New Partial Hospitalization Program for Kids 11 Through 14

Seattle Children’s is opening a new Early Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in the Federal Way Clinic and will begin accepting patient referrals on Sept. 8 for a Sept. 30 program start.

The new program is designed to support children ages 11 through 14 with a wide range of mental health concerns that significantly impact their daily lives.

The program offers in-person, clinic-based intensive therapeutic care including developmentally appropriate structured group treatment, individual and family treatment and medication management. This new offering is designed to fill an important need and provide a helpful step-up or step-down option between less-intensive outpatient care and inpatient care. The goal is to support patients’ mental health needs in an effective way that still lets them remain at home and in their community.

The program typically runs five weeks (Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) but can be adjusted for individuals based on their treatment plans. It focuses on stabilizing the child’s acute mental health, reducing life-threatening behaviors and supporting the child so they can receive outpatient mental health services.

The Early Adolescent PHP includes a clinical psychologist, an advanced practice provider (APP), a mental health therapist and three therapist associates, an RN and a family advocate/case manager who together provide comprehensive care services to meet the needs of patients and their families. The first cohort of patients will begin Sept. 30, with rolling admissions as spaces become available.

“The program is intended to meet the growing behavioral health needs of families in the South Sound region and offer care closer to home, as Seattle Children’s works to provide improved access to care for patients and providers,” said Dr. Ray Hsiao, chief of Psychiatry and Mental and Behavioral Health Services. “Research shows proven benefits for all-day programming for youth with intensive treatment needs who don’t require hospitalization.”

How to Refer Patients to the Early Adolescent PHP

• Referrals open Sept. 8, 2026.
• Use this two-page referral form instead of the standard New Appointment Request Form.
• Referrals are reviewed by the clinical team to determine if partial hospitalization is an appropriate level of care and determine which of the programs is an appropriate clinical fit.
• Children ages 13 and 14 may be placed into either the Early Adolescent PHP Federal Way or the Adolescent PHP Magnuson, which serves teens 13 to 17. Youth who meet criteria for PHP will be placed in the appropriate PHP based on a range of factors, including the family’s location and whether the patient would be better served in a younger adolescent or older teen setting.

Visit the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Refer a Patient page for more details.