The Boston Children's Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences treats diseases and disorders that affect the emotional, behavioral, and social health of children and adolescents. Our strengths in scientific research and mental health advocacy help us deliver innovative, evidence-based, family centered care.
In each of our programs, we will develop a treatment plan that focuses on your child as a whole person — not merely a patient. Starting with your first visit, you’ll meet compassionate professionals who are committed to delivering the highest standard of care for your child while supporting the needs of your entire family.
For more information on the levels of psychiatric care, download this Family Education Sheet.
Inpatient care
Our Psychiatry Consultation Service:
- provides psychiatric assessment, management, and referral for patients who have been admitted to Boston Children's for medical conditions
Our Psychiatry Inpatient Service:
- Longwood location: a 16-bed inpatient psychiatric unit that provides psychiatric assessment and brief intensive treatment for patients who are in the midst of a psychiatric crisis
- Waltham location: a 12-bed inpatient psychiatric unit that provides psychiatric assessment and brief intensive treatment for patients who are in the midst of a psychiatric crisis
Download the Inpatient Psychiatry Service Caregiver Guide for more information.
Our Community Based Acute Treatment (CBAT) program
- a 12-bed assessment and acute residential unit that provides psychiatric assessment and treatment that can act as a bridge between an inpatient hospitalization and home as well as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization
Outpatient care
Our Outpatient Psychiatry Service:
- provides psychiatric assessments and ongoing treatment or consultations and referral
Our Emergency Psychiatry Service:
- provides psychiatric assessments, crisis intervention, and triage for patients who have come to the Boston Children’s Emergency Department in the midst of a psychiatric crisis
- provides neuropsychological assessments and intervention recommendations for children with brain and nervous system damage or dysfunction
Community-based care
The Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships Program:
- partners with urban schools and community health centers in Boston to provide prevention, early intervention, and clinical treatment services
- offers professional development training and consultation for teachers, parents, and behavioral health clinicians
Integrated behavioral health care
Behavioral Health Integration Initiatives in Pediatric Care
- provides behavioral health education and consultation, support for integrated practice transformation, and on-site clinical behavioral health services in primary and specialty pediatric programs at Boston Children’s and in the Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s