Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health Services is a branch of Pediatric Care Specialists and offers mental health services including psychology, therapy and counseling services for all ages, both children and adults.
If your child or teen is having trouble at home or school, not getting along well with others, or facing big life changes, our behavioral health team can help!
Through assessment and brief, solution-focused interventions, Behavioral Health Services offers families the tools and support they need to manage common childhood problems like anxiety, depression, ADHD, behavior challenges and concerns related to developmental disorders.
Learn more about the services Behavioral Health has to offer:
Child and Adolescent Individual therapy focuses on the treatment of children and adolescents struggling with various psychiatric, emotional, social, and trauma-based challenges. Therapy provides a safe and supportive environment for exploring these challenges and overcoming them through a dynamic approach including education, evaluation, and counseling.
Our therapists are trained in evidenced-based approaches to treat many conditions including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Adjustment issues
- Grief and loss
- Family conflicts
- Child abuse and neglect
- Parenting skills
- Trauma
- Adjustment related to divorce
- Behavioral issues in school
- ADHD
- Autism
- Anger Problems
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Group therapy offers an opportunity for individuals struggling with various life experiences to express themselves in a safe assembly of other understanding individuals experiencing similar struggles. Under the direction of licensed and trained professionals, groups provide a supportive outlet for feelings expression and conflict resolution and nurture a community for positive change.
Group therapy is provided by one therapist or a team of two therapists. Behavioral Health Services currently offers a variety of groups for children and adolescents. Below, you will find details on each group. If you have any questions about any of the groups, feel free to call us at (814) 266-8840.
- Group Therapy for Social Skills:
Behavioral Health Services offers specific group therapy to address social skills in children, teens, and adolescents. This group focuses on improving communication, interaction, and ultimately behaviors specific to this group of patients. Through group support, participants can interact with their peers and licensed and trained professionals to address barriers to increased social skills and apply new interventions to their everyday lives.
- Group Therapy for Anger Managament:
Many individuals struggle with temper control. The anger management group at Behavioral Health Services targets this growth area and provides a supportive, positive environment to engage with peers. Through facilitated group discussion, participants would be expected to learn and implement new coping mechanisms for maintaining a calm and composed disposition in times of significant distress.
- Pre-Kindergarten Group Therapy (Ages 3-7):
Group Goals Include:- Sharing with others
- Listening Skills
- Reciprocal Play Skills
- Social Awareness
- Emotion Regulation
- Communication Skills
- Friendship Development
- Decrease Separation Anxiety
- Pre-Teen Processing Group Therapy (Ages 10-13):
Feeling alone, nervous, scared, overwhelmed, misunderstood? This list goes on and on. You’re not alone. Join our group, a place where you’ll meet same aged peers dealing with the same difficulties as you! Build a positive support system, make new friends, help each other solve everyday problems, build your confidence!
- Teen Processing Group Therapy (Ages 13-17):
A specific group for teens is offered through Behavioral Health Services. Teens participating share daily stressors and common experiences with one another, exploring challenges and resolving conflicts in their everyday lives.
Behavioral Health Services provides psychological testing for patients who may have concerns of mental health. Through testing, a psychologist can more accurately determine if a patient meets criteria for specific conditions and diagnoses, at which point services may be directed more precisely and efficiently.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the name of a group of developmental disorders. ASD includes a wide range, “a spectrum”, of symptoms, skills and levels of disability.
Individuals with ASD often have these characteristics:
- Ongoing social problems that include difficulty communicating and interacting with others
- Repetitive behaviors as well as limited interests or activities
- Symptoms that are typically recognized in the first two years of life
- Symptoms that hurt the individual’s ability to function socially, at school or work, or other areas of life
Some people are mildly impaired by their symptoms while others are severely disabled. Early intervention is crucial in successfully impacting the individual’s overall functioning and quality of life.
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is utilized to assess individuals for a potential diagnosis of autism or a related autism spectrum disorder. Through a series of structured and semi-structured tasks involving interaction between the examiner and the subject, this assessment can be utilized to detect the possibility for such a disorder as early as 18 months of age. Often, children are referred to ADOS testing if caregivers and/or professionals are concerned in regard to a child’s developmental progress.
School Readiness Evaluations:
School-readiness evaluations, performed by licensed and trained professionals, assist in determining a child’s preparedness for school; specifically in areas of skill and language development. Evaluations can be used to govern suitability for the classroom setting and identify potential growth areas for the child on a detailed and individualized basis.
With the support and guidance of our integrated care team, families learn how to cope with stress, solve problems, make decisions and overcome challenges. No matter the struggle, we’ll come up with a solution and connect your family with people, places and programs that can help.
If you feel that behavioral health services may benefit your child or family, please talk with at your next visit.
To set up an appointment at Behavioral Health Services call 814-266-8840
