Refer to Our Mental Health Program

The Outpatient Mental Health Program at CHKD provides psychiatry, individual and group therapy, and psychological testing services for children and adolescents ages 4-18, or until a young adult graduates high school. We offer both telehealth and in-person visits.

Pediatricians request a referral to CHKD’s Mental Health Program for their patients. After the referral, patients and their families are notified by phone to schedule an assessment. This one-time clinical assessment will help us determine a patient’s next step in treatment.

Once complete, our mental health team will work with the family to define the next steps in care. Many children will be offered a six-week, skills-based therapy group where they will begin to learn the skills necessary to navigate their symptoms.

If additional care is needed after successfully completing this group program, patients move to the next step in treatment when possible.

Families who choose not to participate in the therapy group will remain on our waitlist until a new patient intake appointment is available for the recommended services.

Our mental health team uses a brief episode of care model with individualized treatment goals to gain the best outcomes for children in our care.

If at any point during this process, there are concerns of exacerbating symptoms or a need for immediate evaluation, CHKD’s emergency department offers evaluation by our mental health team. Please encourage families with children who might be in immediate danger to contact 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Refer to Outpatient Mental Health

The goal of the Intensive Outpatient Program is to improve the individual and family management of mental health needs through individual and group therapies, psychoeducation, family engagement, and weekly medication management that goes beyond traditional outpatient services. Program services are available three evenings a week.

For questions related to your referral, please contact our office by calling (757) 668-4673 or emailing MentalHealth@CHKD.org.

Refer to Our Intensive Outpatient Program 

We will consider all referrals from members of the community including parents, legal guardians, and medical providers. PHP may be recommended in response to escalating mental health needs for children and adolescents age 10-17. This is often in response to a sudden increase in mental health symptoms, difficulties maintaining previous functioning, or an emerging safety concern. Alternatively, PHP may also be recommended as a step-down from residential or acute hospital-based programs.

Internal Referrals from CHKD Providers: 
Internal referrals can be submitted via referral management. Please be sure to send a Powerchart Message referencing the referral to the program's practice manager.

External Referrals from Community Members: 
Community referrals may be made online at the link below. 

Refer a Patient to Our Partial Hospitalization Program

The Bridge Crisis Clinic serves as a bridge to stabilize patients and transition them to appropriate long-term care within the community. Patients who are referred to this clinic will receive care within seven to fourteen days from the date of their referral request.

For questions related to your referral, please contact our office by calling (757) 668-4673 or emailing Bridge_Crisis_Clinic@CHKD.org.

Refer to Our Bridge Crisis Clinic

Children’s Pavilion (CPAV) is a 60-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital and outpatient center for children owned and operated by Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. The Pavilion is a new, free-standing facility located on the same Norfolk campus as CHKD’s main hospital.

Providers from community emergency departments who want to refer patients for direct admission to Children’s Pavilion should send psychiatric evaluation and medical clearance information to our dedicated fax line: CPAV Direct Admissions at (757) 668-2047.

CPAV intake nurses will review the information and communicate directly with referring ED providers until the clinical information is complete, and a determination to accept or deny the patient is made. If CPAV is able to admit the patient, the intake nurse will work with the nurse from the referring facility to arrange needed consents/signatures and transport. All communication regarding admission is with the CPAV intake nurse at (757) 668-4746.

Open Units:

• General Psychiatric Unit
• 4-bed Neurodevelopmental Track (NDT) of general psychiatry with enhanced features, such as social skills groups.
• 8-bed Psychiatric Medical Unit to serve patients with a primary psych diagnosis who have a chronic medical comorbidity.

Admission Criteria:

• Between the ages of 6 and 17.
• Medically cleared. No lines, tubes, ports, etc. Does not require active treatment in a medical setting.
• Admission to NDT requires additional information from parents. Referring providers can request a special neurodevelopmental admissions packet or request admission to general psychiatric unit, and parents can provide additional information after admission.

Exclusionary Criteria:

• Age under 6 or over age 17.
• Primary diagnosis of substance use or need for detox treatment.
• Moderate or profound intellectual disability or
• Autism spectrum disorder level 2 or 3
• Severe and chronic aggressive behaviors.
• Not medically cleared. Requires active treatment in a medical setting.

Transport Information:

• Children’s Pavilion is located at 401 Gresham Drive, Norfolk, 23507, on the same campus as CHKD’s main hospital, Sentara Norfolk General, and EVMS.
• Transport drivers should ring the bell upon arriving at the garage bay, located where the red dot is on the map.
• CHKD Security will meet the transport in the bay to begin admission.
• If there is already a transport in the bay, or the bay is full, CHKD security will ask the transport to wait in the staging area, located across Gresham Drive from Children’s Pavilion where the green dot is on the map.