According to the National Institute for Mental Health, one in 10 children in the United States today suffers from a mental disorder severe enough to cause some level of impairment. For children and adolescents who require behavioral health services, CentraState Medical Center offers mental health assessment, education related to mental health care, and referral services specially tailored to the needs of young people.

 

To access CentraState’s Youth Behavioral Health Referral Services call (732) 294-2804, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or call the crisis hotline at (732) 780-6023, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

What to Expect
When you call the Youth Behavioral Health Referral Services, you will be connected with a certified child and family therapist who will take patient information and history over the telephone. If the situation calls for emergency care, you will be directed to CentraState’s Emergency Department for emergency mental health services.

 

If the situation is deemed non-emergent, based on the screening assessment, you will be provided referrals to therapists and/or psychiatrists qualified to treat the child or adolescent in need.

Violent behavior, early onset substance abuse and adolescent depression are growing problems in schools, which often lack the professional and financial resources to adequately address such social problems.

 

CentraState’s Youth Emergency Assessment Services (YEAS) accepts referrals from schools for comprehensive mental health evaluations of children and adolescents (ages 8-18) who are experiencing severe emotional and social difficulties. The goals of YEAS are to:

determine the level of risk a child poses to himself/herself and others;

 

A major benefit of the YEAS program is the prompt turnaround time between the initial referral and the resulting treatment plan. Comprehensive evaluations are completed and results made available in four to five working days. The comprehensive evaluation consists of a psychosocial evaluation of the child by a child and family therapist and an evaluation by a board-certified psychiatrist. Following the comprehensive evaluation, a diagnostic profile is created and treatment recommendations offered. Appropriate school representatives, family members and any other involved service agency are encourage to provide input. Final written reports are provided to schools as needed with appropriate consent.

To reach the YEAS program Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., call (732) 294-2804. A YEAS clinician will take pertinent information during the initial phone inquiry. If the child/adolescent appears to be in imminent danger of harming him/herself or others, he/she is referred directly to the closest hospital emergency room. Otherwise, the child/adolescent and his/her family are registered and the evaluation process is scheduled.