Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

For more than 60 years, we have tended to the mental health care of children, adolescents, and their families by caring for patients and advocating on their behalf.

Our experienced psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses understand the wide-reaching impact of a behavioral disorder, emotional problem, or psychiatric disease, and we will give your child and family all of the tools you need to manage your unique situation. Depending on your family’s needs, we’ll see your child individually or with your family, in or outside of the hospital setting.

We’re known around the world for our strengths in patient care and scientific research, and we also take pride in our public advocacy. We are dedicated to erasing the stigma of mental illness by educating families, raising community awareness, and increasing access to critical support services.

In partnership with others in our community, the Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences will provide excellence and innovation in clinical care, education, research, and advocacy for the mental health of children and families.

When a child is faced with a behavioral disorder, emotional problem, or psychiatric disease, the impact is far-reaching — affecting everything from the child’s home, school, and social life to the emotional wellness of the entire family. If your child has a mental health issue requiring professional intervention, we are here to help.

• Outpatient Psychiatry Services
• Inpatient Psychiatry Service
• Psychiatry Consultation Service
• Emergency Psychiatry Service
• Neuropsychology Program
• Boston Children's Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships
• Behavioral Health Integration Initiatives in Pediatric Care

You and your child can rely upon the extensive experience and caring, solution-focused approach of your Boston Children’s Hospital team to help determine the best course of treatment. Here are some of the trained, certified specialists you and your child may meet in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences:

• Clinical psychologists provide psychotherapy and administer psychological assessments and tests.
• Neuropsychologists assess cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social functions.
• Psychiatric nurse practitioners diagnose psychiatric conditions, prescribe medications, and order diagnostic testing in consultation with a psychiatrist.
• Psychiatrists are physicians who specialize in treating mental disorders. They diagnose psychiatric conditions, prescribe medications, conduct physical examinations, and order diagnostic testing.
• Social workers provide psychotherapy and counseling to patients and their families.

p> The Children's Mental Health Campaign (CMHC) is a coalition of families, advocates, health care providers, educators, and consumers from across Massachusetts dedicated to comprehensive reform of the children's mental health system. The coalition is led by five partner organizations — Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Health Care For All, and Health Law Advocates. The campaign’s goal is to lay the foundation for a comprehensive and coordinated system of evidence-based mental health prevention, diagnosis, and treatment that is accessible to all children, adolescents, and families.