Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health
MetroHealth's Center for Behavioral Health — Child & Adolescent Services is comprised of psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists who are specialists in caring for children and adolescents under age 18 years.
These providers have teamed up to more efficiently provide mental health and behavioral services for children and youth experiencing emotional behavioral, or adjustment problems.
Make an Appointment
Call 216-778-3745 to speak with an intake specialist.
You can also access child & adolescent psychology providers during appointments with your child’s pediatrician at the Main Campus Pediatric Clinic (216-778-2222).
Suicide Prevention
If you are having suicidal thoughts, please go to your nearest emergency room.
To speak with someone now, see Frontline Services or Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
MetroHealth Child & Adolescent General Services
- Diagnostic evaluations of children under age 18 with behavioral and emotional concerns such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, aggressiveness, school problems, peer issues, adjustment to medical problems, and learning problems.
- Neuropsychological assessments and testing.
- Individual psychotherapy including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), parenting interventions, supportive counseling and other treatments.
- Group dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for teenagers
MetroHealth Child & Adolescent Specialty Services
- The Neurodevelopment Center evaluates children for autism spectrum disorders as young as 24 months. Our experts meet one-on-one with kids to diagnose behavioral issues, and we pull together personalized treatment plans that can help children—and families—move forward.
- Kidz Pride is a clinic designed for transgender and gender diverse kids and teens. We partner with pediatrics and endocrinology to provide comprehensive services for these patients. This unique program feeds into MetroHealth's Pride Network, which offers a full range of mental, physical and hormonal care for adults.
- Bilingual Spanish providers are available.
- Telehealth behavioral health services
- Psychology providers are embedded in many of the pediatric medical clinics. Ask your pediatrician at MetroHealth for more information.
What To Expect from a Psychiatry or Psychology Appointment
Save time. Before your first appointment, parents will need to fill out our information sheet. Taking care of this ahead of time will simplify your visit.
You'll be asked to sign a general release. This will allow us to communicate with your insurance carrier and your child's health care providers, including your child's pediatrician.
All information about you and your family is strictly confidential.
Keep in mind that psychiatric and psychological care calls for different consents from regular pediatric treatment. MetroHealth may require permission from both parents for behavioral health services when there is a shared parenting custody agreement.
Children under age eight cannot be left alone in our waiting room.
A child or adolescent up to the age of 18 years who has a MetroHealth primary care provider can be seen. If your child does not, call the Department of Pediatrics or Family Practice to be assigned a provider.
The child must be seen by a MetroHealth Medical provider before he/she can be seen in the Center for Behavioral Health.
The answer to this question depends on your child's medical insurance.
- Some coverages allow you to self-refer (meaning you can just call us).
- Others require you to ask your pediatrician or family practice physician to make a referral.
- Still others require the insurance company itself to make the referral.
- And lastly, some insurance carriers will not pay for you to come to our Center at all, so it's important to check the coverage guidelines.
Call us at 216-778-3745 if you're unsure.
On the back of most insurance cards is a telephone number listed for "Mental Health and Chemical Dependency (or Drugs) Services." Call the number and ask them. If they say your policy does not pay for your child to be seen here, ask them how you can get the MetroHealth providers on the panel. If they say they can't, ask where you can take your child.
If you have any questions, call us at 216-778-3745.
Medication Refills
You must have a written prescription for refills. A two-day notice is required for all refill requests.
