Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Program

Hospitalization in a psychiatric facility is one of a range of available treatment options when a child or adolescent is having emotional problems (depression, mental illness and/or substance abuse). As a parent you are naturally concerned and may be frightened and confused when inpatient treatment is recommended for your child.

Double board certified medical director Miriam Behkit leads Summit Oaks Hospital's Child and Adolescent Program. The Program offers comprehensive evaluations, crisis interventions, as well as stabilization programs for children ages five to 17, with a primary psychiatric diagnosis, in a safe environment. We understand that having your child hospitalized is difficult and our goal is to stabilize and reunite you and your child as quickly as possible.

Summit Oaks Hospital is dedicated to providing quality care and services for your child in a safe, clean and therapeutic environment. Children must be able to perform activities of daily living with minimal to no assistance and to participate actively in groups. Because we are dedicated to providing a safe, clean and therapeutic environment the rules and regulations for the inpatient unit may seem different to you than rules in other hospitals. For example we limit visiting and telephone time to ensure that your child can fully participate in the therapeutic activities.

Your child or adolescent will be assigned to one of our child and adolescent psychiatrist. He/she will get to know your child or adolescent from the beginning by doing a careful diagnostic assessment. Based on this assessment and the assessments by other members of the multidisciplinary team a treatment plan will be developed. If the treatment plan prescribed includes medication, it will be discussed with you and your child by the psychiatrist. You will be asked for your consent to start your child on medication. After assessing the effectiveness the medication, the dose may be adjusted for optimal results. As your child gets better this treatment plan will become his/her discharge plan.

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