Behavioral Health and Psychiatry
Our pediatric psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and pediatricians develop a plan for your child and family. We work together to ensure your child receives the best care.
We provide a range of services, from consultations, evaluations and referrals, to ongoing support. This includes monitoring each patient’s mental and physical health, sleep, nutrition, eating habits and development. Psychiatry and behavioral health services include:
- Therapeutic Nursery Group offers treatment for children ages 3-6 who have aggression, impulsivity, non-compliance, tantrums and other disruptive behaviors. While children are in their therapy sessions, parents and caregivers also participate in group sessions for support related to their children’s behavior.
- Children’s Partial Hospitalization for children ages 7-13, who are experiencing emotional, psychological or behavioral difficulties at home, in school or in the community.
- Children’s Specialty Groups for children ages 7-12 address anger management, coping skills, social skills and self-esteem.
- Outpatient Behavioral Health Services include individual, group, and family therapy, as well as psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Specialty groups focus on promoting social and coping skills development.
- Emergency Psychiatric Services offer crisis intervention, assessments, and referrals for adolescents and children experiencing a psychiatric emergency.
- Manage stress in a healthy manner
- Develop social skills
- Discover healthy communication
- Feel supported after a traumatic experience
- Develop or improve self-control
- Develop an overall positive state of mind
- Eliminate substance abuse, including opioid abuse
- Anxiety
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Behavior issues
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Hallucinations (hearing voices)
- Impulse control disorders
- Mood and behavior disorders
- Neurological conditions
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic attacks
- Parent-child conflicts
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Problems with peer relationships and taking direction
- Sadness or hopelessness
- Stress-related disorders
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center
University Medical Center
30 Prospect Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601
551-996-4450
K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Inpatient Consultations
1945 Route 33, Neptune, NJ 07753
732-383-1071
Brick Psychiatry
1610 Route 88 W Brick, NJ 08724
732-295-6543
Children Outpatient Behavioral Health Therapeutic Nursery & Partial Hospitalization Program
61 Davis Ave, Neptune, NJ 07753
732-869-2784
Christopher Center for Mental Health and Wellness
HOPE Tower, 9th Floor, 19 Davis Ave, Neptune, NJ
732-897-3640
Urgent Care with Behavioral Health Services (ages 16+)
2040 Route 33, Neptune City, NJ 07753
888-878-1503
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-8255
Emergency Psychiatric Services
In addition to our inpatient and outpatient services, we offer care for emergency situations. Tucked away in our emergency department, you can be assured your privacy is our priority. Our experts understand the importance of working with children and young adults in a comfortable and safe setting.New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative (NJPPC) Program
Hackensack Meridian Health in partnership with Cooper University Health Care and Atlantic Health System, has established the New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative (NJPPC) across 20 counties in New Jersey.The NJPPC is a state-funded grant program designed to connect children and adolescents up to age 18 (or up to 21, if a patient is still being treated by a pediatrician) with pediatric behavioral health care consultation and referrals through NJPPC Hub Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists (CAPs) and behavioral health staff.
The model for NJPPC is consultative and aims at educating pediatricians while collaborating with them on managing these patients. It aims to improve the comfort and competence of primary care physicians and pediatricians to screen, identify and manage children with mild to moderate mental/behavioral health and substance use concerns. The NJPPC provides quick access to psychiatric consultation and facilitates referrals for accessing ongoing mental/behavioral health care.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In order for your child to receive services through the NJPPC, their pediatric provider (e.g. pediatrician) needs to be a registered member of the NJPPC. Although the NJPPC is a consultative program that helps pediatric providers connect patients to behavioral health care, your child’s pediatric provider will still be their primary treatment provider. You may direct your child’s pediatric provider to this link so they can learn more about the NJPPC and how to register with the program.
The in-person or telehealth psychiatric evaluation (if needed) is free.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Pediatric Providers
The NJPPC Hub supports pediatric clinicians in integrating mental/behavioral health and substance use screening, referral, and care coordination into their practices. The NJPPC Hub provides pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, pediatric clinicians, and family physicians who see a pediatric population with quick access to psychiatric consultation and facilitates referrals for children/families in need of mental/behavioral health and substance use resources and support.
Benefits of becoming a NJPPC-enrolled provider include:
- Timely access to psychiatry consultation. For appropriate cases, the NJPPC Hub CAP may see a child/adolescent for a one-time psychiatric evaluation at no charge to the patient. CAP is also available for curbside consultation via phone, including ongoing support for medication management if needed.
- Consultative support. The NJPPC Hub team assists providers with diagnostic clarification, medication management, and treatment recommendation.
- Care coordination. The NJPPC Hub team supports patient/family engagement with appropriate community mental/behavioral health treatment services.
- Provider education. In partnership with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (NJAAP), NJPPC-enrolled providers are able to access monthly webinars on a variety of mental health topics with CME credits provided.
