The Paul C. Gaffney Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh has behavioral health providers that offer specialized knowledge and skills for psychological screening, evaluation, and evidence-based treatment. They work with your child's medical teams to improve health outcomes.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Behavioral Health Care
Time in the hospital can worry or distress children and their loved ones. Behavioral health providers work with children and families who experience:
- Mood, anxiety, and behavioral concerns related to illness and hospitalization.
- Difficulty adjusting to diagnosis, hospital stays, and medical care.
- Adjustment to physical limitations or changes in appearance or functioning related to illness.
- Impairment due to pain and somatic symptoms.
- Psychiatric symptoms that may impact care.
- Challenging behaviors impairing treatment and discharge goals.
- Difficulty sticking to treatment recommendations.
Our behavioral health providers:
- Partner with your child’s doctors.
- Provide consultation and screening for children and families affected by illness.
- Teach children about the mind-body connection and the interaction of physical and emotional health.
- Provide education about the impact of illness on emotional health.
- Provide therapeutic treatment and medical coping for youth. This includes education and evidence-based coping strategies.
- Use non-pharmacological pain and symptom management strategies to improve quality of life.
- Provide parent and caregiver guidance in caring for a child in the hospital.
- Identify and optimize existing support for children and families.
- Identify when a child may need more psychosocial support.
- Coordinate care.
Virtual Comfort Ability Program
Those with chronic or functional pain symptoms might benefit from the Virtual Comfort Ability Program (VCAP). VCAP is an outpatient group therapy program for patients ages 10 to 17 and their caregivers. Learn more about VACP at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
