An Overview of the Range of Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents

The mental  health system can feel overwhelming and complicated to people who are trying to navigate this system for the first time.  Some people don’t need to know this information as outpatient therapy is the only involvement they ever have with the mental health system.  But for children and teens who need more assistance than basic therapy, it can be very helpful to understand the different types of services that are available, what they’re called, and how they typically are paid for.  The infographic below is designed to do just that.

I believe that all of these services exist in Philadelphia County and each county within the Philly suburbs. However, if you live in a different area, you would need to check to see which services are available in your county.  A place that you might start is Google, using the key terms listed in the information below. Primary care physicians can be another resource and should be knowledgeable of, at least, the basics of what is available. Additionally, you can call the county’s mental health department for information. You might get passed around to a couple of different people before someone knows how to answer the question so you could start with something specific like, “Can you please tell me what agencies offer home based services in this are?”

The adult system has most, if not all of the services and levels of care that are listed below. There are also additional services that address employment and housing (and possibly more?) but I am less familiar with these additional services and how they relate to one another, at least at this time.