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Riley Children's Health

Child Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Departments Banner Psychiatry

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317.944.8162
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  • What to Expect
  • Research
  • Conditions & Services
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If your child has a psychological or behavioral condition that needs ongoing attention, he or she may benefit from an evaluation. This evaluation would be by a team of child and adolescent psychiatry specialists. Your child also may benefit from an evaluation if he or she is experiencing temporary challenges from stressful events in life. The psychiatry specialists at Riley at IU Health provide diagnostic and treatment services for children of all ages.

Helping Children and Families With Expert Evaluation and Treatment

Helping Children and Families With Expert Evaluation and Treatment

Our team includes child and adolescent psychiatrists. It also includes clinical child psychologists and psychiatric social workers. They work together to check your child's condition and provide a treatment plan to address his or her needs.

Child Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Riley Children's Health offers the following specialty programs. These meet a wide range of pediatric and adolescent behavioral health needs.

ADHD/Disruptive Behavior Disorders Program

There are a few reasons your child may be a candidate for evaluation and treatment. These reasons include a persistent, severe pattern of inattention. It may also be hyperactivity and impulsivity. The ADHD/Disruptive Behavior Disorders Program at Riley Children's offers this evaluation and treatment. This program also offers diagnostic and treatment services for other issues. Such concerns may be oppositionality, defiance, outbursts, rule-breaking and problems controlling anger.

Mood Disorders Program

The Mood Disorders Program at Riley provides evaluation and care if your child has mood disturbances. Those disturbances can include:

  • Depression
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
  • Irritability
  • Social isolation
  • Suicidal ideation

OCD/Tic/Anxiety Disorders Program

The OCD/Tic/Anxiety Disorders Program diagnoses and treats children with any of the following symptoms:

  • Recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to impair daily living significantly
  • Recurrent tics, vocal noises or outbursts
  • Apprehension, fearfulness or anxiety
  • Trichotillomania (hair loss from repeated urges to pull or twist the hair until it breaks off)

Dual Diagnosis Program

Your child may have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and also struggles with substance abuse. If so, the Dual Diagnosis Program at Riley can help. This outpatient program is for children and teens 10 to 18 years old. Your child may have a combination of psychiatric and behavioral problems. The program can help your child and family deal with those challenges.

Pediatric Psychology Testing Program

The Pediatric Psychology Testing Program offers evaluations. These consist of standardized psychological tests for many abilities, disorders and problems. These may include:

  • Attention and learning problems
  • Intellectual ability strengths and weaknesses
  • Complex anxiety
  • Mood disorders

Hospital-based Psychiatric Care

Riley Children’s Health also provides Indiana’s only Emergency Department Behavioral Health Access Center staffed by in-person child psychiatrists and a multidisciplinary Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Service that provides mental health assessments and unique treatment services for medically hospitalized patients. The Simon Skjodt Pediatric and Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit is Indiana’s only dialectical behavior therapy-informed child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit. The unit at Riley Hospital for Children cares for children, age 5 to 17, who need intensive psychiatric or eating disorder treatment.

2024-25 behavioral health, usnwr

Nationally ranked behavioral health

Riley Children’s Health Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

What to Expect

What to Expect

Our psychiatrists, psychologists and clinical social workers provide expert care. This comes through advanced, evidence-based treatments for psychiatric diagnoses and behavior problems. Treatments may include:

  • Individual psychotherapy. Your child works one-on-one with a therapist to learn coping strategies. They will build skills and address challenges in your child's feelings, beliefs and behaviors.
  • Family therapy. The therapist works with both you and your child. They will work to change family interactions and structure to improve your child's behavior and adjustment.
  • Medication. Your child may need treatment using medicines. These medicines help regulate brain-based psychological and behavioral problems.
  • Behavioral modification. The therapist works with you and your child on specific behavioral goals. These goals include the situations or consequences that maintain or change them.

Research

Research

Research and the advancement of psychiatric practice are essential to the Psychiatry Department at Riley. The department is integrated with the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM). Our psychologists and psychiatrists are IUSM faculty members. The IUSM is one of the nation's largest medical schools, which allows us to be part of innovative research in psychiatric disorders.

The Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry has had faculty members make significant research discoveries. They have contributed to understanding many psychiatric disorders, including addictions, ADHD, mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and autism.

Our team continues to lead in groundbreaking clinical research. We have active research projects supported by the National Institutes of Health and other sources. These partnerships help testing and refinement of new medical treatments.

Conditions & Services

Conditions Treated

Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • Anxiety
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Fibromyalgia in Children
  • Functional Abdominal Pain

Services Offered

We offer a number of different Child Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our department.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Doctors and Locations

Doctors

Our expert team has extensive experience in evaluating and treating a variety of psychiatric and behavioral conditions in children and adolescents

Locations

Locations

See all facilities →

Related Programs

Related Programs

We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related programs.

  • Adolescent Dual Diagnosis Program
  • Charis Center for Eating Disorders
  • Pain Management Program

Related Stories

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Health Professionals

For Health Professionals

The Psychiatry Department at Riley at IU Health fosters an environment of collaboration to provide the best care for every child. Any doctor, healthcare professional or healthcare agency may refer a patient.

Referrals can be made by calling the department at 317.944.8162.

Refer A Patient

Refer A Patient

Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.

Refer A Patient

Research

Visit the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine for information about the latest research in the field of psychiatry.

Education

In partnership with the IU School of Medicine, the Psychiatry Department at Riley at IU Health is involved in education and training. This training includes medical students, residents and fellows in the field of psychiatry. It also includes clinical psychology interns and graduate students.

Education Resources:
  • Medical Students
  • Triple Board Residency Program
  • Addiction Psychiatry Fellows
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellows
  • Autism/Developmental Disability Fellows
  • Clinical Psychology Interns and Graduate Students
  • Postdoctoral Training
Riley Children's Health Indiana University School of Medicine
Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2023-24

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Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org

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Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2023-24

©2026 Riley Hospital for Children at
Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org


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