Pediatric Behavioral Health

If your child is dealing with daily emotional or behavioral struggles that interfere with home, family, school, or social engagements, our pediatric behavioral health team is here to provide personalized support. Our experts offer assessments, diagnosis, and a variety of therapy options, all provided in a caring and healing environment.

Collaborative, highly trained team

Experts in pediatric psychiatry, psychology, and other specialties work together to provide evidence-based treatment tailored to your child’s unique needs. We address emotional and behavioral regulation, social skill development, everyday functional skill development, and more. Our behavioral health services cross a variety of settings, ensuring seamless, coordinated care — no matter what level of support your child currently needs.

Family-centered approach

Our teams work closely with parents and caregivers to create personalized care plans for your child that promote resilience, confidence, and overall well-being.

We provide treatment for a wide range of behavioral health concerns, including:

Adjustment disorder

Children with this disorder experience excessive and unhealthy emotional or behavioral responses to life changes or stressful events (such as a family move, new sibling, parent divorce, or traumatic event).

Anxiety disorders

A child with one of these conditions may often feel very nervous, scared, or even panicked about everyday situations.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

This condition causes ongoing, significant trouble with paying attention, sitting still, and controlling impulses — beyond what’s typical for a child’s age.

Autism spectrum disorder

This condition affects how children perceive and interact with the world. Common signs include difficulty with language and social interactions, limited interests, repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivity (including hypersensitivity or under-sensitivity to light, sound, or touch).

Chronic pain

Physical and mental health are interconnected. Our behavioral health experts work alongside other specialists to address the physical and psychological effects of chronic pain.

Depression disorders

Persistent sadness, hopelessness, boredom, or lack of interest that interferes with a child’s ability to engage in daily life activities. Signs of depression in kids might include irritability, avoidance of social situations or activities they used to enjoy, and sudden poor performance in school.

Trauma

Traumatic experiences (such as witnessing or personally experiencing injuries, violence, or loss of a loved one) can have serious and lasting effects on a child’s emotions and behavior.

Our team offers a comprehensive range of services for children, adolescents, and families with behavioral health needs. These services include:

Psychological testing

These tests help our specialists understand how your child learns, feels, and behaves. They are used to diagnose several conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, and depression and also offer important information and guidance about the most effective therapeutic techniques to use.

Autism spectrum disorder assessments

We assess children between 18 months and 18 years old for autism spectrum disorder. Your child may be evaluated by a team of specialists, including a board-certified developmental and behavioral pediatrician and a speech-language pathologist, depending on their needs.

Our clinic is recognized as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Center of Excellence, as well as an Approved Autism Evaluation Center (AAEC). This means it meets strict evaluation guidelines determined by behavioral health experts, based on the latest research. Many private insurance companies require an evaluation performed by an AAEC before they will pay for autism treatment costs.

Chronic pain management

Our multidisciplinary pain clinic treats children and young adults who are experiencing pain as a result of a wide variety of conditions, including genetic disorders, neurological disorders, cancer, heart and lung conditions, and many more. Children dealing with chronic pain may receive co-treatment from a pain psychologist and physical therapist who are specially trained to address both the psychological causes and effects of chronic pain.

Treatment may focus on both individual and family pain psychology and may include medication management, physical therapy, social work services, and if necessary, coordination with developmental and behavioral pediatricians and palliative care specialists.

Counseling and psychotherapy

Counselors use talk therapy to treat children and adolescents (ages 3 and older) facing mental health challenges, as well as any chronic medical conditions that might be contributing to them.

Our team includes a licensed psychologist and a licensed master social worker who understand the unique impact that mental health challenges can have on a child’s development, family life, social environment, and academics. They will ask questions to learn about your child’s struggles and strengths, then work with you to develop a treatment plan and goals.

Medication management

We determine if your child could benefit from certain medications, prescribe the right dose, and carefully monitor how they respond over time to see if any changes are needed.

Neuropsychology

Pediatric psychiatry

A team including a board-certified child psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, and physician assistant work together to develop a treatment plan to help your child address specific physical and behavioral health concerns.

Because psychiatrists are medical doctors, they may be recommended for children with more severe behavioral health conditions that may also need medical care. Treatment plans may include a combination of prescription medications and appropriate talk-based therapies. We will also coordinate care with your child’s pediatrician, any relevant health care specialists, and school staff.

Pediatric psychology

After psychological testing, your child’s psychologist will work with caregivers to create an appropriate treatment plan, which may include a range of appropriate talk therapy strategies. They will also provide any additional resources to help support your child’s mental health.

Youth behavioral health services

Our youth behavioral health clinic provides specialized support for adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 25, struggling with mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse disorders. A range of services are available, including psychological testing, psychotherapy, and psychiatry.

Inpatient behavioral health services

Our hospital-based pediatric medical psychiatric unit serves children who require a higher level of monitoring and care due to having more extensive medical concerns. Located at Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, it is the only facility of its kind in Michigan.

Your child may be admitted to the unit if they the meet both of the following criteria:

• A primary psychiatric disorder, which means your child’s behavioral challenges are the result of a psychiatric condition (such as depression or anxiety) that develops independently, rather than as a complication of a separate medical condition (such as chronic illness or substance abuse)
• A co-occurring medical condition that requires ongoing medical monitoring or treatment

Care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of child psychiatrists, pediatric psychologists, child life specialists, and social workers.

Corewell Health has equipped thousands of school- and college-based teams with rapid-response protocols, resources, and assessment tools to assist students experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts. These protocols were developed in collaboration with local schools.

To start a conversation about how your high school or college can implement a “Blue Envelope” partnership with Corewell Health, email schoolblueenvelope@corewellhealth.org.

Get immediate, confidential help. Many resources are available:

• Call 988 to connect to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and speak 1-on-1 with a trained counselor
• Text TALK to 741741 to receive support from a trained counselor via text message
• Use the 988 Lifeline Chat to begin a chat with a trained counselor
• Call 911 if emergency services are required