First Steps for Getting Help

If a child has behavioral or emotional problems, they may appear at home or they may surface in other settings, such as school or within the general community. It is important to identify a mental health concern early, so that the child can receive proper care if he or she needs it.

First, it is important to recognize whether an ongoing problem exists that is affecting the child’s life. Keep notes about when specific behaviors occur. Try to answer the following questions as best you can:

• Is the child’s behavior similar to the behavior of other children in his or her age group?
• How often does the child behave in a way that troubles you?
• How severe or extreme does the child’s behavior seem to you?
• How long does each episode of the troubling behavior last?
• Where does the child’s troubling behavior occur?

Parents are sometimes reluctant to contact a mental health professional when they suspect their child may have a mental health issue. They may worry about what other people will think about them or their child, or they may worry that they will have difficulty understanding the mental health professional’s recommendations. Many also worry that they will lose control over their child’s treatment and/or that the treatment will be very expensive. These concerns are very real, but mental health professionals work very hard to minimize any possible issues, and always welcome a parent's questions and involvement in their child's treatment.

If you believe a problem does exist, you need to know how and where to find professional help. The initial contact should usually be with the child's pediatrician.

• Click for a guide to Working with Your Pediatrician.

The next contact should be someone at the child’s school. It could be an administrator, a teacher, or a mental health professional. It is important to remember that if a child has a mental health issue, a variety of people will work together as a team to provide help. The team approach allows the people working with a child to collect and discuss the widest possible variety of important information. This approach is also a way of providing a child with as many services as possible. The team approach also gives parents an opportunity to hear different points of view, learn more about their child’s situation and gain a better understanding of other mental health services and options available.

For an excellent general introduction to mental health care for children in Massachusetts, see The Parents' How-to Guide to Children's Mental Health Services in Massachusetts (PDF) from the Boston Bar Association and Children's Hospital.

In addition, the following resources may be helpful:

• Types of Mental Health Care Providers
• How to Choose a Mental Health Care Professional
• Accessing Services from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
• Massachusetts General Hospital's School Psychiatry Program, a website that offers a wide range of information about mental health issues.