You are here:
Behavioral & Mental Health
Make an Appointment
- Follow-up appointments can be scheduled through MyChart.
- New patients should call our Scheduling Department at 303-699-6200.
- Parents concerned about their child’s emotional or mental health should call our Patient Care Line at 303-699-6200 (Option 6) to speak with one of our registered nurses.
Behavioral & Mental Health Services
At Advanced Pediatric Associates, we care for your child’s whole health — including their emotional and mental well-being. Big feelings, behavior changes, anxiety, mood concerns, and social struggles can all affect your child’s health. You are not alone, and we are here to help.
When to Call Us
If you are concerned about your child’s emotional or mental health, please call our Patient Care Line at 303-699-6200 (Option 6).
One of our registered nurses will:
- Listen to your concerns
- Ask questions about what your child is experiencing
- Recommend the most appropriate next step
In most cases, we will schedule an Initial Behavioral Assessment with one of our providers to better understand your child’s needs and create a care plan.
Behavioral-Mental Telehealth Program
Advanced Pediatric Associates offers safe, secure, and effective behavioral health telehealth visits in collaboration with Virtual Care Collaboration and Integration (VCCI).
Telehealth may be helpful for:
- New mothers experiencing postpartum emotional challenges
- Parents concerned about behavioral difficulties
- Children struggling with anxiety, mood changes, or social challenges
- Teens navigating emotional ups and downs
Telehealth allows families to receive professional support from the comfort and privacy of home.
Trekwise Behavioral Health Support (Ages 4–18)
Trekwise provides additional guidance and support for families with children ages 4–18 who are experiencing:
- Behavioral challenges
- Social difficulties
- Emotional concerns
This program helps families better understand what their child is going through and connects them with helpful tools and solutions.
If you are interested in Trekwise, please speak with your child’s provider to determine if it is the right fit for your family.
Urgent or Emergency Concerns
If you believe your child or teen is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others:
- Call 911, or
- Go to the nearest emergency department (we recommend Children's Hospital Colorado when possible).
24/7 Crisis Support
If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or considering suicide, immediate help is available:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255)
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth support): Text START to 678-678 or call 866-488-7386
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Additional Resources
Behavioral & Mental Health Diagnosis
The "Initial Behavioral Assessment" appointment is a first visit to discuss the issue(s) that concern you about your child or teen. Before this visit you will be asked to fill out a one-page questionnaire to give us some basic information about your concerns. During the visit your provider will review this information with you to help determine if these concerns are everyday challenges, a passing phase, or a more serious issue. A recommendation will then be made to either treat your child within our practice, or refer him or her to an appropriate mental health provider that can provide further assessment, counseling and treatment.
If your child or teen has been scheduled an "Initial Behavioral Assessment Visit" with one of our providers, please download and print the following and bring the completed questionnaire to your visit.
Behavioral & Mental Health Treatment
Issues We May Treat
We regularly review the latest developments in treating pediatric emotional and mental health issues within the primary care setting and have established protocols for our providers to follow so that care is consistent. Depending on the severity of the situation and how well a patient responds to treatment, our providers normally treat the following emotional / mental health and behavior issues within our practice:
- Behavioral and Adjustment Issues
- Simple Depression
- Mild Anxiety Disorders
Referrals to Specialists
Some mental health issues are beyond the scope of general pediatrics and are best treated by a specialist. We normally work in conjunction with mental health specialists for more complicated issues such as:
- Anxiety Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)
- Bipolar Disorder, Manic Depressive Illness
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse
If we do refer your child to a mental health specialist, our providers can provide your family with a list of mental health providers in our area.
Finding a Mental Health Therapist
Ongoing communication between mental health specialists and your child's primary care providers at Advanced Pediatrics is very important to your child's long term health and well-being. If your child has been referred to a mental health specialist, or is currently seeing a mental health specialist, please complete the following form and give to your child's mental health specialist, so that he or she may share important medical information with our providers:
Behavioral & Mental Health Forms
Behavioral & Mental Health Resources
Emergency & Walk-In Sites
Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline
24/7 confidential hotline
Phone: 1-800-CO4-KIDS
Website: https://co4kids.org/
Colorado Crisis Services – Walk-in crisis services.
24/7 call or text
Anschutz Medical Campus
2206 Victor St
Aurora, CO 80045
Phone: 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255
Website: https://coloradocrisisservices.org/
Denver Springs – Outpatient and inpatient programs for 12 to 18-year-olds.
24/7 call or walk-in:
8835 American Way
Englewood, CO 80112
Phone: 720-744-3813
Website: https://denversprings.com/
Family Resource Pavilion – Walk-in counseling for urgent mental health and legal concerns.
24/7 call or walk-in:
7900 Easter Lane
Centennial, CO 80112
Phone: 720-213-1400
Website: https://www.familyresourcepavilion.org/
Highlands Behavioral Health – Inpatient and outpatient programs, counseling services.
24/7 call or walk-in:
8565 S. Poplar Way
Littleton, CO 80130
Phone: 720-348- 2800
Website: https://highlandsbhs.com/
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
24/7 hotline
Phone: 1-800-273-TALK
Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Ok2Talk.org
Website for teens to contact a counselor directly or to report concerns about friends anonymously
Website: https://ok2talk.org/
Safe2tell.org
24/7 website/hotline to anonymously report anything that concerns or threatens you, your friends, family or community
Phone: 1-877-542-7233
Website: https://safe2tell.org
Outpatient Counseling/Psychiatry Services
AllHealth Network – Provides a wide variety of mental health and substance abuse services, including individual, family, marital and group counseling, therapy, psychiatry, and emergency programs. A private, nonprofit mental health provider for more than 55 years serving children, teens, adults, seniors, and families.
Phone: 303-730-8858
Website: https://www.allhealthnetwork.org/
Aurora Mental Health – Counseling and psychiatry services/resources addressing broad range of concerns including COVID related stress, trauma, isolation, loneliness, substance abuse, anxiety, relationship challenges, family pressures, stress, suicidal thoughts, depression, family crisis, bullying, gender and identity
Phone: 303-617-2300
Website: https://www.aumhc.org/
Children’s Hospital Colorado – Provides inpatient and outpatient counseling and psychiatric services, virtual and in-person
13123 East 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
Phone: 720-777-6200
Website: https://www.childrenscolorado.org/
Family Resource Pavilion – Help for families experiencing: family conflict, substance abuse issues, school issues, behavioral issues, juvenile court involvement and more. Facility open 24 hours a day to youth and families. The Family Resource Pavilion is a one-stop shop for families to receive services from prevention to intervention.
Phone: 720-213-1400
Website: http://www.familyresourcepavilion.org/
Lifestance Health – 30+ physical sites in Colorado for child/teen/adolescent counseling and outpatient psychiatric care
Phone: 970-310-3406
Website: https://lifestance.com/
Website and online scheduling at https://heartcenteredcounselors.com/
Email: help@heartcenteredcounselors.com
Medical Center of Aurora HealthOne – Provides inpatient and outpatient counseling and psychiatric services for ages 11 years and older
700 Potomac St.
Aurora CO 80011
Website: www.healthonecares.com
Phone for psychiatry dept: 720-282-8015
Phone for adolescent mental health: 303-360-3736
Website: https://healthonecares.com/locations/aurora/
PEACS program at UCHealth Department of Psychiatry – Early intervention for 12 years and older with signs of psychosis/starting to experience new changes in their thinking or mental health, which may include difficulties thinking clearly, uneasiness with others, sensitivity to sights and sounds, withdrawing from friends/family, and troubles with school/work.
Phone: 303-724-4987
Website: https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/psychiatry/programs/PEACS/peacs-research
Email: peacs@ucdenver.edu
Southeast Counseling and Coaching – Psychologists and therapist who work with kids and families, have evening and weekend hours, takes insurance
20250 E Smoky Hill Road #6
Centennial, CO, 80015
Phone: 303-617-8600
Website: http://www.southeastcounseling.com/
Valley Hope – Family addiction support for women and children
Phone: 800-544-5101
Website: https://valleyhope.org/locations/colorado/new-directions/
Vanessa Richards- Zorrilla – Spanish speaking provider that sees ages 4 years and older, works with families and child for anxiety, behavior, family issues, etc. Takes Medicaid, CHP+, and most major insurance companies.
Phone: 720-399-4582
WINGS – WINGS’ mission is to break the cycle and heal the wounds of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) by providing education, advocacy and support to adult survivors, loved ones, providers and communities. We do this by offering referrals to qualified therapists, training and education, and therapist-facilitated support groups in a number of confidential locations to adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and their loved ones.
Phone: 303-238-8660
Website: https://www.wingsfound.org/
Wolff Child Psychology – Specific mental health support for kids with autism and developmental delay, learning problems and behavioral disorders.
Phone: 303-500-3407
Website: https://www.wolffchildpsychology.com
Websites to Help Find Counselors in Your Community that Take Your Insurance
CoPPCAP (Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Access & Consultation Program) – CHCO’s community resource to support providers and find mental health resources
Phone: 1-888-910-0153
Website: https://www.coppcap.org/
Mental Health and Crisis Resources – Arapahoe County
Website: https://www.parents-step-up.org/mental-health/
PsychologyToday.com – Website with search engine to find a therapist in your area
Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Sondermind.com – Free online services to find a counselor either online or in-person that takes your insurance
Phone: 1-844-888-9355
Website: https://www.sondermind.com
Online Support Groups
The Recovery Trust – An online forum for the support and education of people with mental illness and their families, moderated by mental health professionals and trained individuals with mental illness as well as family members with experience in educating other family members. Participants can interact with one another and receive guidance and advice. Moderators will direct them to a very large database of relevant information that is available online.
Website: www.recoverytrust.org
YANAM2M (You Are Not Alone-Mom 2 Mom) – A non-profit organization that supports moms in our community. This is not just for the struggling mom but for ALL moms who have “been there” and who can reach out a helping hand and let another mom know that they are NOT alone.
OK2Talk.org – online community that provides a voice for teens and young adults struggling with mental health problems. The goal of OK2TALK is to create a community for teens and young adults struggling with mental health problems and encourage them to talk about what they’re experiencing by sharing their personal stories of recovery, tragedy, struggle or hope. Available in Spanish.
Phone: 303-229-3678
Website: www.yanam2m.org
The Trevor Project – A non-profit organization that provides information and support to LGBTQ young people 24/7, all year round. Reach out to trained counselors, learn and explore at the resource center, and meet new LGBTQ friends in TrevorSpace.
Website: www.thetrevorproject.org
Behavioral & Mental Health Websites
General Emotional/Mental Health
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
- American Academy of Pediatrics - Emotional Problems
- American Academy of Pediatrics - Emotional Wellness
- Center for the Developing Child
- CDC Children's Mental Health
- Child Mind Institute
- Children's Hospital Colorado Psychiatry & Psychology Department
- National Mental Health Association
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Understood
Anxiety/Depression/Mood Disorders
- AAP Healthy Children - Depression
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Child Anxiety Network
- Kids Health - Depression
- Mindfulness for Teens
- National Institute of Mental Health - Depression
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- The Balanced Mind: Kids with Mood Disorder
Bullying
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Psychological Association
- Kids Health
- Pacer Kids Against Bullying
- Psychology Today
- Stop Bullying
Drugs/Alcohol
- AAP Healthy Children - Substance Abuse
- Children's Hospital Colorado - Marijuana
- Denver Health STEP Clinic
Eating Disorders
Suicide Prevention
Behavioral & Mental Health Recommended Reading
General Emotional/Mental Health Recommended Reading
Your Child: Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development from Birth through Preadolescence. AACAP, David Pruitt, MD
Your Adolescent: Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development from Early Adolescence Through the Teen Years. AACAP, David Pruitt, MD
1-2-3 Magic: Training Your Children to Do What You Want! Thomas W. Phelan
Mental Health Naturally. Kathi J. Kemper, MD, FAAP. American Academy of Pediatrics
Parenting a Teen Who has Intense Emotions. P. Harvey & B. Rathborne, Harbinger
The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children. Ross Green
Transforming the Difficult Child. Howard Glasser and Jennifer Easley
10 Days to a Less Defiant Child, 2nd Ed. Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD
Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking: Powerful, Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility, and Happiness. Tamar E. Chansky
Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings. Kenneth R. Ginsburg MD, FAAP. American Academy of Pediatrics
Raising Kids to Thrive. K. Ginsburg, American Academy of Pediatrics
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen. A. Faber and E. Mazlish
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind. D. Siegel and T. Payne Bryson
The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family Paperback. K. Purvis, D. Cross, W. Lyons Sunshine
Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges 1st Edition. M. Delahooke
Social Skills Activities for Kids: 50 Fun Exercises for Making Friends, Talking and Listening, and Understanding Social Rules. N. Daniels
How To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck: A Kid's Guide To Getting Rid Of Negative Thinking Paperback. L. Sullivan PhD
Kid Confidence: Help Your Child Make Friends, Build Resilience, and Develop Real Self-Esteem. E. Kennedy-Moore PhD
Anxiety/Depression/Mood Disorders Recommended Reading
Anxiety-Free Kids: An Interactive Guide for Parents and Children. Bonnie Zucker
The Anxiety Cure for Kids, 2nd Ed. Dupont & Dupont
Growing Up Brave: Expert Strategies for Helping Your Child Overcome Fear, Stress, and Anxiety. D. Pinaus
Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents. R. Wilson & L. Lyons, Health Communications
Keys to Parenting Your Anxious Child. Katharina Manassis
Why Smart Kids Worry: And What Parents Can Do to Help. Allison Edwards
The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time. Dzung X. Vo, MD, FAAP
Coping Skills for Kids Workbook: Over 75 Coping Strategies to Help Kids Deal with Stress, Anxiety and Anger (Workbook Edition). J. Halloran
Anxiety Relief for Kids: On-the-Spot Strategies to Help Your Child Overcome Worry, Panic, and Avoidance. B. Flynn Walker PhD
Depression: A Teen’s Guide to Survive and Thrive 1st Edition. J. Toner, C. Freeland
Bullying Recommended Reading
Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World. Rosalind Wiseman
Medications Recommended Reading
Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids, 4th Ed. Wilens, Timothy E., Guilford Press

