Understanding the Pediatric Mental Health System

What is outpatient mental health treatment?

Outpatient care is the most common type of mental health service that families access. Kids who get outpatient mental health care usually meet with their therapist or other provider for 50 minutes per visit. Outpatient care can also include family therapy, groups and medication management. Some kids attend visits weekly, while others may only need to go monthly. These visits are usually in person but can sometimes be virtual.

Does insurance cover outpatient mental health care?

Colorado law requires insurance companies to cover services for mental and behavioral health conditions. The exact amount they cover will depend on your plan, so it is good to check with your insurance provider before seeking outpatient care. If your insurance does cover outpatient care, be sure to choose a clinician who is in-network for your plan and find out if you need authorization for care.

Outpatient care and education

Ideally, it’s best to find a regular time for your child to meet with their outpatient care provider outside of school hours, but this is not always possible. If your child needs to miss school for an appointment, their care team can provide a note to excuse the absence.

Outpatient care teams can be very helpful in managing problems your child is having at school. Having a release of information, or ROI, in place between your child’s outpatient provider and school can help make these things easier. This gives your providers permission to work directly with your child’s school to ensure they have the best chance of succeeding, academically.

Outpatient care providers can help work through challenging behaviors in the classroom and difficult relationships with teachers. They may also be able to help you navigate the process of getting your child additional support in schools, such as a 504 plan or individualized education plan (IEP).

What is my primary care physician’s role?

It is helpful to tell your child’s primary care physician (PCP) about their mental health struggles so they can provide extra support. They can also help with medication management if needed. Your child’s PCP can also help monitor their mental health once they complete outpatient care and recommend additional therapy if they feel your child could benefit from it in the future.

What can you do at home to support your family?

For some kids, outpatient care is the very first step in their journey. For others, it is a welcome step after working through the complex mental health care system for a long time. In these cases, outpatient support can feel like be a real relief. That’s because moving to outpatient care is often a sign that the plan is leading to healing, and this is a good time to reassess self-care practices.

Regardless of where your child is in their journey, it’s important to maintain a safety plan at home, restrict access to any weapons in the home and practice coping skills together.

What is the next step in care?

Some kids stay in touch with their outpatient care team for years to maintain their mental health, while others only need this type of care for a fixed timeframe, such as 12 to 16 weeks.

Along the way, the team may decide they need to have appointments less often if your child is doing well, or more often if they need extra support. The value of this type of care is that it can help your child maintain stability and meet important goals.

It’s common for kids who finish an episode of outpatient care to end formal mental health treatment and focus on creating healthy routines in their daily lives. But some kids do return to outpatient care or another level of mental health care — and that’s OK. It doesn’t mean you or your child have done anything wrong. Your child’s journey doesn’t have a definitive start or end point.