The UPMC Whole Child Wellness Clinic provides a safe, comfortable treatment environment for children with developmental and behavioral needs. Our team partners with you to develop a comprehensive treatment plan for your child through interventions in our clinic, at home, at school, and in the community.
What Is the Whole Child Wellness Clinic?
The UPMC Whole Child Wellness Clinic provides a safe, comfortable treatment environment for children with developmental and behavioral needs.
Each appointment offers care tailored to your child’s unique needs, which may include:
- Behavioral health care – including psychiatry and therapy.
- Medication management.
- Care coordination.
- Pediatric care – including well check, vitals, immunizations, and blood draws as needed.
- Family peers – parents with lived experience who support you as a parent or guardian.
What conditions do you treat?
The UPMC Whole Child Wellness Clinic provides comprehensive care for children with:
- Behavioral concerns with associated physical presentations.
- Complex depression or anxiety.
- Difficult-to-diagnose behaviors.
- Difficult-to-treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Learning and developmental difficulties combined with behavioral health concerns.
- Trauma.
Who is eligible for Whole Child Wellness Clinic care?
Children ages 3 to 12 diagnosed with or needing testing for a behavioral health condition can receive care at the Whole Child Wellness Clinic.
What Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Health Services Do You Offer?
We surround your child with support and offer:
- Assessments.
- Convenient access to care.
- Family peer support.
- Medical and community resources.
- Personalized treatment plans.
- School coordination.
Family Participation
You know your child better than anyone else, so your attention and participation in their care plan will help them succeed in the Whole Child Wellness Clinic.
We know that families and caregivers of children come in many different forms. Whether you are a biological parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, foster parent, extended family member, or other support person, we encourage decision-making family members to attend each visit and be an active part of the care team.
Crisis/Emergency Support
A crisis can be anything from feeling lonely and needing to talk to feeling overwhelmed by life. Stress and problems – both large and small – fill each of our lives, and we all have moments of crisis. If you feel your child is in immediate danger, please call 911 or Crisis Services at 1-888-796-8226.
What Can I Expect at the Whole Child Wellness Clinic?
At the UPMC Whole Child Wellness Clinic, we are here to support you and your child and look forward to working with you both.
How to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments
- Appointments can be scheduled, rescheduled, or canceled by calling 412-692-7776.
- Please give 48 hours' notice if you cannot attend your appointment.
- If you think you will be late for your appointment, please call 412·692-7776; we will let you know if we can still see you or need to reschedule.
- We may not be able to see you if you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment.
What to bring to your appointments
- A list of any questions or concerns you have about the appointment.
- An updated list of medications and the doses that your child is taking.
- Anything to keep your child comfortable during the appointment, such as toys, blankets, or books.
- Health insurance card(s).
- Results from any behavioral evaluations your child has had in the past.
What to expect at your first appointment
- After you check in at the kiosk, you will wait in the waiting area and complete some forms.
- When your child is called back, we will take their blood pressure, heart rate, height, and weight.
- Your child will then move to a room to get a physical evaluation.
- Then, you and your child will meet with a therapist, psychiatrist, and family peers and tell us your story. You should also talk about your child's history and any previous therapy they have had.
- A one-way mirror in the room will let our team hear your child's story and make a treatment plan. You will be able to see who is behind the mirror before you go into the room.
- While your child spends more time talking with a therapist, you will meet separately with a psychiatrist and family peer support specialist. The psychiatrist will discuss any medical treatment your child may have had or may need.
- Your first visit will likely last about two hours. Follow-up visits may be 30 minutes to one hour long. These longer appointments enable you and your child to see multiple providers in one visit and receive comprehensive care.
Do I Need a Referral to the Whole Child Wellness Clinic?
We work closely with primary care providers. We encourage you to contact your primary care provider to obtain a referral. This may also be required by your health insurance company.
Your Whole Child Wellness Center Care Team
At the UPMC Whole Child Wellness Clinic, you and your child may meet with care team members, including:
- Family peer support specialist – A care team member who provides support for you and your child and offers advice based on similar situations they have personally experienced.
- Nurse coordinator – A registered nurse who helps get you and your child behavioral health resources and connects you with needed supports.
- Psychiatrist – A medical doctor who helps find medical causes of behavioral health issues and can prescribe medicine for treatment.
- Therapist – A mental health professional who focuses on children's behaviors and teaches new skills to help with emotional coping and behavioral health.
Why choose UPMC for pediatric behavioral and developmental health care?
When you choose UPMC for pediatric behavioral and developmental health care, you will receive:
- A child-focused environment – Our team creates a safe and comfortable treatment environment for children with developmental and behavioral needs.
- Convenient, multidisciplinary care – Your child will meet with multiple experts during one appointment, receiving complete treatment to address their unique needs.
- Supportive services – Our team of professionals will connect you with the resources you need to help your child succeed.
Whole Child Wellness Center patient stories
Patient story
The Road to Creating a New Standard in Behavioral Health – UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation
Podcasts
Learn About the Whole Child Wellness Clinic with Dr. Justin Schreiber
The Whole Child | Episode 15 – Confluence Financial Partners
