Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic in the Pediatric Mental Health Institute

About the Outpatient Mental Health Program 

Your child, like every child, has unique mental health needs. We’ve designed our outpatient mental health services to help every child and family — no matter what they’re facing. 

At Children's Hospital Colorado, our Pediatric Mental Health Institute offers outpatient services for children and teenagers from birth to age 17. Our services address not only children's mental health issues, but how those issues affect their families, as well. We’ll help you and your child learn strategies to effectively manage challenging emotions and behaviors. 

Why choose Children's Hospital Colorado for outpatient mental health services? 

Children's Colorado is the only hospital in the region that provides a full range of specialty mental health services for children and teenagers who are struggling with emotional or behavioral concerns and their families. We are committed to helping you and your child receive timely access to treatment based on your family’s needs.  

Our outpatient therapy program brings together a variety of mental health specialists, including: 

• Psychiatrists 
• Psychologists 
• Pediatric mental health nurse practitioners 
• Master's level therapists 
• Mental health trainees 
• Registered nurses 

Our mental health experts work with you and your child to develop a trauma-informed, family-centered, short-term (typically six months or less) and evidence-based treatment plan. Our care starts by understanding what brought your family to this point and then create a care plan based on your needs and goals while following the latest best practices based on research. For kids and teens who may require longer-term care, we connect families with appropriate community resources.

Who we treat at the Outpatient Mental Health Program

In outpatient therapy, we care for children, teens and families who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns but are generally able to engage in daily activities like school, chores and socializing. Experts in our outpatient specialty care programs treat the following mental health conditions:

• Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Depressive and mood disorders
• Disruptive behavior disorders
• Early childhood concerns
• Eating disorders
• Medical complexities and functional disorders
• Mental health concerns for LGBTQ+-identifying youth
• Neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders

If you or your child are experiencing more serious mental health concerns or struggling to participate in daily activities, more intensive mental health services may help. If you have questions, call us at 720-777-6200 so we can help figure out which level of care is appropriate for your child.

Outpatient mental health services we offer

Our care for kids and families begins with a thorough diagnostic evaluation. Our experts do this to better understand the current mental health concerns of your child and family, so we can develop an individualized treatment plan. Based on this evaluation, we may recommend care at Children’s Colorado or in the community.

Our mental health experts offer a range of services, including:

• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Intensive outpatient therapy
• Medication management

All our services aim to teach children and families strategies they can use to better manage challenging emotions and behaviors. Many of the children and families we see in our clinic first participate in group therapy to learn new skills, receive support from others who are experiencing similar challenges and provide a reminder that they are not alone. We’ll closely monitor your child’s progress to continuously update their treatment plan and refer them to additional mental health services, as needed.

Contact the Outpatient Mental Health Program

For information, questions or to refer a patient to our Outpatient Mental Health Program, please call 720-777-6200. 

In most instances, children and teens need a referral to start outpatient psychiatric treatment with us. However, our intensive outpatient mental health services don’t require a referral. For questions about who would benefit from intensive outpatient care, you can also call 720-777-6200.