Child Psychiatry

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.

The Psychiatry Department at Riley at IU Health offers the following specialty programs. These meet a wide range of pediatric and adolescent behavioral health needs.

• Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center. Children with autism spectrum disorder receive care at Riley at IU Health Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center. Your child may be struggling with social interactions, communication and other developmental abnormalities. The behavioral health specialists at the treatment center can help.
• 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 at IU Health 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 at IU Health provides evaluation and care if your child has mood disturbances. Those disturbances can include:
  • Depression
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in normal 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 at IU Health 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

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

• Individual psychotherapy. Your child works one-on-one with a therapist. Your child will learn coping strategies. He or she will build skills and address challenges in feelings, beliefs and behaviors. This will help him or her to move toward desired changes.

• Family therapy. The therapist works with you and your child. They will work to change family interactions and structure to improve your child’s behavior and adjustment.

• Pharmacotherapy. 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 and the advancement of psychiatric practice is an essential part of the Psychiatry Department at Riley at IU Health. 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. This gives us the opportunity to be part of innovative research in psychiatric disorders.

Faculty members in the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry have made important research discoveries. They have contributed to the understanding of many psychiatric disorders. These include addictions, ADHD, mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and autism.

We continue to lead in groundbreaking clinical research. We have active research projects supported by the National Institutes of Health and other sources. Faculty members have a record of successful partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry. These partnerships help testing and refinement of new medicine treatments.