Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD Services

Our initial assessment is about 60 minutes. Most likely, you will NOT meet with a psychiatrist on the day of your initial assessment.
Psychiatrist appointments are generally scheduled following the completion of the initial assessment, based on the identified needs.

At the initial evaluation, it is helpful to have all involved adults present to provide input. It is usually not necessary at other appointments. You can discuss this more with your therapist.

Evening hours are available, however these are very popular appointment times. We cannot guarantee consistent evening times. If you have difficulty scheduling, you can discuss this more with your therapist. 

We do not provide parking, transportation, or child care at our facility.

Initial appointments and first medication appointments are about 60 minutes. Therapy sessions are around 45 minutes and medication appointments are 30 minutes. Appointment length can vary depending on your needs.

We will do our best to accommodate requests.

No, we require that you and your child meet with a therapist every time you meet with the psychiatrist. Usually, individuals meet with the therapist more frequently.

No, medication is not a requirement to receive care. However, therapy is required.

Yes, we can treat multiple siblings if their needs are appropriate for our services.

We focus on skill-building for organization and attention problems. However, we can help with family issues related to a child's ADHD. If your family's needs become more pressing, we can help you find a family therapy program.

If you miss an appointment, you may call to reschedule. However, if you miss two or more appointments, we may refer you to treatment at a different location.

Call 412-246-6090 and leave a message on the medication refill line. For routine refills, call at least a week in advance.

Our team will help you to decide the next steps and find other programs, if needed. Many individuals see their pediatrician, family doctor, or primary care physician (PCP) for medication maintenance.

We are happy to work with individuals who also have wraparound services. However, insurance will not pay for multiple therapists.

We are willing to help individuals receive the classroom support they need. You can discuss letters of accommodation with your psychiatrist.

Yes, we need you to have information for our specific services, even if you have other paperwork. Your school documents will be helpful to us, however our comprehensive rating scales cover information that general scales do not always include.

You are able to limit the information you choose to share with your child's school. However, we will need another personal reference, such as a babysitter, coach, or adult mentor, to learn the scope of your child's behavioral health needs in different settings.

We help younger children improve structure and support within the family setting. Please refer to the treatment section for details.

Typically, we would ask you to stop working with others while you are in treatment with us. We take over managing medications and therapy. However, if you feel strongly about your current relationships, we will do everything possible to work with you and your child on a solution.

Our services are designed for short-term, targeted treatment of ADHD. We encourage you and your child to complete other mental health treatment before considering our program. If your child has other diagnoses that you are already managing successfully, we are happy to discuss the benefits of ADHD treatment with you.

Call our centralized intake at 412-235-5444 to be scheduled for an evaluation at one of our UPMC Western Psychiatric outpatient locations.

We review each case individually and try to match people with the best teams and treatments. If we feel your child would be better served in a program that treats multiple clinical issues, we will help you find alternative options.