We provide same-day in-person and video visits for urgent mental and behavioral health concerns not needing the care of an emergency department. We care for children and teens ages 4 through 17.
Learn how to make an appointment. If in-person visits are full, please get in the virtual line for a video visit.
Psychiatric Urgent Care
What is the Psychiatric Urgent Care Clinic?
Seattle Children’s Psychiatric Urgent Care Clinic offers same-day in-person and virtual (video) visits for children and teens ages 4 through 17 in Washington state who need urgent mental health support but do not need the services of an emergency department (ED).
Our team of pediatric-focused licensed mental health therapists, family advocates/case managers, psychiatric advanced practice providers (APPs) and medical assistants provide crisis assessment, initial care recommendations and referrals to follow-up care in the community.
We see patients in person at Seattle Children’s Magnuson, located at 6901 Sand Point Way NE in Seattle, and through video visits from anywhere in Washington state. We are open daily, from noon to 8 p.m.
What services do you provide?
During in-person and video visits we will:
- Evaluate your child and the reason for the urgent concern. In some instances, we may discuss medicines.
- Help you create a safety plan, which may include parent or caregiver-focused behavior management support.
- Offer treatment recommendations and may provide referrals to additional services in the community or at Seattle Children’s. Please note that patients seen through Psychiatric Urgent Care will not be able to get an appointment with Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Clinic faster than other patients waiting for care.
What services are not offered through Psychiatric Urgent Care?
- We do not provide diagnostic evaluations for autism spectrum disorder.
- We do not perform return-to-school evaluations.
- We cannot complete any forms, including forms for court, child protective services or school placement.
- We cannot provide any additional documentation beyond what is in the medical record.
- We do not provide ongoing mental health treatment.
- We cannot perform medical assessments, physical exams, laboratory tests or tests to diagnose medical problems.
For help finding a community mental health provider for non-urgent mental and behavioral health needs, contact the Washington Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens. It is a free service that connects families with evidence-based mental health treatment in the community.
How do we schedule a visit?
Before scheduling a visit, learn whether to go to Psychiatric Urgent Care or an emergency department. Learn more about what services we do and do not offer.
If in-person visits are full, please check to see if there is availability for a video visit. Learn more by clicking on the "Video Visits in Washington state" information below.
For in-person visits, schedule an appointment time online.
- Due to high demand, you may have to wait even if you have a scheduled appointment.
- If no appointments are available, please check back often to see if we have had any cancellations.
- Please book only 1 appointment for your child. If you no longer need an appointment, please cancel it so we can see another patient needing care.
- Walk-in appointments cannot be guaranteed due to high demand.
For video visits from anywhere in Washington state, get in line to be seen. You will not receive a scheduled appointment time. You will get in a virtual line and wait for a provider to see you as soon as they are available.
- Due to high demand, you may have to wait to be seen. At times, you may have to wait up to 90 minutes. You will receive a notification by email and text message when the provider is ready to see you.
- If there are no spots available in line, please check back often as spots open up throughout clinic hours from 12 to 8 p.m. daily. (Closed on major holidays.)
- Your child must attend the visit. Due to licensing requirements, your child and anyone else joining the appointment must be physically in Washington state at the time of each video visit.
If you are not able to schedule a visit online or through your child's MyChart account, you can also call 206-987-2164. If you need an interpreter, call 1-866-583-1527 and ask for “Psychiatric Urgent Care scheduling.”
- Learn more about how to prepare (PDF) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Vietnamese).
- Check out our mental health resource hub or learn about Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine’s resources such as useful links, videos and recommended reading for you and your family.
What’s special about Seattle Children’s Psychiatric Urgent Care?
Seattle Children’s Psychiatric Urgent Care is the first pediatric-focused psychiatric urgent care in the Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WAMI) region. We serve families in Washington state. We are committed to ensuring children and teens have access to the right level of care at the right time. The program was made possible by the generous support of our community.
Our in-person visits to Psychiatric Urgent Care are at Seattle Children’s Magnuson Clinic, which provides a calming, intentionally designed space that can be a better option for kids needing urgent mental or behavioral health services compared to an emergency department.
Through video visits, we care for the mental and behavioral health concerns of children and teens throughout Washington state and refer you to resources in your community.
We care for all youth ages 4 through 17, including children and teens with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our providers have the expertise to provide crisis assessment, initial treatment recommendations, and referral to appropriate resources in the community.
Please note: We cannot do autism evaluations and are not a “fast track” to get an autism diagnosis or other ongoing care services. Our case manager will refer you to follow-up care in the community.
Should we go to Psychiatric Urgent Care or an emergency department?
See box of concerns below to learn when to go to an emergency department and when to go to Psychiatric Urgent Care for mental and behavioral health concerns. Learn more (PDF) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Vietnamese).
| CONCERN | WHERE TO GO |
|---|---|
| Anxiety (worries or fears that impact daily life) May include: Panic attacks, obsessions, compulsions or avoidance of social situations |
Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Behavioral concerns with current aggressive behavior toward self or others | Emergency Department |
| Behavioral concerns without current aggressive behavior toward self or others May include: Excessive crying or yelling, head banging, meltdowns, refusals to follow directions or tantrums |
Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Depression (feelings of sadness or hopelessness that have impacted daily life for 2 weeks or longer) | Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Disordered eating behaviors requiring medical testing or treatment May include fainting, low heart rate or dizziness |
Emergency Department |
| Disordered eating behaviors not requiring medical testing or treatment May include: Bingeing (eating a lot of food in short amount of time often), purging (throwing up after eating) or restrictive eating (not eating enough) |
Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Ingestion of a harmful substance or overdose (intentional or unintentional) | Emergency Department |
| Medicine evaluations without mental health treatment | Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Self-harm behaviors requiring medical attention May include: Burning, cutting or scratching |
Emergency Department |
| Self-harm urges with no current need for medical attention | Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Substance use concerns requiring medical testing or treatment | Emergency Department |
| Substance use concerns not requiring medical care that are secondary to mental or behavioral health issues | Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Suicidal thoughts or feelings without a current suicide attempt requiring medical attention | Psychiatric Urgent Care |
| Suicide attempt requiring medical attention | Emergency Department |
Signs of a Mental or Behavioral Health Emergency
If your child needs help right away, call 911, go to your nearest emergency department or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Signs of a mental or behavioral health emergency include:
- Your child is at immediate risk for harm due to suicidal thoughts or feelings, or requires emergency medical care due to self-harm or a suicide attempt.
- Your child is at immediate risk of harming others.
- Your child cannot take part in safety planning to avoid self-harm.
- Your child has lost the ability to care for themselves or do the basic tasks needed to keep themselves clean or healthy.
- You are concerned that you cannot keep your child safe until they have an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Will my child receive medicine from Psychiatric Urgent Care?
- Prescriptions of new medicines are provided on a case-by-case basis, if needed.
- We may also consult with your existing providers to prescribe medicine.
- We do not manage ongoing prescribing of any medicine.
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Who should attend the visit?
- For patients ages 4 through 12: A parent or legal guardian must be present for the visit.
- For patients ages 13 through 17 who developmentally cannot consent to their own care: A parent or legal guardian must be present for the visit.
- For all other patients ages 13 through 17: The patient can choose to attend the visit alone or with their parent or legal guardian. Please note: The parent or legal guardian may be able to see the scheduled appointment with this clinic if they have a Seattle Children's MyChart account. The specific reason for the visit and the information shared during the visit will remain confidential unless we determine during the visit that we need to contact the patient's parent or legal guardian.
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What should we expect during the visit?
Learn more about what you need to know for an in-person or video visit with Seattle Children’s Psychiatric Urgent Care clinic (Coming soon) (PDF) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Vietnamese).
In-person visit
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time to check in.
- If you have not arrived by your scheduled visit time, your visit may be given to another patient.
- We do see limited walk-in appointments, but they cannot be guaranteed due to high demand.
Video visit
- You will be placed in line when you schedule a video visit.
- You will receive an email and a text message when it is time for you to join your video visit.
- Please be near your device and ready to log in when you are notified it’s time for your visit. Click on the link provided in your visit confirmation email or text when it’s time to begin your video visit.
- If you do not join the visit within 15 minutes, your visit may be given to another patient in need of important urgent care services. You will need to get back in line for a video visit.
- Once you launch the visit, you will be connected through Zoom. Make sure the device you are using has a working camera and microphone. Choose a location that is private and free from distraction.
- A registration coordinator and medical assistant will meet with you before you see the mental health provider.
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What should I expect for follow-up?
We fax notes from your child’s Psychiatric Urgent Care visit to your child’s primary care provider within 24 hours.
If your child was seen at our Psychiatric Urgent Care locations within the last 48 hours and you have questions about your visit, please call 206-987-2164 during our hours of operation from 12 to 8 p.m. daily. If you need an interpreter, call 1-866-583-1527 and ask for “Psychiatric Urgent Care.”
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How do I cancel or change an appointment with Psychiatric Urgent Care?
- If you scheduled an appointment from a Seattle Children’s MyChart account: Log into your Seattle Children’s MyChart account. If you are a parent/guardian, select the child who has the Psychiatric Urgent Care appointment.
- For in-person visits: Go to visits, select the visit and select cancel.
- For video visits: Go to begin visit and select cancel.
- If you did not schedule the appointment through a Seattle Children’s MyChart account:
- For in-person visits: Click the cancellation link provided in your appointment confirmation email.
- For video visits: Click on “go to my visit” from your confirmation email. Once in MyChart, click cancel.
- If you are unable to cancel or change your appointment online: Call 206-987-2164, option 4, to cancel your appointment. If you need an interpreter, call 1-866-583-1527 and ask for “Psychiatric Urgent Care.”
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Who’s on the team?
The team includes licensed mental health therapists, family advocate/case managers, psychiatric advanced practice providers (APPs) and medical assistants.
Contact Us
Schedule an in-person visit or get in line for a video visit. Contact Psychiatric Urgent Care at 206-987-2164 for more information. If you use a language other than English, call 1-866-583-1527, choose your language and ask to speak to Psychiatric Urgent Care.
Phone Numbers
Telephone
Appointment
A provider referral is not required.
Fax Numbers
Fax
Addresses
Physical Address
6901 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Mailing Address
Seattle Children’s Magnuson
S-221
PO Box 5371
Seattle, WA 98145-5005
Hours
Business Hours
Sunday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Monday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Tuesday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Wednesday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Thursday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Friday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Business Hours Exceptions
Closes at 5 p.m. on December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 31 (New Year's Eve). 2025 Holiday Closures: New Year's Day - Wednesday, January 1; Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Monday, January 20; Presidents' Day - Monday, February 17; Memorial Day - Monday, May 26; Juneteenth - Thursday, June 19; Independence Day - Friday, July 4; Labor Day - Monday, September 1; Veterans' Day - Tuesday, November 11; Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 27; Christmas Day - Thursday, December 25
Referring a Patient
Providers: No referral is needed to have a patient seen at Psychiatric Urgent Care. A patient can schedule an in-person visit or get in line for a video visit. Please note which concerns are appropriate for Psychiatric Urgent Care and ensure patients with emergent concerns or medical issues are directed to the nearest emergency department.
Paying for Care
Learn about paying for care at Seattle Children’s, including insurance coverage, billing and financial assistance.
Have insurance questions?
Psychiatric Urgent Care services are available to all patients, regardless of insurance coverage. Services will be billed to your insurance.
Learn about your Psychiatric Urgent Care Bill at Seattle Children’s (PDF) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Vietnamese).