The Depression and Anxiety in Youth (DAY) Clinic

If your teenager is struggling with depression and/or anxiety, our intake team can help determine if treatment through the Depression and Anxiety in Youth (DAY) Clinic is a good fit. This evidence-based clinic specializes in treating adolescents who:

• Are 12-17 years old
• Have (or are suspected to have) depression
• Have (or are suspected to have) anxiety

Expert care, based on evidence 

In the DAY Clinic, experts from psychology, psychiatry, social work, and nursing collaborate to give you and your teen strategies to manage their depression and anxiety symptoms. DAY Clinic is an outpatient treatment program aimed at serving youth with mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety or depression.

The medical director of the clinic is Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr. Ram Chettiar and the Director of Behavioral Health is Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist, Dr. Meredith Scafe. At the clinic, your teenager may be offered the following services, depending on their individual needs and their clinical provider’s recommendations:

• Team-based, collaborative care among medication and therapy teams.
• Medication management services occur every 1 to 3 months for a period of 9 to 12 months and focus on the use of medications to manage mood symptoms.
• Individual therapy services occur weekly for an average of 8 to 16 sessions. Evidence-based treatments, including the Unified Protocol for Adolescents (UP-A), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are used to teach you and your teen skills to manage emotions.
• Psychoeducation-based therapy groups focus on teaching skills to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression, and occur weekly for a period of 6 weeks.
• Thoughtful, coordinated plans to transition your teen to long-term support from their primary care physicians and/or other mental health providers after clinic graduation.

What to expect at the Depression and Anxiety in Youth Clinic

1. During your first call, our intake team will ask you a series of questions to help determine whether the DAY Clinic is a good fit for your teenager's needs. The DAY Clinic focuses on helping teens with anxiety and/or depression. Many teens also have other concerns, which does not automatically prevent a teen from participating in the program. Our team will work with you to understand your teenager’s main concerns and treatment needs. If another concern is the primary focus or would be better treated through a specialized program, we will discuss other services and resources that may be a better fit for your family.
   
   
2. To ensure that DAY Clinic is the right solution for your teenager, we’ll schedule an initial visit with one of our clinicians. That first visit will include a diagnostic interview and standardized assessment measures. This evaluation allows our team to understand your teenager’s needs, determine whether our services are appropriate, and develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to support their care.
   
   
3. Your teenager's treatment plan may include group therapy, individual therapy, and/or medication management, or other recommendations, depending on their needs. Treatment timelines will vary, but treatment within the DAY Clinic will not exceed 12 months, and all treatment is outpatient (your teenager will visit the clinic during the day, not stay overnight in the hospital).
   
   
4. Your family will work with the DAY Clinic’s team to coordinate a plan for long-term mental health care after your teenager has completed DAY Clinic treatment. We will make sure your teenager has continued support through a primary care physician, mental health provider and/or other community resources as appropriate.