Getting to know your child

At Children’s Minnesota’s behavioral health program, we take the time to get to know your child even before the first visit. We understand that the key to helping your child lies in learning as much as we can about your child’s individual needs and concerns.

Since you know your child best, we’ll start by asking you some questions over the phone before we schedule a meeting. Having a little background about your child allows us prepare for our first meeting and helps put everyone at ease.

Preparing for a clinic visit

If your child’s care journey starts at one of our psychological or psychiatric clinics, knowing what to expect helps make the first visit less stressful. Before the visit, talk about it with your child. Show your child a photo of the psychologist or psychiatrist from our directory.

To help us complete initial paperwork and concentrate on your child’s care, it’s best to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. That way, we can zip through the registration and insurance process (remember to bring your insurance card and co-pay) and concentrate on what’s most important to us — talking with you and taking great care of your child.

In general, the first visit takes about 60 to 90 minutes. Your child will meet with one of our experienced clinicians to talk about issues and problems. After this first visit, we’ll come up with a treatment plan that outlines next steps. In some cases, we may recommend testing to help us make a diagnosis.

Reaching out at the hospital

Our staff also provides services to children who are patients at the hospital. We visit them in their rooms to help children cope during their hospital stay and learn how to adjust to their medical condition. We work closely with other hospital staff to make sure your child gets the right level of care. And, once your child goes home, we can continue to work with your child in our outpatient clinic if needed.

Partnering with you

You know your child best. So as your child’s treatment progresses, we’ll partner with you to make sure things are going smoothly. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please let us know and we’ll provide assistance. After all, that’s what we’re here for.