Psychiatry and Psychological Services: Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service
The Center for Pediatric Psychiatry has an interdisciplinary consultation team that evaluates the emotional, behavioral and cognitive needs of pediatric patients receiving care in the medical setting. The psychiatric consult team utilizes psychiatric physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, family therapists, and play therapists to recognize and address the complex psychological needs of medical patients.
The team will assist pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists identify and diagnose and evaluate problems, start a treatment, determine the appropriate level of psychiatric care needed, and arrange for community-based follow-up after the patient has been released.
Members of the psychiatry consult service also work with specific medical teams to evaluate patients and provide interventions. The addition of specialty-trained pediatric health psychologists and other staff offer convenient, integrated psychological and medical services from professionals who become members of the patient's medical team, and serve as a liaison to other services available in psychiatry. Psychologists have particular interest in pain management, promoting medication adherence in children with chronic illness, and aiding in the transition to adult care. All patients and families seen at Children's have access to the psychiatric consultation services. Services with dedicated staff include the Adolescent and Young Adult Clinic, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Cystic Fibrosis, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, International Adoption Medicine, Pain Management and Solid Organ Transplant.
Services include:
- Assessment of psychiatric needs
- Medication evaluations
- Brief psychological interventions for inpatients
- Play therapy
- Group therapy
- Parenting groups
