UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh on Monday announced the launch of a pediatric behavioral health walk-in clinic where people up to age 18 can get help for a variety of behavioral health concerns.

The clinic, which was opened in partnership with UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, is located on the hospital’s third floor and aims to provide a comfortable environment for children and teens with mental health concerns to seek expert care.

Therapists and psychologists will be available to see patients for behavioral health assessments from 5 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Children and teens can walk in with a parent or guardian to receive same-day care with no appointment necessary, according to UPMC. Patients can get a one-time therapeutic intervention, and they’ll be connected to additional behavioral health resources.

“As the new school year begins, many children and teens can be stressed, anxious or even struggling with their classes, which can cause parents to worry,” said Abigail Schlesinger, clinical chief of child and adolescent psychiatry and integrated care at UPMC Western Psych and UPMC Children’s. “We are here to help families through this and during any period of their child’s life.”

The new clinic, she said, “will offer support and partner with the child’s existing care team to continue providing safe resources at home and in the community.”

The hospital also supports behavioral health outside of the new walk-in clinic. It has clinical evaluators in the emergency department who assist the medical team in providing assessments and resources to patients and their families. The behavioral science division psychologists are embedded in inpatient and outpatient settings and a behavioral health nurse clinician works with inpatients.

“Improving access to behavioral health for our children and teens is a priority at UPMC Children’s as the numbers are steadily increasing for this age group seeking this type of support,” said Diane Hupp, the hospital’s president.

The walk-in clinic does not replace psychiatric emergency services and is not appropriate for children who might need to be hospitalized, UPMC said. People experiencing an extreme mental health crisis are urged to seek immediate medical attention in psychiatric emergency services in UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital or the nearest emergency department.

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