So, you’ve decided to find your child some mental health help. Maybe you’ve noticed differences in their behavior. Maybe the family can’t get through a day without conflict. Maybe a teacher or pediatrician voiced concerns. Regardless, deciding to seek out professional help is an important first step, but it can be difficult to know where to start. You are not alone. Recent statistics indicate a surge of mental health needs confronting American children, with approximately one in five youth having a psychological disorder. The good news is, we here at PracticeWise want to help! We have read the research; we know the providers; and we want to try to simplify the process for finding helpful and accessible mental health care for kids and teens. Here are some things to consider:
Alphabet soup: The different types of providers
The first question to ask is what kind of service provider you might be looking for. Here is an overview of the different types of mental health clinicians:
- Evaluators: Maybe you aren’t sure what exactly is going on for your child, and you need clarification on next steps. You might seek out a psychological evaluation to start. A psychologist with doctoral training (e.g., PhD or PsyD) can design a testing battery, administer assessments, provide diagnoses, discuss recommended steps for treatment, and write a final report summarizing all of this for you.
- Therapists/Counselors: Therapy comprises a wide variety of mental health interventions, performed by various qualified providers. Their role is to consult with you to learn about the concern and create an evidence-based treatment plan to help your child feel better or function better. There are doctoral-level (e.g., PhD, PsyD) and master’s-level (e.g., Licensed Clinical Social Worker—LCSW, Licensed Mental Health Counselor–LMHC, Licensed Professional Counselor–LPC) therapists. They specialize in wide-ranging areas, such as disruptive behavior, anxiety, potty training, or LGBTQ+ populations.
- Prescriber: There are a variety of psychotropic medications approved for the treatment of mental health disorders in children. A psychiatrist (MD), advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP), physician’s assistant (PA), or sometimes a pediatrician can help you determine whether medications might help address the concern you have for your child. While prescribers monitor progress over time, their appointments generally do not reserve time for full therapy services.
Needle in a haystack: Resources for finding providers
Now that you know what type of provider you might be looking for, it’s time to identify specific individuals who might be a good fit for your family’s needs. To generate a short list, consider consulting the following:
- Insurance: One great place to start in identifying mental health professionals is your health insurance provider. If your insurance plan includes mental health benefits, you can hop on to your online insurance account or call the number on the back of your insurance card to look up in-network mental health clinicians – just like you would for any other health specialty.
- Pediatrician/Primary Care Provider: Since primary care providers (PCP) are often a first line of defense in identifying potential mental health concerns, your PCP may have a ready-made referral lists or relationships with therapists to connect you with.
- Local university: Many local universities have graduate training programs for mental health services. Students often gain experience by seeing clients under the supervisor of a licensed person at a reduced cost. You may try looking up such university clinics or school counseling programs, especially if finances are a concern.
- Psychology Today: Psychology Today is a magazine and media company focused on mental health. The magazine website has a “Find a therapist” feature, allowing you to search for clinicians in your area and to filter by your family’s specific needs (e.g., mental health concern, insurance type).
- Professional associations: The U.S. nationally, as well as each state individually, have professional associations for different types of providers. Many associations keep a searchable resource of their members to help connect people to clinicians. For example, the American Psychological Association has a Psychologist Locator. In Florida, the Florida Psychological Association has a “Find a Psychologist” feature. Finally, the American Counseling Association has a list of directories to help those from specifical communities find tailored care.
- 2-1-1: 2-1-1 is a national hotline that serves a variety of mental health and social needs. While it is a crisis and suicide hotline, 2-1-1 is also a resource for brief supportive telephone counseling and referrals to local social services agencies. If you feel stressed in the moment or are struggling to find services that meet your family’s needs, you may consider reaching out to the hotline by dialing 2-1-1 or visiting their website.
- Word of mouth: It never hurts to consult with friends, extended family, or social media networks about clinicians others have had good experiences with. All mental health professionals are bound by strict confidentiality rules prohibiting them from sharing your information with other clients, so you can rest assured that your information will remain private.
Vibe check: How to decide if it’s a good fit
Once you have developed a list of potential clinicians, it’s time to consider fit. It is important to like and trust the provider who will be handling the mental health needs of your family. Some ways to determine whether a clinician is a good match may be…
- Websites: Many (but not all) clinicians maintain a website where they discuss the services they provide, what to expect in working with them, and even their philosophy in addressing mental health needs more broadly. While people often turn to online reviews to find service providers, reviews may not always be available for mental health clinicians 1) because people often choose not to review such services to maintain their own privacy and 2) many mental health providers are ethically prohibited from soliciting reviews and testimonials.
- Accessibility of care – Logistical factors are important and can make or break whether or not you can successfully get your needs met in services. Consider the cost, location, time availabilities, waitlists, projected course of services, etc. in making decisions about care. It is okay to look for flexibility and creativity. If the cost is tough, some providers offer sliding fee scales. If location and commuting are issues, a clinician may be able to offer telehealth sessions to reduce travel.
- Introductory appointments: Sometimes clinicians may offer a free, short initial consultation (e.g., 15 minutes) by phone to discuss their services and briefly answer any questions you may have. If a clinician does not offer this brief consult, they generally will still have an initial intake appointment with you and your child to mutually determine if you all will work well together. It is okay if the first provider is not the right fit and you need to try out another.
Summary
It can be daunting navigating the U.S. healthcare system, and there are known difficulties in access to mental health service for youth. However, there are also efforts to improve mental health service availability for them, and we hope this guide has helped name concrete steps and resources you can use to find a great clinician to help your child and family find some relief and solutions.
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About the Author
Taylor Thompson, Ph.D., serves as a distance learning developer and literature coder on the Services and Products Development team at PracticeWise. Learn more about Dr. Thompson on the PracticeWise team page.
