Emergency Psychiatric Evaluations

Emergency Psychiatric Evaluations

1) If your child is in immediate danger of self-harm or is endangering others, call 911.

2) Otherwise, if your child has an ongoing therapist and/or psychiatrist:

Contact the psychiatrist or therapist at their office or via their emergency number. He or she may be able to see your child on an emergency basis or may have a preference of where you bring your child. You may also choose to bring your child to the pediatrician for an emergency appointment.

3) If your child does not have an ongoing therapist or psychiatrist (or he/she is unavailable), you may:

• Contact the Mobile Crisis Intervention team (MCI) (800-640-5432)

This program through Advocates is a 24-hour mobile psychiatric evaluation team. The team can provide an evaluation at their office, which is located at 354 Waverly St., Framingham. They also send their clinicians to several area hospitals and sometimes to other locations. **It is best to call first to give them a heads up and to provide initial information. They can also tell you the approximate wait time.**

OR

• Go to a local hospital Emergency Room

You can obtain an emergency psychiatric evaluation at any emergency room.  ERs have an internal team and/or contract with an agency such as MCI to provide the evaluations. **Again, it is best to call first.**

Area Hospitals That Specialize in Serving Children with Psychiatric Needs:  (These hospitals have on-site Pediatric and Adolescent Inpatient Units. However, an evaluation does not guarantee an inpatient bed placement there if needed.)

• MetroWest Medical Center (Leonard Morse), 67 Union Street, Natick. They have a pediatric inpatient unit, but no longer have an ER. All evaluations should go through PES or the MetroWest Framingham Union location.

• Salem Hospital (Mass General Brigham), Child and Adolescent Inpatient, Epstein Center for Behavioral Health, 

1 Dove Avenue, Salem, MA 01970, 978.354.2450. Licensed for ages 3-17. Preferred placement from their own hospital network, which includes Emerson and Newton-Wellesley Hospitals. 

• Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge: 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA. Inpatient Psychiatry Central Intake Line: 617-665-1560  

• Please see additional Boston hospital options below.

Other Area Hospitals: (These hospitals offer emergency psychiatric evaluations, but do not specialize in pediatric psychiatry nor do they have in-patient units on site.)

• MetroWest Medical Center (Framingham Union), 115 Lincoln Street, Framingham. Evaluations provided by Psychiatric Emergency Services: 800-640-5432

• Marlborough Hospital, 157 Union Street, Marlborough, MA, Evaluations provided by Psychiatric Emergency Services: 800-640-5432

• Emerson Hospital, 133 Old Road To Nine Acre Corner, Concord, MA. Evaluations by either PES or an internal team, depending on insurance type.  Emerson offers psychiatric evaluations for children, but does not specialize in pediatric psychiatry and does not have a pediatric inpatient unit. **Very helpful to call first: 978-287-3516**

• Newton-Wellesley Hospital, 2014 Washington Street, Newton, MA, 617-243-6006.  They offer psychiatric evaluations for children but do not specialize in pediatric psychiatry and do not have a pediatric inpatient unit.

Boston Resources

• The Boston Emergency Services Team (B.E.S.T.) provides 24-hour service for adults and children in need of immediate psychiatric intervention:  Call 1-800-981-HELP

• Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston

If your child is not at risk of immediate harm, but you have concerns about his or her mental health, please call them before going to the ER.  Call their page operator at 617-355-6369 and ask for the on-call psychiatric clinician.

• Franciscan Children’s, 30 Warren Street, Brighton, MA 02135

 24-hour referral line for the inpatient psychiatric program: (800) 333-0338.

Before your child's return to school:

• Before your child returns to school, please call your child's school psychologist, school counselor, or administrator about a plan for re-entry and to discuss any recommendations from the evaluator.

• We request that you send documentation from the psychiatrist/evaluator before your child returns to school.