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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my child in the Emergency Department?

Your child will be medically evaluated when they come to the Emergency Department. Even if your child's condition seems primarily psychiatric in nature, they must be medically evaluated first to rule out any conditions that may be confused with a psychiatric issue.

Once your child has been medically evaluated, they will be seen by one of our team members for a psychiatric evaluation. Both you and your child will be interviewed separately. Often, we provide crisis stabilization in the Emergency Department.

After your child is evaluated, we will make treatment recommendations and facilitate aftercare that may include inpatient and/or outpatient care. Aftercare may include care provided at Boston Children's Hospital or at another mental health facility.

What about insurance coverage?

Boston Children's is not an authorized psychiatric care site for some insurance companies. Please check ahead of time to make sure your plan covers a visit to the Emergency Psychiatry Service for your child. You can do this by calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card.

We will never deny a child emergency psychiatry care when they come to Boston Children's. However, once stabilized, children without insurance coverage here will be referred to another hospital or psychiatric treatment facility where they will be covered.