Pediatric Psychiatric Medication Management in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Child & Family Counseling provides specialized pediatric psychiatric medication management for children, adolescents, and young adults in Kalamazoo and throughout Southwest Michigan.
Our Pediatric Mental Health Clinic is led by Melissa Reffitt, DNP, PMHS and provides assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and management of common developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns.
Managing your child’s care across multiple providers can be challenging and can place additional strain on the whole family. We take time to understand your child’s needs, coordinate care across providers, and help your family navigate treatment recommendations.
From the first visit through treatment, our approach maintains a child-centered focus with a family-inclusive perspective.
No provider referral is required to request an appointment. Families can request services directly from our Pediatric Mental Health Clinic. Your insurance plan may have separate referral, authorization, or coverage requirements.
Get immediate help for a mental health crisis
If your child may be in immediate danger, has attempted suicide, has a specific suicide plan they may act on, is experiencing a severe medication reaction, or cannot remain safe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
For immediate crisis support in the United States, call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
KCFC’s request form, office voicemail, and routine medication messages are not emergency-response services.
What Is Pediatric Psychiatric Medication Management?
Pediatric psychiatric medication management is the evaluation, prescribing, and ongoing monitoring of medications used to address mental health symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults.
Medication management is more than writing a prescription. It includes understanding the young person’s symptoms, development, medical and family history, previous treatment, current medications, daily functioning, and family concerns.
When medication is recommended, families should understand:
- Why the medication is being considered
- Which symptoms it is intended to address
- What benefits may reasonably be expected
- How and when the medication should be taken
- Possible side effects and safety concerns
- What monitoring may be needed
- When to contact the prescribing provider
- What other treatment options are available
Medication is not automatically recommended for every child who receives an evaluation. Recommendations are individualized and may include therapy, caregiver support, school-based interventions, additional assessment, medication, or a combination of services.
Why Pediatric Experience Matters
Children and adolescents are not simply smaller adults. Their brains, bodies, relationships, communication abilities, and emotional needs continue to develop. Symptoms can also look different at different ages.
For example, depression may appear as irritability or anger, anxiety may appear as physical complaints or avoidance, and ADHD may affect school performance, relationships, emotional regulation, and family routines.
A pediatric mental health approach considers:
- The young person’s age and developmental level
- Physical health and medical history
- Family mental health and medication history
- School, work, and social functioning
- Sleep, appetite, energy, and daily routines
- Previous therapy and medication experiences
- Current strengths, supports, and stressors
- The perspectives of the child and caregiver
Conditions We Treat
Children and families served by our Pediatric Mental Health Clinic may be experiencing concerns related to:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Including hyperactive, inattentive, and combined presentations. Families seeking diagnostic clarification can also learn more about our ADHD testing for children and teens.
- Anxiety: Including persistent worry, fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms related to anxiety.
- Depression and Mood Concerns: Including sadness, irritability, withdrawal, low motivation, and other changes in mood.
- Post-Traumatic Stress and Trauma-Related Symptoms: Including symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Behavioral Concerns: Including emotional and behavioral difficulties that affect functioning at home, at school, or in relationships.
The presence of a diagnosis does not automatically mean medication is needed. The purpose of the evaluation is to understand the young person’s needs and discuss appropriate treatment options with the family.
When Should Families Consider Medication Management?
Families may consider requesting medication management when:
- Mental health symptoms are interfering with school, work, relationships, sleep, or daily functioning
- Therapy and other supports have not provided enough improvement
- A therapist, pediatrician, or other provider recommends considering medication
- A child is already taking psychiatric medication and needs ongoing monitoring
- A family has questions or concerns about a current medication
- Symptoms have changed and the existing treatment plan may need to be reviewed
- Several providers are involved and the family needs better coordination of care
A family does not need to decide in advance that medication is the right choice. An evaluation can help the family better understand the available options.
What to Expect From Pediatric Medication Management
We take time to understand your child as a whole person—not simply a list of symptoms. Care is individualized based on your child’s development, history, current needs, and your family’s perspective.
1. We learn about your child.
During the first visit, we will review your child’s individual story. This may include developmental and family history, current concerns, previous treatment, medications, medical information, and other factors affecting mental health and daily functioning.
2. We evaluate your child’s mental health needs.
We assess your child’s symptoms and functioning through a pediatric mental health perspective. Children experience and respond to the world differently than adults, and their care should reflect those developmental differences.
3. We discuss treatment options.
Following the evaluation, we will discuss recommendations based on your child’s and family’s needs. Recommendations may include medication, therapy, parenting support, school-based interventions, additional evaluation, or other services.
4. We make decisions collaboratively.
When medication is being considered, families have an opportunity to ask questions about the purpose of the medication, expected benefits, possible side effects, alternatives, and monitoring needs.
5. We monitor progress and adjust treatment.
When medication is part of treatment, follow-up appointments are used to evaluate your child’s response, discuss benefits or concerns, monitor symptoms and functioning, and make adjustments when appropriate.
What Information Should Families Bring?
Having accurate information can help the provider understand your child’s history and avoid unnecessary delays. Families may be asked to provide:
- A current medication list, including prescribed medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements
- Medication doses and prescribing-provider information
- Information about previous psychiatric medications, including benefits and side effects
- Relevant medical, therapy, hospital, or psychological-evaluation records
- School information when symptoms affect academic or behavioral functioning
- Pharmacy information
- Family history of mental health concerns or medication responses
- Questions the child, teen, young adult, or caregiver wants addressed
Our team will let you know which records or information are needed for your child’s appointment.
How Medication Decisions Are Made
Medication decisions should be based on a comprehensive evaluation rather than on one symptom, test score, or diagnosis. The provider considers how severe the symptoms are, how they affect daily life, what interventions have already been tried, and whether the potential benefits of medication outweigh the possible risks.
When medication is recommended, the plan may involve:
- Starting a medication and monitoring the response
- Continuing an effective medication with ongoing follow-up
- Adjusting a dose when clinically appropriate
- Changing medication because of limited benefit or side effects
- Coordinating laboratory, physical-health, or other monitoring when indicated
- Recommending therapy or another service alongside medication
- Deciding that medication is not currently recommended
Do not start, stop, change, or share a prescribed medication without consulting the appropriate prescribing professional. Contact the prescribing provider when questions, side effects, or concerns arise.
Monitoring Benefits, Side Effects, and Safety
Children and adolescents can respond differently to the same medication. Ongoing follow-up helps the provider determine whether the medication is helping and whether any changes are needed.
Monitoring may include:
- Changes in the symptoms being treated
- School, work, family, and social functioning
- Sleep, appetite, energy, and mood
- Physical symptoms or side effects
- Height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, or other measurements when appropriate
- Information from caregivers, therapists, teachers, or other providers when authorized
- Changes in self-harm, suicidal thoughts, aggression, impulsivity, or other safety concerns
- Whether the medication remains necessary and appropriate
Families should contact the prescribing provider if they notice concerning side effects, significant behavioral changes, worsening symptoms, or new safety concerns. Severe reactions and immediate safety concerns require urgent or emergency evaluation.
Caregiver and Young-Person Participation
Children, teens, and young adults should have developmentally appropriate opportunities to ask questions and participate in decisions about their care. Caregiver involvement is also important for understanding history, monitoring symptoms, administering medication safely, and noticing changes between appointments.
The level of caregiver involvement may depend on the young person’s age, legal status, clinical needs, safety, consent requirements, and ability to manage medication independently.
More Than Medication
Medication can be one part of a child’s overall treatment plan. Skills, relationships, routines, school supports, family involvement, and therapy may remain important even when medication is helpful.
When appropriate, we may recommend or coordinate services such as:
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and trauma therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for teens
- Individual or family therapy
- Psychological testing and evaluations for children and teens
- Parenting support
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language services
- School-based interventions and accommodations
Our team will help your family understand the recommendations and how different interventions may support your child’s needs.
Coordinated Care for Your Child
Communication is an important part of our approach. When appropriate and authorized, we collaborate with caregivers, therapists, school staff, primary care providers, and other professionals involved in your child’s care.
Coordination may include sharing medication and treatment information, reviewing relevant records, discussing changes in functioning, clarifying provider responsibilities, and supporting continuity of care.
Families may be asked to complete written authorizations before KCFC communicates with outside providers or schools.
When a Higher Level of Care Is Needed
Routine medication-management appointments are not designed to replace emergency, crisis, inpatient, or other intensive services. If a child’s symptoms significantly worsen or safety cannot be maintained, a higher level of care may be necessary.
Depending on the young person’s needs, recommendations may include:
- An urgent or emergency psychiatric evaluation
- Inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
- Referral to child and adolescent psychiatry
- A partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient program
- Additional safety planning and increased supervision
KCFC also offers an Adolescent DBT Intensive Outpatient Program for teens ages 13–18 who need more support than weekly outpatient treatment but do not require inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.
No Referral Required
Families can request services directly. While we welcome referrals from pediatricians and primary care providers, a provider referral is not required to request an appointment with our Pediatric Mental Health Clinic.
Insurance plans may have their own referral, authorization, or coverage requirements. Our team will review available information with your family during the intake process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pediatric Medication Management
Does my child need a referral?
No provider referral is required to request an appointment with KCFC’s Pediatric Mental Health Clinic. However, your insurance plan may have separate referral or authorization requirements.
Does requesting an appointment mean my child will receive medication?
No. The provider will evaluate your child’s symptoms, history, functioning, previous treatment, and individual needs before making recommendations. Medication may or may not be recommended.
Can medication be used without therapy?
Treatment recommendations are individualized. Medication may be one part of a broader treatment plan that includes individual therapy, family involvement, caregiver support, school interventions, or other services. The provider will discuss which combination of services may be appropriate.
Can KCFC take over a medication prescribed by another provider?
Families may request medication-management services when a child is already taking psychiatric medication. Acceptance and treatment recommendations depend on the clinical evaluation, available records, the medication involved, the child’s needs, and whether the service is within the clinic’s scope.
How often are follow-up appointments needed?
Follow-up frequency depends on the medication, symptoms, response to treatment, safety, stage of care, and provider recommendations. New or recently adjusted medications may require closer monitoring than a stable treatment plan.
Will you communicate with my child’s pediatrician or therapist?
When appropriate and authorized, KCFC may coordinate with primary care providers, therapists, schools, and other professionals involved in the child’s care. Written authorization may be required.
What if my child experiences a medication side effect?
Follow the instructions provided by the prescribing professional and contact the clinic regarding side effects or concerns. Seek urgent or emergency medical care for severe reactions, immediate safety concerns, or potentially life-threatening symptoms.
What if my child refuses to take medication?
Do not hide medication in food or force a child to take medication without discussing the situation with the prescribing provider. The provider can help the family explore the child’s concerns, developmental needs, medication options, and appropriate next steps.
Is pediatric medication management covered by insurance?
Medication-management visits may be covered as outpatient behavioral health or medical services. Coverage depends on your insurance plan, behavioral health benefits, medical necessity requirements, and assigned provider.
Insurance and Payment
KCFC participates with several commercial and Medicaid insurance plans and also accepts private payment. Coverage for medication management depends on your insurance plan, behavioral health benefits, medical necessity requirements, and the services provided.
Request Pediatric Medication Management
Looking for help with your child’s medication or mental health needs? Complete the form below to request services.
Our team will review your information and contact you regarding availability, insurance information, and next steps. No provider referral is required to submit a request.
Have Questions?
If you have questions about pediatric medication management or need help requesting services, call 269-615-7637 ext. 0.
Please do not use the request form, routine medication messages, or office voicemail for emergencies or urgent mental health concerns. If your child or someone else may be in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For immediate crisis support in the United States, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Information for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare providers may fax referrals and relevant records to (269) 213-5557.
Download Provider Referral Form
