Business Details
42 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Mental Health Hospital for Children & Adolescents in Pittsburgh, PA
Southwood Children's Behavioral Healthcare has been a trusted provider of specialized mental health treatment for children and adolescents since 1984. Our comprehensive programs include acute inpatient care, residential treatment, and family-based services designed to address emotional, behavioral, and developmental challenges. With campuses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we offer personalized treatment plans led by experienced professionals using evidence-based therapies. Our trauma-informed approach incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, educational support, and family involvement to promote long-term recovery.We maintain partnerships with local agencies and schools to ensure continuity of care, and our 24/7 crisis stabilization services provide immediate support for families in need. Accredited academic programs and individualized education plans ensure patients continue their educational progress during treatment. Through three decades of service, we have established ourselves as regional leaders in youth mental health care, treating over 3,000 young people annually across our specialized programs.
Services
Inpatient Treatment
Residential Program
IDD/ASD Program
Family-Based Services
Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
Details
- Year established: 1984
Highlights and features
- 38+ years of specialized experience treating youth mental health disorders
- Personalized treatment plans monitored by multidisciplinary professional teams
- 24/7 crisis stabilization and emergency mental health services
- Family-centered approach with regular therapy sessions and discharge planning
- Evidence-based programming combining cognitive behavioral therapy with educational support
What people say
Staff was wonderful
Learned a lot during stay
Helped me find new beginning
Provided focused treatment
Comprehensive care approach
Services
Inpatient Treatment
Our acute inpatient program provides 24/7 psychiatric care for children aged 4-18 experiencing severe mental health symptoms. Treatment includes daily medical assessments, cognitive behavioral therapy, and specialized interventions for anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. Patients receive individualized care plans developed by child psychiatrists and therapeutic staff.
IDD/ASD Program
This residential program serves males aged 6-21 with intellectual developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. Treatment combines behavioral analysis, educational support, and family therapy. Staff ratios range from 1:4 to 1:8 to ensure personalized attention and crisis management for residents with complex needs.
Family-Based Services
Our family-based mental health program delivers crisis stabilization and therapeutic interventions directly in homes across four Pennsylvania counties. Masters-level clinicians provide 24/7 support for children aged 3-18, focusing on skill development and family involvement to maintain treatment progress in natural environments.
Residential Treatment
The CHOICES residential program treats adolescent males aged 10-18 with mental health diagnoses and sexually maladaptive behaviors. Located in Bridgeville, PA, this 32-bed facility uses Pennsylvania's CASSP principles to provide structured care with educational programming and family engagement components.
Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
We specialize in treating co-occurring mental health and behavioral disorders including PTSD, substance use issues, and developmental challenges. Our integrated approach addresses multiple diagnoses through coordinated therapy sessions and comprehensive care planning tailored to each patient's specific needs.
Questions
What age groups do you treat?
We treat children and adolescents aged 3-21 through specialized programs tailored to different developmental stages and treatment needs.
Do you accept insurance?
We accept most major commercial insurance plans and offer free insurance verification through our admissions team.
Are family members involved in treatment?
Yes, family participation is integral to our approach with regular therapy sessions and discharge planning involving caregivers.
What mental health conditions do you treat?
We treat anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, behavioral disorders, and developmental challenges including autism spectrum disorder.
Do you offer 24/7 emergency services?
Our team provides 24/7 crisis stabilization services and emergency mental health assessments for urgent situations.
How long do treatment programs last?
Program duration varies by individual need, with inpatient stays typically 5-10 days and residential programs averaging 6-12 months.
Reviews (7)
Jessica Fowkes
Jan 20, 2022
Report
Okay so dont send your child here. 1/19/22 this facility the doctor tried to involuntary 302 my niece because she wanted to be switched to a different facility for this place NEGLECTING NEEDS OF CHILDREN. THEY DONT HAVE DEODRANT THEY HAVE MONTH OLD BLOOD STAINS EVERY WHERE. Its foul their treatment its inhumane and very overwhelming for children with illness. It sickens me seeing these reviews because theyre 100% true.
Kanye East
Nov 29, 2021
Report
The place was filthy,especially for a children's hospital. The staff did not do their job right. They would talk trash about other patients behind their back to other staff and patients and they'd let other patients talk trash about other patients to eachother. They also pick and chose what rules theyd make you follow. They tried banning deodorant which is very unhygenic. This one girl got covid and was supposed to be quarantined in her room but staff still let her out and around the other patients despite that,not caring about our health. This one girl had a temptress of 103 degress and instead
Wes
Nov 21, 2021
Report
Absolutely disqusting, a staff named ron would repetitively at agonize and make fun of several patients until they would break down then after that keep yelling at them. the staff is so disrespectful , mean , and not caring at all. do not send anyone here if u dont want them to be traumatized. this place needs to be shut down.
Abbi
Nov 18, 2021
Report
Awful. I never leave reviews anywhere. But here I just have to. I was a patient at southwood for around 10 days a few months ago and it was the baddest hospital experience I have ever had in my life. The nurses and staff treat you like you are in prison for something terrible and they get annoyed very easily. The doctors do not communicate with the family's very well in letting you know what's going on with your child. Without going into too much detail the staff handle situations wrong in so many ways for the other kids I have been with. For me personally I was there partially for hallucinations
Lori Hayes
Oct 12, 2021
Report
Good care. Great recommended aftercare. But the staff is lacking. There was a court order fora parent to have no contact who caused the problems why the child was there . Then they were aloud 1 supervised phone call. This turned into a everyday unsupervised call. When the child refused the calls she was forced to take it. Disrupting her treatment. There were a few other issues with personnel items too but neither here or there. . So as for care it's great unless you have stipulations. Seems they don't have time to care. You decide.
AmyLyn LeMasney
Sep 17, 2021
Report
My son came home in March from their RTF. For the most part, they helped him a lot. His therapist was amazing. She made a lot of progress with him. Unfortunately, I can say communication is lacking. It is almost impossible to get someone on the phone, unless they call you. My son came home significantly underweight and with an eating disorder. (He did not have one going in) No one noticed or cared until I addressed it after one of his home visits. He also had several incidents with the weekend staff being unprofessional and out of line. (He was hit by a staff member) Southwood did address this
Nya Whitehead
Sep 11, 2021
Report
I just got out of there a week ago. I stayed for 2 weeks. It was very terrible. It was almost like jail. You are in a small space with many people who have loads of issues. Fights broke on almost everyday. The place is very traumatizing. Some of the staff are very impatient and they often cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. If you're looking to better yourself mentally than southwood is not the place.
