Pediatric Mental Health Institute

About the Pediatric Mental Health Institute

Children experiencing mental health issues and their families feel a lot of uncertainty and our experts are here to provide compassionate care and reassurance. The Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado provides the highest quality mental health services to children, adolescents and their families. We deliver evidence-based, family-focused and youth-centered services that make a difference. That means that everything we do is backed by the most recent research and focused on the needs of your child and your whole family. We also pay careful attention to the unique needs and stressors of each generation and adjust our care to meet the moment.

Our interdisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, nurses and creative art therapists who tailor their care to the unique needs of each child. We provide complete psychiatric services including outpatient care, partial hospitalization, inpatient care and emergency services for children and adolescents from birth to 18 years old. We approach each child with sensitivity, experience and professionalism, working with each family to promote healthy outcomes for their child and provide support for the whole family.

Our research in mental health ensures that we offer leading clinical services and continuously improve patient care. In addition to conducting research to advance the field of children’s mental health care, we’re dedicated to training the next generation of mental health professionals so that our work helps children for generations to come.

Why choose us for mental health care

Our mental health experts are certified in the most well-established, gold-standard care that’s based on research to help your child feel like themselves. As one of the most experienced pediatric mental health centers in the region, we know what it’s like for children and families experiencing mental health challenges. No matter what care your child needs, you’ll have trained, empathetic professionals to care for your child and transition them smoothly to the next step on their mental health journey.

Our industry-leading mental health services and advancements include:

• Evidence-based practices developed by our experts for our partial hospitalization and inpatient care that have improved outcomes for families and serve as a national model for pediatric mental health
• The first comprehensive dialectical behavior therapy program in Colorado for children who struggle to regulate their emotions
• Convenient outpatient mental health services backed by the latest research
• One of just a few neuropsychiatric care programs in the country that provides intensive care for children with developmental disabilities who are experiencing a mental health crisis

Pediatric mental health services and programs

No matter what your child is experiencing, our experts can help. We have specialized programs for any mental health issue your child may experience.

Outpatient mental health services

Our outpatient services include individual, family and group therapies that use proven treatments to address behavioral, emotional and social concerns. Our outpatient mental health services help children and their families and include:

• Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic
• Healthy Expectations Program for new parents
• Eating Disorders Program

Partial hospitalization care

In partial hospitalization programs, we care for children during the day and then they go home at night. It’s often a step between inpatient and outpatient mental health care. Our programs include structured and personalized daily treatment for children and adolescents experiencing serious emotional and behavioral challenges. We also involve caregivers in these programs to help ensure care is as effective as possible. Programs offering partial hospitalization include:

• Eating Disorders Program
• Medical Day Treatment
• Neuropsychiatric Special Care
• Partial Hospitalization Program

Inpatient mental health services

Our inpatient services provide 24-hour care for children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis who require inpatient treatment for their safety and the safety of those around them. Our programs that offer inpatient care include:

• Neuropsychiatric Special Care
• Psychiatric Inpatient Program

Who we treat at the Pediatric Mental Health Institute

We care for children and their families, from birth to 18 years old. Our experts have experience caring for any mental health challenge your child is facing.