How to Get Services

Talk with your primary care provider about mental health services. They will work with you on next steps for care.

If Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine is a part of that care, and we have openings, your provider can send us a referral. We often have more requests for new patients than we have open appointments. See a list of our current clinic openings below.

Once we get a referral from your provider, we will let them know if we have an opening for your child or not.

If we have an opening, we will call you to schedule. Unfortunately, at this time, many of our clinics do not have openings for new patients. If we do not have an opening, we will let your provider know.

Even if we do not have openings, it is important to get care when your child needs it. There are many resources in the community that can help. 

• Contact Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens to find providers in your local area who fit your child’s mental health needs.
• Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Community Resources (PDF)
• Resources for Families With Children Age Birth to 5 Years (PDF)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Community Resources (PDF)
• Community Mental Health and Addiction Services in Washington State
• Children’s Crisis Outreach Response System (CCORS) (King County)
• Read guidelines for choosing a mental health provider (PDF).
• Seek support from Guided Pathways (King County).
• Web Resources for Families of Children and Adolescents With Emotional and Behavioral Needs (PDF)
• Current Research Studies
• In crisis? If your child or family needs help right away, call your county’s mental health crisis number. In King County, call 866-427-4747.
• Listen to podcasts for parents seeking help with emotional and behavioral challenges.