Hospital-Based Pediatric Behavioral Health Care | MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor

MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor provides expert hospital-based pediatric behavioral health care in Westbrook, Maine. 

Compassionate inpatient care for children and young adults with behavioral health conditions

Child Services

Our 9-bed unit is specially designed for the care of children with behavioral health conditions who are unable to function at a lower level of care. Typically, patients are children who are at high risk of harming themselves or others. Our team of pediatric behavioral health professionals works closely with children, their families and other caregivers to achieve maximum treatment results. Services include

• Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
• Medication management
• Individual and family therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Recreation and group therapy
• Zones of Regulation and Social Thinking curriculum
• Educational and consultation services for parents
• On-site academic instruction

Adolescent Services

Our 14-bed and 12-bed units serve teens who require acute behavioral health care and substance use intervention who are unable to function at a lower level of care. Typically, patients are children who are at high risk of harming themselves or others. Our multidisciplinary care team specializes in the treatment of diagnoses common to this age group, including anxiety, depression, psychotic disorders, oppositional/defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Each adolescent patient room features ample natural light, a private bath, and a window view of our recreational areas, reflecting pool or wooded grounds. Spacious family consultation rooms and teen skill-building areas are located nearby. Services include: 

• Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
• Medication management
• Individual and family therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Recreation and group therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills
• Substance use awareness
• Educational and consultation services for parents
• On-site academic instruction

Co-occurring Disorders Program

Many teens in our care have a substance use disorder in addition to a behavioral health condition. Patients diagnosed with co-occurring disorders receive group therapy twice weekly. A weekly Alcoholics Anonymous support group is also available for parents. Individual treatment plans may also address substance use disorders.

Inpatient Admission Criteria

Typically, our patients are unable to function at a lower level of care and meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. The patient has seriously attempted to harm self within 72 hours prior to the admission.
2. The patient has seriously attempted to harm others and/or property within 72 hours prior to admission and this behavior is judged attributable to mental illness.
3. The patient is considered at significant and imminent risk to seriously harm self.
4. The patient is considered at significant and imminent risk for serious harm to another person and/or property as a result of a serious mental illness.
5. The patient is exhibiting a significant deterioration or divergence from expected developmental norms of behavior and/or cognitive functioning as a result of a serious mental illness, and this condition has been unresponsive to an appropriate course of treatment at a less intensive level of care.
6. The patient or patient's family behavior has prevented adequate diagnostic assessment at a less intensive level of care.
7. The patient requires continuous medical monitoring during the initiation of a medication trial and this trial cannot be safely accomplished at a less intensive level of care.