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Welcome to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health Services. We are pleased to be a part of your child’s growth and well-being. We hope this guide will help to explain more about our procedures and your child’s treatment.
Step One: The First Appointment
At your first visit to our office please come at least 45 minutes before your scheduled appointment. This will allow time to complete necessary paperwork and provide information about your child prior to seeing the mental health clinician. Please bring the child’s insurance or medical card, the child’s social security number, and any past behavioral health treatment records to the first appointment. All client fees, including co-pay or co-insurance, are due at the time of service. Another adult should come with you to this appointment if you are bringing children who require supervision
First you will meet with a qualified mental health clinician. You will be asked many questions about your child’s and your family’s social and medical history. This includes such things as growth and development, health, educational, psychiatric, legal, cultural, ethnic, and spiritual background, and history of drug use. Very special attention will be given to the problem that brings you and your child to counseling. This will be the main focus of your child’s treatment.
Usually, the same person who takes the history will meet briefly with the child alone. This meeting is part of the complete assessment. You will be given your next appointment at the end of this first session.
Some rules to follow during your child’s treatment are:
- No food or beverages are allowed in the waiting room. Please speak with your mental health clinician if this causes a health problem for your child.
- It is important to have a parent or adult present with your child at all times. You should wait with your child until your therapist is ready to see him or her, and then stay in our waiting room until the session is over and the therapist brings your child back to you.
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