Finding Treatment - Our Health Care Source

Jan 21st, 2013 | by CareSource
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By Jennifer Dozer, Behavioral Health Patient Care Coordinator, CareSource

Finding treatment for a child or adolescent with mental health issues can sometimes be a challenge. The good news is that with proper treatment and support to their families, most children can do well.

If you have a concern about your child?s mental well-being, start with your child?s primary care doctor. This could be either a family practitioner, a doctor who manages the care for children and adults, or a pediatrician. A pediatrician is a primary care doctor who specializes in medicine for children and adolescents only.? If you have a concern about your child?s behavior, your child?s primary care doctor will be able to determine if that behavior is expected for a child in his or her developmental stage, or if that behavior is concerning. (What are some normal developmental milestones? Click here. Could there be a more serious issue going on? Try here.)

If the behavior needs more follow-up, the primary care doctor can then refer your child to a child and adolescent psychiatrist or a counselor who specializes in working with children. ?Unsure which behaviors to worry about and which will require more help? You can look up a comprehensive list, according to behavior, on Kidshealth.org. If there is a serious issue, the sooner you find treatment, the better for your child in the long run.

It is true that there is a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout the country. If you live in a larger city, you may have a shorter wait time before your child can see a specialist. If you live in a rural county, you may have to travel to a larger city, or wait several months before seeing a psychiatrist. If this is the case, and you feel your child needs assistance sooner, the Ohio Department of Mental Health has helped to create the Pediatric Psychiatry Network. Your child?s primary care doctor may call them at 1-877-PSY-OHIO 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to consult with a psychiatrist who specializes in children. Please note that this number is only for your doctor to use.

If your child is referred to a psychiatrist or therapist, please know that CareSource has a large network of participating providers. If you would like a list of participating providers, you may call Member Services at 1-800-488-0134 (TTY for the hearing impaired: 1-800-750-0750 or 711), or look up a list online at the CareSource website. Along with psychiatry and therapy visits, CareSource offers benefits for medically necessary inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and inpatient detoxification from substances. Partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs in a general hospital outpatient setting may be a covered benefit, although a prior authorization would be required.

CareSource is among the largest non-profit, public sector health plans in America with a scalable model ideal for health care reform.

Article References

Source: http://ourhealthcaresource.com/2013/01/21/finding-treatment/

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