When Additional Help Is Needed

Finding Child Mental Healthcare

The mental health system can be daunting to navigate, even for the most experienced healthcare consumer. Just as you would start with your primary care doctor to find your own referral for mental health services, your child’s pediatrician is a good place to start to find a referral for your child. You may be asked about your insurance coverage, as mental health services often have different coverage from general medical services. Your insurance company might have list of approved mental health providers.

Types of providers

In general, you want to be sure that your child sees someone with expertise in children and adolescents, and you might ask specifically about their experience treating a child with a medical illness in the family.

There are many different types of clinicians that can be helpful. Social workers may have experience dealing with families as a whole as well as children individually. Child psychologists may have expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy, other kinds of talking therapy, or neuropsychological testing. Child psychiatrists might provide general child or family therapy and are able to prescribe medications for depression or anxiety if necessary. You should be prepared for the clinician to need a few sessions to get to know your child and your family, and determine exactly how to help your child over time.