Psychiatry
Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles addresses the unique mental health needs of children and adolescents who face medical and behavioral challenges. We offer services to inpatients through our Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service team, which collaborates with other hospital areas to offer essential behavioral health support to patients dealing with significant medical injuries or illnesses. We also offer outpatient services through our Behavioral Health Institute.
Care Team
Psychiatrists have comprehensive training in state-of-the art diagnosis and the delivery of both biological and psychological therapies. All have Board-certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Some have additional certifications in other specialties, such as psychosomatic medicine or pediatrics. They provide a wide range of treatments to address various behavioral health concerns, including:
- Expert diagnostic evaluations, involving clinical interviews and psychological testing focusing on the whole child
- Various forms of psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dynamic psychotherapy, and interpersonal therapy to help patients understand and manage their conditions
- Medication therapy involving the prescribing and overseeing of psychiatric medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers
Other members of the care team:
Psychologists specialize in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. Their expertise often includes cognitive and behavioral therapies and developmental psychology. These professionals play a vital role in providing therapeutic interventions, counseling and support to children and their families, helping them navigate complex emotional and behavioral challenges.
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are advanced practice practitioners who focus on the mental health care of children and adolescents. They are skilled in conducting psychiatric evaluations and managing medication, and in providing psychoeducation and sometimes psychotherapy. Their training enables them to offer holistic care, integrating medical and psychiatric treatments to address the complex needs of their patients.
Social workers are crucial in providing psychosocial support to patients and their families. They assess the social, emotional and economic needs of patients, offering counseling, crisis intervention and connection to community resources. Some are trained in providing psychotherapies as well. Their role is integral in ensuring that patients' broader social and environmental factors are considered in their overall care plan.
Researchers contribute significantly to the advancement of pediatric mental health care. Their work often involves clinical trials, epidemiological, biological, and molecular studies, and the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. These professionals are dedicated to improving the understanding of mental health disorders in children and adolescents and finding new, effective treatments through rigorous scientific inquiry. View our clinical research studies.
Services
Psychiatric Care for Inpatients
Sunset Campus
Many medical and surgical conditions and their treatments can impact a child or adolescent’s mood or behavior. The Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service addresses the unique emotional and behavioral problems of children and adolescents who are patients at our hospital.
- The Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service assists areas of the hospital that admit patients for serious medical injury or illness who could benefit from psychiatric care while in the hospital.
- Our psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers are among the few specialists in the nation with expertise in providing specialized care to meet the needs of medically ill patients in the hospital at CHLA.
Outpatient Psychiatric Care
Behavioral Health Institute – Wilshire
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is committed to supporting the cognitive, emotional and behavioral mental health of children in the community. Through our outpatient Psychiatric clinics located at Wilshire Blvd., patients have access to pediatric experts and specialized services that address their needs and improve their overall well-being.
Our pediatric psychiatrists provide evaluation and therapy for a variety of psychiatric disorders, including:
- Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behavior disorders
- Psychotic disorders
- Stress and trauma-related disorders
- Psychosomatic disorders and psychiatric problems associated with medical illness
- Eating disorders
- Tic and obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Conditions affecting the mother-infant dyad
- Other psychiatric disorders occurring in infants, children and adolescents
