Children's Hospital Colorado
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About the Pediatric Mental Health Institute

Children experiencing mental health issues and their families feel a lot of uncertainty and our experts are here to provide compassionate care and reassurance. The Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado provides the highest quality mental health services to children, adolescents and their families. We deliver evidence-based, family-focused and youth-centered services that make a difference. That means that everything we do is backed by the most recent research and focused on the needs of your child and your whole family. We also pay careful attention to the unique needs and stressors of each generation and adjust our care to meet the moment.

Our interdisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, nurses and creative art therapists who tailor their care to the unique needs of each child. We provide complete psychiatric services including outpatient care, partial hospitalization, inpatient care and emergency services for children and adolescents from birth to 18 years old. We approach each child with sensitivity, experience and professionalism, working with each family to promote healthy outcomes for their child and provide support for the whole family.

Our research in mental health ensures that we offer leading clinical services and continuously improve patient care. In addition to conducting research to advance the field of children’s mental health care, we’re dedicated to training the next generation of mental health professionals so that our work helps children for generations to come.

Why choose us for mental health care

Our mental health experts are certified in the most well-established, gold-standard care that’s based on research to help your child feel like themselves. As one of the most experienced pediatric mental health centers in the region, we know what it’s like for children and families experiencing mental health challenges. No matter what care your child needs, you’ll have trained, empathetic professionals to care for your child and transition them smoothly to the next step on their mental health journey.

Our industry-leading mental health services and advancements include:

  • Evidence-based practices developed by our experts for our partial hospitalization and inpatient care that have improved outcomes for families and serve as a national model for pediatric mental health
  • The first comprehensive dialectical behavior therapy program in Colorado for children who struggle to regulate their emotions
  • Convenient outpatient mental health services backed by the latest research
  • One of just a few neuropsychiatric care programs in the country that provides intensive care for children with developmental disabilities who are experiencing a mental health crisis

Pediatric mental health services and programs

No matter what your child is experiencing, our experts can help. We have specialized programs for any mental health issue your child may experience.

Outpatient mental health services

Our outpatient services include individual, family and group therapies that use proven treatments to address behavioral, emotional and social concerns. Our outpatient mental health services include:

Partial hospitalization care

In partial hospitalization programs, we care for children during the day and then they go home at night. It’s often a step between inpatient and outpatient mental health care. Our programs include structured and personalized daily treatment for children and adolescents experiencing serious emotional and behavioral challenges. Programs offering partial hospitalization include:

Inpatient mental health services

Our inpatient services provide 24-hour care for children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis who require inpatient treatment for their safety and the safety of those around them. Our programs that offer inpatient care include:

Who we treat at the Pediatric Mental Health Institute

We care for children and their families, from birth to 18 years old. Our experts have experience caring for any mental health challenge your child is facing.

Contact the Pediatric Mental Health Institute

To request an appointment or ask our team questions, please call 720-777-6200.

Resources for your mental health journey

No matter where you are on your child's mental health journey, we have parenting resources to help support you. Find tips for strengthening family connections and resilience, checking in with your child, what to do in a crisis — and much more.

Explore our resources

Help create a better future for youth mental health

Financial donors fuel expansion of our programs and services, providing more kids and teens with the highest-quality mental health care. This support is more critical than ever. Your generosity helps give kids like Kate the mental health services they need, when they need them most.

Give now

Get to know our pediatric experts.

Robin Gabriels, PsyD

Robin Gabriels, PsyD

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

Amy Retherford, LCSW

Amy Retherford, LCSW

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

Carolina Cambra, LPC

Carolina Cambra, LPC

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

James Uhernik, LPC

James Uhernik, LPC

Patient ratings and reviews are not available Why?

Youth mental health in the news

  • Children's Hospital Colorado
    Improving mental health for Colorado youth
    April 19, 2023

    The number one emergency care concern in Colorado is youth mental health, and it's impacting kids all over the state. Listen as Mental Health-in-Chief Dr. Ron-Li Liaw and child psychiatrist Dr. Kim Kelsay discuss what they're seeing, how it's affecting kids in southwestern Colorado, and what we're doing about it.