Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I arrange an evaluation for my child?
• What should I bring to my child's first appointment?
• What happens at my child's first evaluation?
• Do you offer psychotherapy?
• What should I do if I feel my child is in psychiatric crisis?

How can I arrange an evaluation for my child?

Our program offers outpatient evaluations to children and adolescents. If your child has a Newton-Wellesley Hospital affiliated primary care provider and/or if the child lives in one of the following towns: Newton, Natick, Needham, Wellesley, Weston or Waltham, please call the Triage Social worker at 617-243-6328.

What should I bring to my child’s first appointment? 

In order to make the most of your first visit, it can be helpful to bring the following materials to the appointment:

• Any medical or psychological records related to your child’s mental health condition, including reports from any previous psychological, neuropsychological or educational testing
• A list of your child’s current medications (if any), as well as a list of any previous psychiatric medication trials
• The names and contact information for any other providers involved in your child’s care, such as outpatient therapists, school psychologists or guidance counselors, or primary care providers
• A list of questions you and your child have for the clinician
• Your child’s insurance card(s) and subscriber number

What happens at my child's first evaluation? 

The initial evaluation typically lasts one to one-and-a-half hours and includes gathering a detailed history about your child’s current symptoms, previous mental health treatment, early development, social and academic functioning, medical history, as well as relevant family medical and psychiatric history. Children and parents may be interviewed together and individually, depending on each individual situation.

Because initial sessions may be long in duration, it can be useful to bring along reading material or other activities for the waiting room, snacks or other necessary items. In some cases, the clinician may be able to make a preliminary diagnosis and suggest the next steps for treatment or further evaluation after the first visit. Often, however, the initial evaluation will be continued over more than one appointment to allow time for further assessment and gathering of additional information.

Do you offer psychotherapy? 

We do not offer psychotherapy services at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. However, we do offer individual parent guidance, parenting groups and workshops, as well as group psychotherapy for teens. 

What should I do if I feel my child is in psychiatric crisis? 

If you feel that your child’s safety is in danger or your child is at risk to harm someone else, call your local crisis team at 1-877-382-1609, call 911 or go to your local emergency room. For more information regarding mobile crisis evaluations please visit https://www.masspartnership.com/member/ESP.aspx

 If you are able to transport your child safely, he/she may be brought to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Emergency Department for a psychiatric evaluation. If your child is a patient in treatment with one of our clinicians, you may have your child’s provider paged through the Newton-Wellesley page operator by calling 617-243-6000 and telling the operator the doctor’s name.