Welcome to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Excellence

At our center, our aim is to help you and your child find your way to a more harmonious and balanced life. We provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care that includes thorough assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments for the full spectrum of mental health conditions for young people up to age 18. We offer a safe and friendly environment so that your child and family feel comfortable, ‘at home’ and listened to. Our team of child psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and counselors work together as a team with you and your child, and are highly experienced in treating the full spectrum of child mental health conditions.

A multidisciplinary approach for mental health treatment

Our specialists are committed pushing the boundaries of mental health treatment and interventions through continuous research, education, and training. By sharing our knowledge and expertise, we aim to shape the next generation of mental health professionals and set the benchmark for awareness and knowledge of children’s mental health needs.

Inpatient Mental Health Services

Our inpatient service features a 10-bed unit that provides multidisciplinary, intensive mental health assessment and treatment for children and adolescents who are experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties and are unable to be managed in at home. We are here to provide expert care, crisis intervention and continual assessment for children and young people who pose a risk to themselves or others or have been refused from school. We aim to provide compassionate, evidence-based treatment in a child and family-focused environment.

Mental health challenges may include but are not limited to:

• Psychosis
• Eating Disorders
• Mood conditiond such as depression and bipolar affective disorder
• Developmental conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), tic disorders
• Anxiety and Emotional Disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
• Self-harm
• Suicidality
• Psychosomatic conditions
• Attachment and emotional regulation conditions

Services we provide

• Comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessment
• 24 hour nursing observation and assessment
• 24 hour patient care
• Crisis management
• Appropriate physical investigations
• Psycho-education
• Psychopharmacological interventions
• Psychometric assessments

Psychological therapies including, but not limited to:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Family therapy
• Psychodynamic interventions
• Therapeutic groups
• Occupational therapy
• Learning support
• Referral to other services within the hospital or other centers in UAE, as appropriate
• Liaison with schools and other relevant external organizations

Child Life Center

Our Child Life Center provides caring family-centered support and therapy during hospital visits, from pre-admission through to follow-up outpatient services. Our dedicated team comprises multidisciplinary specialists, certified child life specialists, play therapists, art therapists, and recreational therapists. We facilitate medical play for individuals and groups, to enable our young patients to become familiar with the hospital environment and we provide the opportunity for role reversal to reduce any fear and anxiety of hospitals and procedures.

Mental Health Consultation and Liaison Service

Our liaison service provides consultation and ongoing support to other departments and patients within the hospital. During their admission to hospital, our Mental Health team offer support to our young patients and their families who are experiencing mental health challenges, and young patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of a mental health condition. 

Services we provide:

• Inter-department mental health consultation
• Psychological support to patients and their families
• 1-to-1 mental health nursing support where necessary

Day Program

Our Day Program provides intensive assessment and therapeutic interventions for children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years who experience significant emotional, mental and/or behavioral difficulties that cannot be adequately treated by outpatient services alone, and as a possible diversion to an inpatient admission. This program is considered the least restrictive care, and our goal is to minimize the potential of admission to hospital for these young patients. Additionally, the program also provides admitted children and teens intensive support whilst easing their transition back home and into the community.

Services we provide:

• Mental health assessment and intervention
• Effective, individual care planning and interventions
• Group Therapy
• Therapeutic Groups
• Recreational Groups
• Parent / Family Support

Outpatient Mental Health Services

Our outpatient service offers assessment and management of a wide range of developmental, emotional, and behavioral conditions in children and teenagers, which can include: 

• Psychosis
• Mood conditions including depression and/or bipolar affective disorder
• Self-harm and suicidality
• Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADHD)
• Disruptive behavioral disorders (conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder)
• Anxiety conditions
• Psychosomatic conditions
• Eating disorders
• Tic conditions
• Stuttering and selective mutism
• Stress responses to abnormal situations at school or home such as bullying or abuse
• Psychosocial and familial stressors including but not limited to familial separation, reunification, divorce and transitions
• Identity, self and developmental transitions
• Parent-child attachment and support

Services we provide: 

• Assessment and diagnosis including psychiatric, psychological, behavioral, speech and Language
• Ongoing assessment and review of patients
• Psychoeducation
• Psychometric testing
• Medication management
• Talking therapies

Intensive Outpatient Program

Our Intensive Outpatient Program is a specially designed intensive day program tailored to the needs of adolescents aged 13 - 18 struggling with mental health challenges to the extent that their daily functioning has been significantly impacted. Designed for teens with conditions such as depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation, we firstly assess your child to help ensure they are a good fit and that they will benefit from the program. 

We take a fully collaborative approach with a multidisciplinary team who are dedicated to your child’s mental wellness. The extensive team comprises psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, recreational and educational therapists, and nutritionists, to ensure your child or teen is receiving 360-degree expert care.

The program runs for 6 weeks during which your teen is expected to attend 4 days per week from 10am to 3pm. Parents are expected to attend two weekly parent sessions held late in the afternoon.

Services we provide:

• Education-focused sessions – exploring your teen’s relationship with school and aiming to increase motivation to learn and develop goals for the future
• Group psychotherapy – examining interpersonal relationships and processes to promote learning and insight into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• Recreational therapy – becoming behaviorally activated as a crucial part of returning to engagement with meaningful activities
• Dialectical behavior therapy skills – teaching interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness
• Psychoeducation sessions – increasing their knowledge about mental health and therefore empowering them to become active participants in their recovery.

Additionally, two parent-sessions per week have been built in:

• Group psychotherapy for parents of adolescents attending the group
• Parent Skills sessions – presenting evidence-based strategies and information that can aid you in tackling the challenges of parenthood and nurturing your child’s wellbeing.