Behavioral Health

What we do

In cooperation with community based mental health providers, we evaluate and treat children for behavior concerns and school problems including:

Inattention and lack of focus
Anxiety
Depression

Does your child need a behavioral evaluation?

If you have concerns about your child’s behavioral development, please call our office and a health coordinator will discuss your concerns and gather information that will be used to determine how we can best help your child. If a Behavioral Evaluation with one of our providers is needed, the health coordinator will schedule this visit for you and provide you with assessment tools that you will need to complete prior to your child’s visit.

Assessment tools to complete for children ages 5-12:

Vanderbilt Assessment – Parent Initial
Vanderbilt Assessment – Teacher Initial
Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) – Parent
Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) – Child
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)

Assessment tools to be complete for children ages 13-18:

Vanderbilt Assessment – Parent Initial
Vanderbilt Assessment – Teacher Initial
Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) – Parent
Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) – Child
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)
Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9)
CRAFFT screening tool

Assessment tools used on a case by case basis include:

Child Obsessional Compulsive Inventory- Parent and Child (CHOCI)

Completing the Assessments

You will be directed to complete the Parent Assessments through the patient portal.
Your child will be given a portal account so that they can complete their assessments through their private patient portal.
You will be directed to invite your child’s teacher to complete their assessment through the patient portal as well.

Important! All Assessments must be completed before the day of your child’s appointment.

What to expect at a behavioral evaluation

At least one week prior to your appointment, complete assigned assessments noted above. On the day of your child’s behavioral evaluation, please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. Ideally, your child should eat a nutritious meal prior to the appointment and be well-rested. Both you and your child will then meet with the provider who will perform a thorough assessment and develop a behavioral health management plan for your child. Our providers may recommend additional counseling to best serve your child. If the provider prescribes medication, he/she will want to follow up with your child within 21 days to assess your child’s progress and to determine if the medication can be refilled. A patient coordinator will schedule this appointment with you before you leave the office.

Ongoing medication management

After your child’s initial evaluation, if medication is started, your child must be seen within 21 days in order to continue the medication. If your child is doing well with his/her medication, subsequent appointments will be scheduled every 3 months. If a medication or dosage change is needed, your child must be seen within 1 month to assess your child’s progress and to determine if the medication can be refilled.