At PNW we are dedicated to enhancing the growth, development, and well-being of all children, from birth through late adolescence including your child’s mental and behavioral health. The behavioral health team works closely with your child's PCP and may provide the following services:
- Assessment and diagnosis of developmental, behavioral, and mental health disorders including but not limited to: Autism, ADHD, Adjustment Disorders, Anxiety, OCD, Depression, PTSD
- Parent guidance, consultation, and resources
- Medication management for some conditions
- Brief individual treatment for mild-moderate emotional and behavioral challenges
We recognize that it can be difficult to find ongoing therapeutic support for your child. If you are looking for an outpatient therapist for your child, we recommend trying the following.
- If you are within the "catchment area" for the William James Interface referral service, you can contact a caseworker who will help you to locate a therapist in your community. 617-332-3666
- Contact the Behavioral Health number on the back of your insurance card.
- Visit psychologytoday.com to run a search for local therapists."
If your child is in crisis, call 911 or a local mobile crisis team:
Boston/Cambridge Somerville
(Boston (Dorchester, South Boston, Roxbury, West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Hyde Park, Lower Mills), Brighton, Brookline, Cambridge, Charlestown, Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, Somerville, and Winthrop)
- Boston Medical Center/Boston Emergency Service Team (B.E.S.T.)
24-hour access number: 1-800-981-4357
Norwood
(Canton, Dedham, Dover, Foxboro, Medfield, Millis, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, and Wrentham)
- Riverside Community Care
24-hour access number: 1-800-529-5077
South Shore
(Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, Milton, Norwell, Quincy, Randolph, Scituate, and Weymouth)
- Aspire Health Alliance (formerly South Shore Mental Health (SSMH))
24-hour access number: 1-800-528-4890
MetroWest
(Acton, Ashland, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Boxborough, Burlington, Carlisle, Concord, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Westborough, Wilmington, Winchester, and Woburn)
- Advocates
24-hour access number: 1-800-640-5432
Additional emergency numbers:
Connect with a Crisis Counselor by texting HOME to 741741
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 (Call/Text)
Parent Stress Line: 1-800-632-8188
Maternal Mental Health Resources
Here at PNW we are also dedicated to ensuring that parents are supported and encouraged in the hard work of raising children.
We offer a new moms group for first time mothers of newborns and babies under 6mo in our practice. Parents of children of all ages also have access to individual parenting support from our behavioral health clinicians.
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-943-5746 (Help4Moms)
- Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-7773 (Call/Text)
- MGH Center for Women's Mental Health (https://womensmentalhealth.org/)
Recommended book list
- ADHD is My Super Power- Alana Moore (5-8)
- All Dogs Have ADHD- Kathy Hoopmann (7-11)
- Are You Working Hard or Hardly Working?: A Story about Staying on Task Until the Work Is Done
- It Was Just Right Here! (Executive FUNction)
- Fix It with Focus: A Story about Ignoring Distractions and Staying on Task (Executive Function)
- I'll Never Get All of That Done!: A Story about Planning and Prioritizing (Executive Function)
- How Do I Remember All That?: A Story to Improve Working Memory (Executive Function)
- What's the Problem?: A Story Teaching Problem Solving (Executive Function)
- What's Your Choice?: A Story about Making the Best Choice, Even When It's Not Fun (Stepping Up Social Skills)
For Parents:
- Lost at School- Ross Greene
- The Explosive Child- Ross Greene
- Your Kid’s Gonna Be Okay: Building the Executive Function Skills Your Child Needs in the Age of Attention- Michael Delman
- Ruby Finds a Worry - Tom Percival (3-8)
- Don't Feed The Worry Bug - Andi Green (4-8)
- What to To When You Worry Too Much - Dawn Huebner (6-12)
- The Anxiety Workbook for Teens - Lisa M. Schab (13+)
- Perfectionism: What’s Bad About Being Too Good?- Miriam Adderholdt (12+)
- Facing Mighty Fears About Animals
- Facing Mighty Fears About Health
- Facing Mighty Fears About Throwing Up
- Facing Mighty Fears About Trying New Things
- What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming OCD
- What To Do When You Dread Your Bed: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems with Sleep
- What To Do When Bad Habits Take Hold: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Nail Biting and More
- Outsmarting Worry: An Older Kid’s Guide to Managing Anxiety
- Sometimes I Worry Too Much, But Now I Know How to Stop
For Parents:
- Anxious Kids Anxious Parents- 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children- Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons
- Calming Your Anxious Child: Words to Say and Things to Do- Kathleen Trainor
- The Asperkid's Secret Book of Social Rules- The Handbook of Not-So-Obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens & Teens with Asperger Syndrome- Jennifer Cook O'Toole
For Parents:
- The Autism Mom's Survival Guide- Susan Senator
- Making Peace With Autism- Susan Senator
- Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism- Barry M. Prizant
- Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World- Teresa Bolick
For Parents:
- How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen- Joanna Faber and Julie King
- How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk- Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
- How To Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk- Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
- No Drama Discipline: The Whole Brain Way To Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind- Daniel J. Siegel
- Your Kid’s Gonna Be Okay: Building the Executive Function Skills Your Child Needs in the Age of Attention- Michael Delman
- The 7 Essential Strategies For Parenting Teens- Kate Anderson and Liz Carrington
- Negotiation Generation: Take Back Your Parental Authority Without Punishment- Lynne Griffin
- What To Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger
- What To Do When You Grumble Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Negativity
- Bodies are Cool- Tyler Feder (3-5)
- The Body Image Workbook for Teens- Julia V. Taylor (teen)
- Health at Every Size - Linda Bacon (teen)
- Body Respect – Linda Bacon (teen)
- The Body is Not an Apology- Sonya Renee Taylor (older teen)
- Strong Is The New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves- Kate T. Parker
- The Heart of a Boy: Celebrating the Strength and Spirit of Boyhood- Kate T. Parker
For Parents:
- Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture- Virginia Sole-Smith
- My Feeling Better Workbook- Sarah Hamil (6-12)
- Beyond the Blues: A Workbook to Help Teens Overcome Depression- Lisa M. Schab (13+)
- All Are Welcome- Alexandra Penfold (2-7)
- Lovely- Jess Hong (2-7)
- We're Different, We're the Same- Bobbi Kates (2-7)
- The Day You Begin - Jacqueline Woodson (5-8)
- Where Are You From- Yamile Saied Mendez (4-8)
- Alma- Juana Martinez-Neal (4-8)
- Stamped for Kids- Sonja Cherry-Paul (8-12)
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You – Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (12+)
- Was It the Chocolate Pudding?- Sandra Levins (younger children)
- It’s Not Your Fault, Koko Bear- Vicki Lansky (younger children)
- Divorce is the Worst- Anastasia Higginbotham (younger children)
- Divorce: The Ultimate Teen Guide- Kathlyn Gay
- Do You Sing Twinkle? - Sandra Levins (younger children)
- The Invisible String- Patrice Karst (younger children)
- Bigger Than a Bread Box- Laurel Snyder (8-12)
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Ann Brashares (12+)
- A Little Spot of Emotion Series - Diane Alber (3-7)
- In My Heart: A Book of Feelings - Jo Witek (3-7)
- The Way I Feel - Janan Cain (3-7)
- I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness - Susan Verde (3-8)
- The Very Frustrated Monster - Andi Green (4-8)
- What Should Danny Do? The Power to Choose Series- Adir Levy (4+)
- What Should Darla Do? The Power to Choose Series- Adir Levy (4+)
- Hands are Not For Hitting- Martine Agassi (board book ages 1-4, paperback ages 4-7)
- Of Course It's a Big Deal!: A Story about Learning to React Calmly and Appropriately - Bryan Smith (6-11)
- What Were You Thinking?: A Story about Learning to Control Your Impulses - Bryan Smith (6-11)
- My Day is Ruined!: A Story for Teaching Flexible Thinking - Bryan Smith (6-11)
For Parents:
- Good Inside with Dr. Becky - Dr. Becky Kennedy
- The Whole Brain Child- Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
- The Family Book -Todd Parr (3-6)
- And Tango Makes Three - Justin Richardson (4-8)
- Asha’s Mums - Rosamund Elwin (9-12)
- Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care- Jennifer Wilgocki and Marcia Kahn Wright
- A Smart Girl's Guide to Knowing What to Say: Finding the Words to Fit Any Situation (8-12)
- Friends: Making Them and Keeping Them (8-12)
- A Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles: Dealing with fights, being left out, and the whole popularity thing (8-12)
- A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama, Rumors, and Secrets: Staying true to yourself in changing times (8-12)
- 10,000 Dresses- Marcus Ewert (5-9)
- Elena’s Serenade- Campbell Geeslin (3-7)
- George- Alex Gino (8-12)
- More Happy Than Not- Adam Silvera (13+)
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe- Benjamin Alire Saenz (12+)
- Blanca & Roja- Anna-Marie McLemore (YA)
- Felix Ever After- Kacen Callender (YA)
- The Grief Keeper- Alexandra Villasante (YA)
- The Stars and the Blackness Between Them- Junauda Petrus (YA)
- When the Moon Was Ours- Anna-Marie McLemore (YA)
- The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir- Staceyann Chin (YA)
For Parents:
- Parenting Your LGBTQ+ Teen- A Guide to Supporting, Empowering, and Connecting With Your Child- Allan Sadac
- Here in the Garden- Briony Stewart (young children)
- The Invisible String- Patrice Karst (young children)
- The Dead Bird- Margaret Wise Brown (young children)
- I Miss You- Pat Thomas (4+)
- Always Remember- Cece Meng (3-7)
- When Dinosaurs Die- Laurie Kransy Brown (4-8)
- The Tenth Good Thing About Barney- Judith Viorst (6-9)
- Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss- Pat Schwiebert (8+)
- When Someone Very Special Dies- Marge Heegard (workbook for ages 9-12)
Specifically for processing pregnancy and infant loss:
- Something Happened- Cathy Blanford
- My Sibling Still - Megan Lacourrege
- Our Heaven Baby- Leah Vis
- We Were Gonna Have a Baby, But We Had an Angel Instead- Pat Schwiebert
- Someone Came Before You (for children born after the loss)- Pat Schwiebert
- Llama Llama Misses Mama- Anna Dewdney (young children)
- Bob and Flo- Rebecca Ashdown (young children)
- Timothy Goes to School- Rosemary Wells (young children)
- The Truth About Twinkie Pie- Kat Yeh (8-12)
- New Kid, New Scene: A Guide to Moving and Switching Schools- Debbie Glasser (8+)
- What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide To Overcoming OCD - Dawn Huebner (6-12)
- The OCD Workbook For Teens - Jon Hershfield (13-18)
Girls
- The Care and Keeping of You- Valorie Lee Schaefer (8+)
- Celebrate Your Body (And Its Changes, Too)!- Sonya Renee Taylor (8+)
- Celebrate Your Feelings: The Positive Mindset Puberty Book- Lauren Rivers (8+)
- The Period Book- Karen Gravelle (9+)
Boys
- Guy Stuff- The Body Book for Boys- Cara Natterson (10+)
- What’s Happening to My Body- Lynda Madaras (12-15)
- Your Body Belongs to You - Cornelia Maude Spelman (3-8)
- I Said No: A Kid to Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private- Zack and Kimberly King (5-11)
- Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids (6-11)
- A Smart Girl's Guide: Digital World: How to Connect, Share, Play, and Keep Yourself Safe - Carrie Anton (8-12)
For Parents:
- The Out of Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping With Sensory Processing Disorder- Carol Kranowitz
- What’s the Big Secret? - Laurie Kransny Brown (4+)
- It’s Perfectly Normal -Robie H. Harris (10+)
- Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff -Jacqui Bailey (11-16)
- Olivia- A Guide to Being a Big Sister- Natalie Shaw (younger children)
- Henry is a Big Brother- Alyssa Statin Capucilli (younger children)
- Peter’s Chair- Ezra Jack Keats (younger children)
- 101 Things to Do With Baby- Jan Ormerod (younger children)
- The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun With Brothers and Sisters
For Parents:
- The Addicted Child: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse -Richard Capriola
- A Terrible Thing Happened- Margaret M. Holmes (4-7)
- Healing Days: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma- Susan Farber Straus and Maria Bogade (6-11)
- Something Bad Happened: A Kid’s Guide to Learning About Events in the News
For Parents:
- What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing- Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma- Bessel Van Der Kolk
Additional parent resources
- The Happiness Lab Podcast
- The Science of Well-Being
- Helpful Tips in Preparing Your Children For Shots (PDF)
- Sleep Hygiene Handout (PDF)
- Tips For Parents and Guardians of Transgender Youth (PDF)
- Talking With Children about COVID: Tips For Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks (PDF)
- At-Home Activity Guide (https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/3264-at-home-activity-guide)
- Do's and Don'ts of Potty Training (https://answers.childrenshospital.org/potty-training/)
- Work2BeWell: Digital Wellness Program Focused on Improving Emotional Well-Being and Mental Health of Teens (https://work2bewell.org/)
- SmokeFree Teen (https://teen.smokefree.gov/)
- Digital Wellness Lab: Media and Technology Resources for Parents (https://digitalwellnesslab.org/parents/)
- Child Mind Institute: Family Resource Center (https://childmind.org/resources/)