CHildren's Services

Crawford County Mental Health Center offers a wide range of individualized services to assist children and adolescent clients in overcoming their symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and a wide variety of mental and behavioral health challenges that can impact daily living. Outpatient services are designed to provide evidence-based treatment and assistance and are customized to the level of care needed for optimal outcomes.
Individual and Family Therapy

Individual and family therapy is a one-on-one collaboration between a licensed therapist and a client and/or their family, which is used to explore challenges and negative thought patterns or behaviors, with the ultimate goal of identifying paths to improved functioning, the development of healthy thoughts and behaviors, and the identification of strategies to manage symptoms to support a healthy life.

Our therapists are trained in a variety of evidenced based practices and will work with you to determine which treatment approach is best suited to meet your individual needs.

Some of the treatment modalities we offer include:

Community-base therapy in client homes and schools is also offered to clients.

Case Management

Case management is a one-on-one service provided to children and adolescents, which involves consistent communication and collaboration with your case manager to help you make progress towards the goals that are set in your treatment plan. Case managers can assist with planning, facilitation, care coordination, advocacy, and providing informed choice for your options with services using existing resources.

Services are client driven and customized to each individual. These services are intended to be convenient for clients and can support them in their home, community, or school.

A Crawford County Mental Health Center Children’s Case Manager is assigned to every school in Crawford County, where they carry a designated case load. 

Case Managers collaborate with schools, families, and outside agencies for continuity of care. They work closely with the therapy and clinical team to provide the best quality of care to each client enrolled in services.

Mental Health Support Workers

Mental Health Support Workers, formerly known as Attendant Care, offer daily one-on-one direct supervision and/or services to SED children who need a more intensive level of care due to severe behaviors. Service can be offered in homes, schools, and the community.

SED Waiver Services

Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) Waiver services are a more intensive level of care provided for children at risk of being removed from the home or hospitalized due to severe behaviors. Services that this program offers include parent and family support, Mental Health Support Workers (one-on-one support), respite care, case management, and therapy.

Wrap-around facilitation is provided for SED Waiver children, which facilitates the identification of child and family strengths and need through a process of pulling together a community and child/family support team. This aids in the access of formal and informal resources in the community to assist in successful mental health and behavioral health outcomes for children and family in all contexts.

A qualified staff member will guide families through the process of applying for and maintaining Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) supports for families and children who are in need of SED Waiver services.

Psychological Testing

Psychological testing is a service that is provided to help identify symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment recommendations for individuals. Psychological testing uses different assessments depending on the referral question to look at cognitive abilities, personality patterns, behavioral concerns, and overall functioning. For children and adolescents, common evaluations include ADHD evaluations, cognitive evaluations, personality testing, and autism screenings. We do not provide full autism evaluations with diagnoses, but we do provide screenings that will determine if a full autism evaluation is warranted.

For current Crawford County Mental Health Center clients, referrals should be made by your treatment provider. If you are not currently a client and wish to receive psychological testing, please download our External Referral Form and have it completed by your provider or referring agency. 

Please be advised that there may be a several month wait time from the referral to the day of testing due to client demand. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Medication Management

Medication Services are available to children aged 5 and older.

The purpose of Medication Management is to prescribe, monitor, and oversee psychotropic medications. Our providers treat various psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is available with the appropriate testing and verification of diagnosis.

To learn more about the Medication Services provided at Crawford County Mental Health Center, please click here.

Discovery Therapeutic Preschool

Discovery, a therapeutic preschool program that focuses on social and emotional development, and school readiness, offers mental health services for children ages 30 months through 5 years, based on their individual needs. Children that are having difficulties in their home, schools, community, or child-care may benefit from the community based services offered.

Discovery offers two separate physical service locations — one in Pittsburg, and one at Northeast Elementary in Arma.

Each child enrolled in Discovery is assigned both a Case Manager and a Therapist. At the Therapeutic Preschool, a 3:1 child-to-adult ratio is kept at all times. 

Behavioral challenges at Discovery are addressed through the application of Conscious Discipline, which emphasizes the importance of ritual and routine for young children to thrive. With Conscious Discipline, children are taught by adults who understand their role in creating a safe place to make connections with others and learn how to solve problems with others. Children are taught in a safe environment how to calm themselves, make good choices, how to be kind and helpful, how to stand up for themselves, how to work well with others, and how to learn from mistakes they make.

Discovery also uses S.M.A.R.T. (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment), which teaches children the playful skills necessary to learn how to calm themselves when upset, mad, sad, or afraid. They learn these skills with their Case Manager or Therapist, who supports the child in choosing an activity that helps them calm. The staff member helps show the child how to calm until the child can learn to do it on their own. This teaching model was developed primarily for children who have experienced difficult and hurtful things in their life.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is available as well.

For more information about the services provided at Discovery, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page.

Challenger Program

Challenger is an after school psycho-social community based program that addresses the behavioral and social challenges of children and adolescents by using Boys Town Press Curriculum as well as the following goals during group:

  • Increasing daily problem solving skills
  • Learning and improving social skills
  • Training in leisure time skills
  • Promotion of good physical and behavioral health
  • Enhancing personal relationship skills

Challenger works with children and adolescents from the age of 5 years old through high school. The program offers after school group sessions five days a week during the school year and also offers summer group sessions five days a week from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Challenger groups currently operate in 9 different Crawford County schools.

The Challenger Program may be helpful to children and adolescents who:

  • Struggle with appropriate social skills
  • Exhibit emotional dysregulation
  • Have difficulties staying focused or on task
  • Could benefit from learning how to better communicate their needs or express themselves
  • Have concerning stressors in their home setting

For more information on Challenger, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page.

Out-of-School Suspension Program

More information on the Crawford County Mental Health Out-of-School Suspension Program will be available soon. Stay tuned!

Youth Crisis Services

The Crisis Department provides various services and interventions to support children and adolescents who are experiencing a mental health crisis. For more information on the Crisis Services provided at Crawford County Mental Health Center, please click here.

If you, or a family member, are experiencing and mental health crisis, please call 620-232-SAVE (7283) or call/text the National Suicide Hotline at 988. Both options are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Specialized Youth Crisis Services are coming soon to Crawford County Mental Health Center soon. Stay tuned!

Juvenile Intake and Assessments

Immediate telephone response and coordination of Crawford County services and placement for juveniles who are being held in custody by law enforcement agencies.

Ready to start your mental health journey?

Visit our Same Day Access clinic, which is located at 3103 N. Michigan Street, in Pittsburg, Kansas. Walk-ins are encouraged Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary! For more information about Same Day Access, please click here.

Children's Services Contact Form