At Nemours, our care extends well beyond your child’s medical condition to his or her emotional and behavioral well-being.
Our behavioral health experts provide an array of inpatient and outpatient services to meet the needs of families and children. Your child’s primary care doctor may refer your child to us for any number of reasons, including:
- attention problems and hyperactivity
- autism
- depression
- anxiety
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- behavioral problems
- learning disabilities
- developmental disabilities
- adjustment issues related to chronic medical conditions or difficulties following a medical treatment plan
- eating disorders, with treatment offered in Jacksonville, Florida and Wilmington, Delaware
We use a team approach for evaluation, addressing your child’s emotional and behavioral issues in the context of his or her unique physical, genetic, developmental, educational, social, and family components. Some of the specialists your child might see include:
- psychiatrists, who are physicians with advanced training and experience in psychotherapy and pharmacology. They evaluate children, prescribe medication as necessary, and evaluate the effects of these medications at regular intervals.
- clinical psychologists, who are health professionals with a doctorate degree (PhD, PsyD, or EdD) and advanced training in the clinical assessment and treatment of children and teens and their families. They are often engaged in research activities as well. Psychologists may help to monitor the effects of medication but they do not prescribe medication.
- licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), who are trained in psychotherapy and behavioral therapy and help children and families cope with a variety of medical and mental health problems. A clinical social worker (CSW) has a master's degree in social work, and is well versed in growth and development, mental health theory, and human behavior/social environment.
Our Approach
We provide many different types of psychological and psychiatric assessments and consultations, all with a single goal: to develop an individualized treatment plan for your child and offer practical recommendations that will help your child succeed in both the home and school setting.
Typical assessments include:
- neurodevelopmental evaluations and consultations for children and adolescents with known or suspected disorders of the central nervous system
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) evaluations for children with attention and behavioral concerns
- early childhood evaluations for children from birth to age 5 who have a variety of concerns, from cognitive and social skill development to behavioral issues such as feeding disorders, disruptive behavior, and anxiety
- psychiatric evaluations that focus on emotional and mental disorders in children and teens, and the potential role of medication in the treatment of these disorders
- consultations for children and adolescents with medical conditions to determine appropriate supports and interventions for coping with these stressors
Finding Solutions
Whatever your child’s challenges, we offer many types of treatment and management programs to help your child overcome them. These include:
- outpatient programs, such as:
- individual, family, and group therapies that can be used to address a variety of issues, from ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, and family issues to pain management, weight management, and adjustment to a chronic medical condition
- the Behavior Consultation Clinic, which is designed to provide short-term assistance to families of children from birth to 6 years who are experiencing behavioral and developmental concerns such as parent-child conflict, sleep problems, toileting concerns, day-care difficulties, and sibling rivalry
- parent training groups that give parents the tools they need to confidently and effectively handle the common disruptive behaviors associated with ADHD, such as noncompliance and aggression
- social skills groups for children to help improve challenging peer relationships
- medication therapies, which may be offered as part of treatment for many psychological and psychiatric disorders, including ADHD, disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, mood disorders, and pervasive developmental disorders
- inpatient consultations for hospitalized children with concerns about mood, pain management, general coping issues, or psychiatric medications.