatment needs. The clinician will also screen to determine if your child qualifies to be among the target populations defined by the State for publicly funded mental health services. If your child does meet these qualifications, your child may receive treatment at the Guilford Center or may be referred to one of our contracted care providers. If your child does not meet the criteria for one of the State’s target populations, our clinician will assist you in locating appropriate supportive services to address your child’s needs.

After seeing the intake clinician, your child may be assigned to a treatment team. The teams include case managers and may include psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers and other professional staff.

Our treatment approach is family-centered and strengths-based. This means that family members are involved in helping your child through treatment. You will receive information and education about how you can help your child in the home, in school and in other social settings.

It is very important to be on time for your appointment. If your child is unable to keep his or her appointment, please give 24 hours notice. It is important to make every effort to attend your appointment to help your child meet his or her treatment goals.

For more information, see our Specialized Treatment Programs