Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Patient and Family Education

We want you to have all the information you and your child need to understand your child’s condition and to participate in treatment. This page provides links to resources that we hope will be helpful.

Resources at Seattle Children’s 

Treatment-Specific Resources

Treatment Groups

We offer groups for children, teens and their parents and caregivers. Treatment in a group format is shown to be highly effective. It also allows more families to receive care. We hear from families that our groups provide support and connection and help to reduce the stigma that can come with having a mental health condition. Many of our groups are offered virtually through a video platform; some are in-person.

Treatment groups provide hands-on skills and education to children and teens who struggle with their emotions and behaviors. Many of our groups also have a parent group that takes place at the same time. Some groups are for parents only. We create treatment groups based on current research and best practices.

How to access treatment groups

If your child is new to Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine: Ask your child’s primary care provider to refer your child to the group you are interested in. When we receive a referral from your provider, we will let them know if we have an opening or not. If we have room in the group, we will contact you to answer questions to see if the group is a good fit. Then we will schedule a consult or evaluation appointment. This appointment will help us understand the child’s diagnosis and come up with a treatment plan, which may include taking part in group treatment. Learn more about how to get mental health services at Seattle Children’s.

If you are a current patient: Please talk with your Seattle Children’s provider. They can recommend a group, as well as provide a referral.

Some groups are offered in English and also separately in Spanish, or we use an interpreter.

Before joining a telehealth (virtual) group, please read our Group Therapy Telehealth Visit Guidelines (PDF) (Spanish).

Cost

The cost of each group differs. We will bill your child’s insurance for each session you attend. Read more for details on a specific group. 

Support

  • Guided Pathways provides support for families and their children living in King County. They provide 1-to-1 parent support to help guide parents while their child is having difficulty and during recovery. They also provide peer support to guide youth through difficult times.
  • See a list of support groups at Seattle Children’s.

Resources in the Community

External Links

How to Get Services

We often have more requests from new patients than we have openings. To make an appointment, you need a referral from your child’s primary care provider. Learn more about how to get mental health services at Seattle Children’s.

If you have a referral, call 206-987-2164.

Providers, see how to refer a patient.

In a crisis?

If you, your child, family or friend needs help right away, call or text 988. Chat is another option. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources. The Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.

Hotlines for Youth (PDF) provides other options for immediate help for children and teens. (Also available in Amharic, Arabic, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.)

Treatment-Specific Resources

Treatment Groups

We offer a number of groups for children, teens and their parents and caregivers. Treatment in a group format is shown to be highly effective. It also allows more families to receive care. We hear from families that our groups provide support and connection and help to reduce the stigma that can come with having a mental health condition.

Before your child or teen can join one of our groups, they need to have an evaluation appointment. This will help us understand the child’s diagnoses and come up with a treatment plan. Taking part in a treatment group may be one of the recommendations that comes from their evaluation.

Treatment groups provide hands-on skills and education to children and adolescents who struggle with their emotions and behaviors. Many of our groups also have a parent group that takes place at the same time. Some programs are parent-only groups that provide skills and education to parents without their child present. We create treatment groups based on current research and best practice for treating mental health conditions.

How to get services

If you are new to Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine clinics and are interested in signing your child up for a group, you will need to get a referral from your primary care provider. They will need to send us a referral for the group you are interested in. If we receive a referral from your provider, we will let them know if we have an opening or not. If we have room in the group, we will contact you to answer questions to see if the group is a good fit and then we will schedule an evaluation appointment. Learn more about how to get mental health services at Seattle Children’s.

If you are a current patient, please talk with your Seattle Children’s provider. They can recommend a group, as well as provide a referral.

Cost

The cost of each group differs. We will bill your child’s insurance for each session you attend. Read more for details on a specific group.

  • Anxiety

    Anxiety Program 

    • Audience: Ages 5–17 (split into separate groups, based on age)
    • Locations: Hospital Campus and North Clinic in Everett
    • Number of sessions: 9 + an individual feedback session
    • Date and time: At this time, all group sessions are being held via a telemedicine/video visit platform. Several groups are offered throughout the week. Information on days and times will be shared with families when our scheduling team contacts them to schedule. Some in-person groups may resume in the future.
    • Format: Child and parent groups offered at the same time (parent/caregiver attendance is required) 

    Early Childhood Anxiety Parent Group

    • Audience: Caregivers of preschool-age children ages 3 to 6 who have anxiety
    • Location: Telehealth video visits from home
    • Number of sessions: 8
    • Format: Parent class
    • Read More (link to PDF) (Spanish).

    School Avoidance Group 

    • Audience: Parents and caregivers of any school age child/teen
    • Locations: Telehealth video platform
    • Number of sessions: 8 sessions, 1 hour per week
    • Date and time: Varies
    • Format: Group class from home video stream – parents and caregivers only
    • Read more (PDF) (Spanish). 

    Selective Mutism Group 

    • Audience: Parents and children ages 3–7 and 8–12
    • Locations: Hospital Campus
    • Number of sessions: 8
    • Date and time: Tuesdays from 10–11:30 a.m. (for ages 3-7) and Thursdays from 10–11:30 a.m. (for ages 8-12)
    • Format: Child and parent groups offered at the same time
    • Read more (PDF) (Spanish).
  • Cancer
  • Eating disorders

    Meal Support 

    • Audience: Parents of children (any age) with eating disordered behavior
    • Location: Hospital Campus
    • Number of sessions: 1
    • Date and time: Thursdays from 5–7 p.m. or Sundays from 12:30–2:30 p.m.
    • Format: Parent group
    • Read more (PDF). 

    Skills Training for Adolescents in Recovery (STAR) 

    • Audience: Adolescents (ages 13–17) in ongoing outpatient treatment
    • Location: Hospital Campus
    • Number of sessions: Ongoing
    • Format: Adolescent group
    • Read more (PDF).
  • ADHD

    ADHD First Steps Parent Education Class

    • Audience: Caregivers of children and adolescents aged 5 to 15 who have ADHD or may have ADHD.
    • Number of sessions: 3
    • Location: Telehealth video visits from home
    • Format: Parent class
    • Read more (PDF). 

      Incredible Years 

      • Audience: Parents of children ages 8–11 who have ADHD
      • Number of sessions: 20
      • Location: Hospital Campus
      • Date and Time: Wednesdays from 4–6 p.m.
      • Format: Parent group
      • Read more (PDF). 

      Incredible Years and Dinosaur School 

      • Audience: Ages 6–8
      • Number of sessions: 20
      • Location: Bellevue and Hospital Campus
      • Date and Time: Thursdays from 4–6 p.m.
      • Format: Parent and child group 

      STAND Program

      • Audience: Teens 6th to 12th grade with ADHD, learning problems or difficulty organizing along with their parent/caregiver
      • Number of sessions: 8 to 12
      • Location: Telehealth video visits from home
      • Date and Time: Weekly, 60-minute sessions for up to 3 months, time tbd
      • Format: Teen/parent therapy
      • Read more (PDF)

      SuperParenting Teens  

      • Audience: Parents of adolescents age 12 to 15 with difficulties managing emotions and behaviors/completing tasks
      • Number of sessions: 10
      • Location: Telehealth video visits from home
      • Format: Parent group
      • Read more (PDF). 

      SuperParenting Children  

      • Audience: Parents of children age 6 to 12 with challenging behaviors including trouble listening, arguing, not completing tasks, or tantrums
      • Number of sessions: 8
      • Location: Telehealth video visits from home
      • Date and Time: Several groups are offered throughout the week
      • Format: Parent group
      • Read more (PDF). 
      • Early childhood

        Incredible Years (Early Childhood) 

        • Audience: Parents of children ages 2–5
        • Number of sessions: 18
        • Location: Telehealth video group visits
        • Date and Time: Thursdays from 1–3 p.m.
        • Format: Parent groups

        Parent Anxiety Group (Early Childhood) 

        • Audience: Parents of children ages 3–6
        • Number of sessions: 8
        • Location: Hospital Campus and North Clinic in Everett
        • Date and Time: At this time, all group sessions are being held via a telemedicine/video visit platform. Several groups are offered throughout the week. Information on days and times will be shared with families when our scheduling team contacts them to schedule. Some in-person groups may resume in the future.
        • Format: Parent group

      Support and Support Groups

      • Guided Pathways provides support for families and their children living in King County. They provide one-to-one parent support to help guide parents while their child is having difficulty and during recovery. They also provide peer support to guide youth through difficult times.
      • List of support groups at Seattle Children’s

      In a crisis?

      If you, your child, family or friend needs help right away, call or text 988. Chat is another option. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources. The Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.

      Hotlines for Youth (PDF) provides other options for immediate help for children and teens. (Also available in Amharic, Arabic, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.)

      Videos

      ADHD 101: Why Kids With ADHD Need Different Parenting Strategies (Video 8:46)

      ADHD 101: Why Kids With ADHD Need Different Parenting Strategies - Spanish (Video 9:52)

      Challenging Child Behaviors and the Family Cycle (Video: 7:12)

      Challenging Child Behaviors and the Family Cycle - Spanish (Video: 7:34)

      Defining ADHD for Kids (Video: 3:16)

      Defining ADHD for Teens (Video: 3:09)

      Firearm Safety and Suicide Prevention (Video 0:30)

      Firearm Safety and Suicide Prevention - Spanish (Video 0:30)

      Mental Health Warning Signs (Video: 0:30)

      Preventing Suicide: What Families Need to Know (Video 4:50)

      Preventing Suicide: What Families Need to Know - Spanish (Video 5:02)

      Safe Medicine Storage and Disposal (Video :30)

      The Window on Time - Understanding Children With ADHD (Video 4:57)

      The Window on Time - Understanding Children With ADHD - Spanish (Video 5:32)

      What is ADHD? (Video 9:06)

      What is ADHD? - Spanish (Video 10:41)

      What is Parent Behavior Management Training? (Video 6:00)

      What is Parent Behavior Management Training? - Spanish (Video 7:20)

      External Links

      • DSHS/Medicaid

      If your child is covered only by DSHS/Medicaid and lives outside King County, we can only treat your child in our clinics if their county has a contract with us for services. Medicaid requires patients to see a mental health provider who has a contract in the county where the patient lives. Look up providers by county(PDF).

      Podcasts

      • 6 Tips for Reducing Anxiety (Audio: 27:46)

      • Do You Have an Anxious Child? (Audio: 26:45)

      • Interventions for Children with ADHD (Audio: 14:05)

      • 5 Tips for Parenting a Child With ADHD (Audio: 30:27)

      • Recognizing ADHD in Children (Audio: 32:06)

      • What to Do If Your Kid Is Suicidal (Audio: 13:43)

      • So You Think Your Kid Is Depressed (Audio: 25:05)

      • How Do You Know If Your Kid Is Depressed (Audio: 22:01)