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Specialty Care for Children

Home > Health Care Services > Children's Care > Specialty Care for Children > Care for Emotional Illnesses

Care for Emotional Illnesses

Some young people may suffer from underlying emotional illnesses related to:

Depression
Anxiety disorder
Bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness)
Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
Conflicts with family members
Difficulties at school
Loss and grieving
Effects of trauma or abuse
Eating disorders
Drug or alcohol use
Sexual or gender identity problems
Emotional problems related to a physical illness

If you think your child needs care for an emotional or mental illness, our pediatric behavioral health specialists can help. They specialize in the care of children with emotional and mental health concerns. They are eager to help your child on his journey back to wellness. The team includes board-certified psychiatric physicians, licensed doctoral-level psychologists, licensed psychiatric social workers, psychiatric nurses, registered nurses, clinical nurse specialists, mental health technicians, occupational therapy professionals and a certified teacher.

Our care includes:

Care in the hospital. We provide a safe, secure, caring environment for adolescents in crisis where their condition can be stabilized and they can be protected from harming themselves. Our bright, cheerful unit is located in the Behavioral Health Science Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg.

First we carefully evaluate a young person's physical health, mental health and social and educational history. Then we customize a young person's treatment. It may include:

Individual therapy to develop personal, practical coping skills
Group therapy to share feedback with peers and begin practicing these new skills
Family therapy to promote parents' involvement in care
Educational services from a certified teacher who works closely with the young person's own school
Rehabilitation services to help a young person stay fit, enjoy recreation, build self-esteem, express creativity and manage stress
Medication may also play a valuable role in a young person's treatment

Typically, a young person is here for 7-10 days, until he is able to function sucessfully in a partial hospital program or an individual outpatient treatment program.

Care before going home. We help children transition from the hospital to home. Adolescent Transitions is designed for adolescents making the shift of out of the hospital, or for those who don't need an overnight hospital program but still need very structured care. Teens typically are in the program for about two weeks. After leaving the program, many children go into school-based programs or outpatient counseling for the final phase of treatment.

Adolescents attend Transitions every weekday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and return home overnight. As they test their new coping skills with family and friends, Transitions acts as a safety net to help them through the process. Treatment includes:

Group therapy focusing on issues like problem solving, anger management, communication and education about the young person's own condition. Group therapy is the foundation of our program because adolescents often learn best with their peers.
Individual therapy to help the young person develop personal, practical coping skills
Family therapy to begin exploring family dynamics, to promote parents' involvement in the care of their child and to enhance their own coping strategies
Education (two or more hours daily) from a certified teacher who works closely withthe young person's own school to keep him as current as possible
Rehabilitation services for recreation, esteem-building, creative expression and stress relief
Medication also plays a valuable role for many of our patients. Families always are informed why a certain medication might be needed at this point in the teen's life

Adolescent Transitions is located at 1255 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Suite 1500, near Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

Care while at home. Patients who do not need care in the hospital can receive daily treatment from our specialists.

Need Help? Call 610-402-CARE (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday) to talk to nurses and other experts who can help you find a doctor and more.

This page last updated 11/6/08 12:59 PM

Specialty Care for Children

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©2008 Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network
LVH Info Line: 610-402-CARE
Cedar Crest & I-78, P.O. Box 689, Allentown, PA 18105-1556

Lehigh Valley Hospital has campuses in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa. and serves the Pennsylvania communities of Easton, Doylestown, Quakertown, Hazelton, Lehighton, Perkasie, Pottstown, Pottsville, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes Barre, Stroudsburg, and the Poconos and also Phillipsburg and Flemington, N.J., and western New Jersey. You don't have to travel to Philadelphia or New York for quality health care.