Treatment

Children & Youth Resources

Mental Health Treatment

Well-trained mental health professionals will work with you to create a treatment plan that best meets your child’s needs. The first step in identifying the right treatment is a thorough evaluation. During the evaluation, the clinician will ask questions to learn more about your child's history, symptoms, school performance, relationships, and the events leading up to the distress. It often takes many sessions to collect the right information for a comprehensive evaluation. During this time, the clinician may also ask you or your child to take some simple screening tests and other assessments to better understand the nature of your child’s concerns. The tests are to make sure your child gets the best treatment and no hidden concerns are missed.

Therapy

Therapy may be the primary component of treating your child’s mental health issues. Therapy can help children and families understand and resolve problems, modify behavior, and make positive changes in their lives. There are several types of therapy that involve different approaches, techniques, and interventions. At times, a combination of different therapy approaches may be helpful. In some cases, a combination of medication with therapy may be more effective.

Medication

Medication can be an effective part of treatment for several childhood and adolescent mental health disorders. A doctor’s recommendation to use medication may raise concerns and questions in both parents and the child. The physician who recommends the medication should be experienced in treating psychiatric illnesses in children and adolescents. They should fully explain the reasons for medication use, the benefits the medication should provide, possible risks and side effects, and your child should be closely monitored. Other treatment alternatives should also be discussed.

Children's Mental Health Matters

Learn More

Related Resources

First Steps in Seeking Help: Facts for Families

Sometimes parents struggle with getting help because of their worries about what it might mean for their child or their family. But, the good news is: treatment works! Read our fact sheet to learn more.

October 10, 2011

10 Things You Should Know About the Mental Health Parity Law

1. Current regulations went into effect in January of 2010. The Wellstone and Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was passed in 2008, but Interim Final Regulations were released in 2010. All insurance plans that are not specifically exempted from the law must now be in…

Read More

June 17, 2016

Maryland breaks the ice about stigma

Last month, six individuals left California on a 5 million-step cross-country marathon called The IceBreaker Run to start a dialogue about the barriers that exist between mental illness and mental health. …

Read More

First Steps in Seeking Help: Facts for Families

Sometimes parents struggle with getting help because of their worries about what it might mean for their child or their family. But, the good news is: treatment works! Read our fact sheet to learn more.

October 10, 2011

10 Things You Should Know About the Mental Health Parity Law

1. Current regulations went into effect in January of 2010.
The Wellstone and Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was passed in 2008, but Interim Final Regulations were released in 2010. All insurance plans that are not specifically exempted from the law must now be in compliance.

Read More

June 17, 2016

Maryland breaks the ice about stigma

Last month, six individuals left California on a 5 million-step cross-country marathon called The IceBreaker Run to start a dialogue about the barriers that exist between mental illness and mental health.

Read More

Help MHAMD now

Get Involved

MHAMD offers a variety of ways to support our work.

Find Out How Other Ways to Give

Immediate Help

If you or a loved one needs assistance or is thinking of suicide, please get help immediately.

Get Help Now
Translate »