Psychiatry Consultation Service

About us

In the flurry of bustling activity, seemingly endless procedures and flood of information that can emerge when a child is admitted to the hospital with a serious medical illness, it can be all too easy to overlook signs of psychological stress—or to miss more serious mental health issues that might be impacting the entire family. Our Psychiatry Consultation Service clinicians are specially trained to recognize symptoms of anxiety, depression, fear, worry and anger in patients admitted to the hospital. Because Children's is dedicated to delivering compassionate, family-centered care, we also involve you and other family members in every stage of your child's treatment plan—and we are available to guide and support you, as well.

The Psychiatry Consultation Service at Children’s Hospital Boston operates entirely on an inside referral basis. We respond to consultation requests from members of a child's medical or surgical team.

Parents and guardians of admitted patients can request a consult with the  Psychiatry Consultation Service, but this request must first be approved by the child's attending physician.

All of the patients we treat have been admitted as inpatients to Children's. If continuing mental health services are desired or necessary after a child is discharged from a medical floor, we will connect the family with our colleagues in Children's Behavioral Medicine Clinic ,  which works with medically ill children and their families on an outpatient basis or with other community providers closer to home.